Moai

Moai
Type	Moai statue
Variations	Angry Moai Я Angry Moai Laser Moai Mechanical Moai Moai Я
Appearances	Most games

Moai (モアイ) is probably the most prevalent of the Gradius traditions, with its only notable absences being in Gradius V, Gradius: The Interstellar Assault and Nemesis 2. Moai statues are based on the real life Moai guardian statues found on Easter Island.

Attack patterns

The Moai usually stand up or lie flat on the ground, which generally consists of floating platforms. They always fire Ion Rings, which even if they can be destroyed in midair, the Moai will keep on creating more until destroyed. Moai have a moderate amount of health and can only be killed by shooting them in the mouth. In most Gradius games after Gradius II, after sustaining enough damage the Moai will turn red, become more aggressive, and be able to fire many more rings, in addition to being able to stand up and turn around.

Moai types

• Normal Moai: The normal, unaggressive Moai, who only fires energy rings and doesn't turn around. It made its first appearance in Gradius.
• Angry Moai: The harder version of the Normal Moai; the Red Moai fires energy rings at a faster pace and can turn around and stand up. It first appeared in Gradius II and returned in the Super NES port of Gradius III.
• Mechanical Moai: Appearing only in Nemesis 3, mechanical moai are similar to red moai, but are harder to destroy. A second type of Mech Moai lays flat on the ceiling or floor and fires an expanding laser similar to the Up/Down lasers.
• Laser Moai: Blue Moai that not only fires rings and turns around, but also fires a huge beam, which still fires as they're crumbling. Only appeared in Gradius Gaiden.
• Moai Я: Regenerating Blue Moai who acts like normal Moai, except they regenerate. Only appeared in Gradius IV.
• Angry Moai Я: Regenerating Red Moai. Only appeared in Gradius Galaxies.

Anime

• The Moai appears in Salamander anime Vol. 1 as a statue. They reappear in Vol. 2. Unlike the games, where they were enemies, the Moai in the OVA were built by an ancient generation to defend Gradius.

Cameos in other Konami titles

• The Moai is the Gradius icon in Cosmic Wars.
• Moai is a playable character in Konami Wai Wai World. His special abilities are to break certain types of bricks and to shoot energy rings.
• Moai appeared as a Yu-Gi-Oh! card, along with Gradius, Big Core, and other characters from the series.
• Alongside the Golem, a Moai also appears as a boss in the 1993 fighting game Monster Maulers. In this incarnation, it has an entire upper-body made of stone.
• Moai appears as a playable character in the fighting crossover game DreamMix TV World Fighters.
• A throwable Moai statue is an unlockable weapon in Busou Shinki Battle Rondo. In addition, a set of Mini Moai options can be unlocked that follow up attacks with a barrage of ion rings.
• A Moai statue appears in certain Castlevania games as a very rare and valuable item.
• A Moai statue makes a cameo appearance in the fighting game Skullgirls, as a super-combo form of the character Double. The game was distributed by Konami and features work by renown Castlevania composer Michiru Yamane.
• PlayStation 2 game Remote Control Dandy SF, developed by Sandlot and published by Konami, features the M.O.I., an enormous flying battleship with numerous Moai turrets.
• A Moai appears as an unlockable head type for players in Pro Evolution Soccer 2013.
• Moai appears in the Zoradius minigame in Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner.
• Moai appears in My Frogger Toy Trials.
• Moai is a selectable character in Hai no Majutsushi.
• Moai appears as Warrior Moai in Ganbare Goemon 2 (NES).

Gallery

Artwork from Nemesis
(Game Boy)

Moai in the Salamander anime

Moai in Salamander anime

Moai Interceptor Cannons card in Yu-Gi-Oh!

The Statue of Easter Island card in Yu-Gi-Oh!

Moai in Hai no Majutsushi

Moai in Konami Krazy Racers

Moai as seen in the cover of My Frogger Toy Trials

Warrior Moai in Ganbare Goemon 2
(NES).

Moai

Angry Moai

Mecha Moai

Laser Moai

Moai Я