Solar Assault (ソーラーアサルト Sōrā Asaruto), also known as Solar Assault: Gradius and Solar Assault: Revised, is a third person rail shooter video game developed and published by Konami released on arcade platforms in 1997. It is a spin-off to the Gradius series, emulating a similar experience to the traditional games but in a tridimensional environment.
Plot[]
Space Year 6814. 12 years have passed since the battle with the arch enemy "Bacterian" ended, and a time of peace has flowed. On planet Gradius, they have succeeded in developing the latest super-dimensional fighter "Alpinia", which boasts astounding performance by further improving the legendary "Vic Viper" and combining it with the technology of the allied planet nation Latis' "Lord British". At that time, an emergency communication was received from the Space Defense Observatory, stating that "a moving star-sized object is approaching while destroying planets in orbit". The top-secret defense organization: JOHN immediately activated the first level of alert (DEFCON: 1). After completing final adjustments, the order was given to "Alpinia" to launch. Immediately after leaving the stratosphere in formation with "Vic Viper" and "Lord British", the operation program was loaded. Operation name: "Solar Assault". The tracking monitor showed an eerie moving fortress like a dark sun.
Gameplay[]
This title retains most of the gameplay characteristics of its 2D counterparts including the same enemies, protagonists, the Power Meter system and familiar elements such as Power Capsules obtained by defeating enemies, but everything is done in 3D instead. The player takes control of one of three spaceships, battling enemies and bosses in settings like underground tunnels, planet surfaces, and space fields.
One change from previous Gradius games is that the player now has a health bar; the ship will not immediately destruct upon a single shot or collision. The other major gameplay change is the ability to adjust the speed, which is necessary to time the avoidance of certain obstacles and enemies. Also, since the game is in 3D, two views are now at the player's disposal and can be switched anytime; one view closer to the screen and one a little farther.
There are three ships to choose from, each having its own arsenal configuration:
Stages[]
| Stage | Name | Boss |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The River Styx | Big Core MK I |
| 2 | Fierce Blaze | Intruder |
| 3 | Curse | Tutankhamon |
| 4 | Abyssal Forest | Dinosaur |
| 5 | Speed Demon | Big Core MK II |
| 6 | Solar Assault | Crab Solar Assault Core |
Versions[]
The game came in two versions, a wide stand-up arcade cabinet, and a Speed King deluxe simulator. The Speed King edition is an enclosed pod which tilts, using pneumatics, according to the action occurring on-screen.
In December 1997, Konami released an updated version of the game titled Solar Assault: Revised. It introduced a new arcade board that was co-developed by Konami and IBM which allows five boards to be stacked on top of each other, as well as several modifications to the game, like the all-new level Fierce Blaze, new attacks to the Speed Demon level boss Big Core MK II, and a total revamp on the Abyssal Forest level, with a new color palette and some new enemies, making it much harder than the original. Also, it has an actual final boss fight. The US version of the game was based on this one, just simply renamed as "Solar Assault".
Other changes include:
- Some stage backgrounds have been changed: "River Styx" now features a huge planet at the bottom of the screen and "Abyssal Forest" has a darker color palette and also a slightly different level design with new obstacles and enemies to avoid.
- A new lava based stage has been added as level 2, bringing the total levels to 6.
- A new boss fight occurs on the last stage before fighting the final boss.
- The "Speed Demon" stage boss has a completely different attack pattern.
- An ending animation has been included instead of just credits. The animation is the same as that from Gradius.
Gallery[]
Screenshots[]
title screen
title screen
Packaging artwork[]
Promotional artwork[]
(front)
(back)
arcade flyer
arcade flyer
(Inside #3)
Trivia[]
- The default Coin settings of the game require three coins to start and two coins to continue, making it a notably pricey arcade game to play, released this way by the manufacturer.
- The Revised version fixes most of the levels and drops more power capsules than that of the Original, especially the Speed Demon and the Final Stage.
- This game features the Emblems on the Ships: Vic Viper, Lord British and Alpinia.
- According to the May 17, 2025 issue of Famitsu, Solar Assault takes place 12 years after Gradius III in the main timeline.
External links[]
- GameFAQs
- MobyGames
- Solar Assault - Revised at Gaming History
| Solar Assault | ||
| Ships | Vic Viper • Lord British • Alpinia | |
| Stages | The River Styx • Fierce Blaze • Curse • Abyssal Forest • Speed Demon • Solar Assault | |
| Bosses | Big Core MK I • Intruder • Tutankhamon • Dinosaur • Big Core MK II • Crab | |
| Gradius video games | ||
| Gradius series | Gradius · Gradius II · Gradius III · Gradius Gaiden · Gradius IV: Fukkatsu · Gradius Galaxies · Gradius V · Gradius ReBirth · Gradius: The Interstellar Assault · Gradius NEO · Gradius NEO Imperial | |
| Spin-offs | Salamander (Life Force) (MSX ver.) · Salamander 2 · Salamander III · Nemesis 2 (Nemesis '90 Kai) · Nemesis 3 · Nemesis (Game Boy) · Cosmic Wars · Solar Assault | |
| Parody games | Parodius · Parodius Da! · Gokujō Parodius! · Jikkyō Oshaberi Parodius · Sexy Parodius · Paro Wars · Otomedius (Otomedius Gorgeous) · Otomedius Excellent | |
| Other games | Scramble · Thunder Cross · Thunder Cross II · Space Manbow · Force Gear | |
| Pachislot | Gradius: The Slot · CR Parodius Da! EX · Gokuraku Parodius! | |
| Canceled | Vic Viper: Battle Racing · Gradius Arc · Salamander HD Remaster | |