- For the Gradius Stage, see Tentacle (Gradius).
Tentacle (触手 Shokushu) is a recurring enemy in the Gradius series.
Description[]
The Tentacle is a standard enemy introduced in the first Gradius game, which has also appeared in some other games since. It is a large purple ball, approximately twice as large as the Vic Viper. They have pale gray arms, with one yellow segment and claws on the end. The arms Tentacles deploy are similar to those of the Golem, and are used as normal enemies in games such as Gradius II.
In the first game, Tentacles act as the sub-boss to the stage they're encountered in.
Attack patterns[]
These enemies generate arms, which can be destroyed by attacking a specially colored arm segment. They will attempt to fire many projectiles in the direction of the player, although they have very poor aim and it's fairly easy to sit in one spot and let them fire away at nothing. Their cores can be destroyed but can take a lot of punishment, slowly shrinking in size each time they're shot at until they explode. It's often better just to destroy the arms and then letting the brains float away.
Anime[]
A pack of Tentacles appear in the second volume of Salamander. One Tentacle briefly appears in the third volume.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Legion (saint)'s core form from Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance and Legion's core from Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow are apparently based on this enemy, being that they're both floating spherical cores with three tentacles that end in claws from which they shoot lasers at the player.
See also[]
- Death Hand - A single limb like those from Tentacles, although affixed to a surface.
- Golem - A recurrent boss sharing a similar physiology to the Tentacle or an evolution of it.
| Gradius | ||
| Ships | Vic Viper | |
| Stages | Volcano • Stonehenge • Moai • Reverse Volcano • Wasteland (PCE) • Tentacle • Cell • Base | |
| Sub Bosses | Volcano • Zub Rush • Mother and Child • Iron Maiden • Tentacle • Electronic Cage •
Re-Bone (PC Engine) • Tornado (MSX) • Tyran Pace (MSX) | |
| Bosses | Big Core • Cell Nucleus • Xaerous Brain | |
| Minibosses / Panic segments | ||
| Traditional / Recurring | Volcano • Zub Rush • Iron Maiden • Re-Bone • Fortress Valis • Jumping Moai • Dogas | |
| One Shot | Mother and Child • Tentacle • Tornado • Tyran Pace • Zigzag • Amb • Sodd • Sinar • Crash Bam | |