Lost In Translation/Vulcan Venture

This page is a stub for arcade games that are part of the Lost In Translation series using information based on MAME (version 0.113u2).
For an example of preferred content and layout please refer to Out Run or The Ninja Warriors.

Vulcan Venture
Manufacturer	Konami
Released	1988
Control Method	8-way Joystick 3 Button(s)
Main CPU	Z80 (@ 3.580 MHz) (2x) 68000 (@ 10.000 MHz)
Sound CPU	Stereo YM2151 (@ 3.580 MHz) K007232 (@ 3.580 MHz) UPD7759 (@ 640.000 kHz)
Video Details	Raster (Horizontal) 320 x 224 pixels 60.00 Hz 1,024 Palette colours
Screens	1
ROM Info	16 ROMs 2,932,736 bytes (2.80 MiB)
MAME ID	vulcan · gradius2 · grdius2a · grdius2b

About The Game

Vulcan Venture is an horizontally scrolling arcade video game shoot-em-up.

The third game in Konami's renowned "Gradius" series; the prequel being "Gradius" (known as "Nemesis" in Europe) and a spin-off called "Salamander" (also known as "Life Force"). Vulcan Venture strictly adheres to the shoot-em-up template set out by its hugely successful predecessor, the game eschews the sideways/vertical scrolling alternate levels of "Salamander" and opts instead for "Gradius" sideways scrolling-only mechanic. Vulcan Venture is rightly considered to be one of the most demanding and difficult shoot-em-ups ever released.

Trivia

This game is known in Japan as "Gradius II - GOFER no Yabou".

The game forbids the initials 'SEX' on the high score table. If you try, it gets changed to 'ASO'.

Apollon Music released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Space Odyssey, Gradius II - Gofer no yabou - BY30-5202) on 21/07/1988.

Updates

The main differences between Vulcan Venture and "Gradius II - GOFER no Yabou" are :

• Different title screen.
• Multiple is called Option in "Gradius II - GOFER no Yabou".
• No continue available in "Gradius II - GOFER no Yabou".
• Pulse Laser is called Ripple Laser in "Gradius II - GOFER no Yabou".

Series

1. Nemesis (1985)
2. Salamander (1986)
3. Gradius 2 (1987, MSX)
4. Vulcan Venture (1988)
5. Nemesis 3 - The Eve of Destruction (1988, MSX)
6. Gradius III - Densetsu Kara Shinwa-e (1989)
7. Gradius - The Interstellar Assault (1991, Nintendo Game Boy)
8. Nemesis '90 Kai (1993, Sharp X68000)
9. Salamander 2 (1996)
10. Solar Assault - Gradius (1997)
11. Solar Assault - Revisited (1997)
12. Gradius Gaiden (1997, Sony PlayStation)
13. Gradius IV - Fukkatsu (1999)
14. Gradius Generation (2002, Nintendo Game Boy Advance)
15. Gradius V (2003, Sony PlayStation 2)

Staff

Game Programmers

Toshiaki Takatori

K. Tsutsui

T. Horimoto

A. Suzuki

Takehiko Fujii

Graphic Designers

Miki Yoshikata

H. Ashida

Michiko Iwamoto

A. Nonami

Kuniaki Kakuwa

Sound Editors

S. Tasaka

Motoaki Furukawa

K. Matsubara

S. Hukami

Engineer

K. Hashima

Title Designers

F. Shinuya

J. Tanaka

Cabinet and Artwork

• 

  Vulcan Venture flyer.

• 

  Gradius II flyer.

• 

  Back of the Gradius II flyer.

Ports

Consoles

Nintendo Famicom (1988)

Nintendo Game Boy (1991)

NEC PC-Engine Super CD-ROM2 (1992)

Sega Saturn (1996, "Gradius Deluxe Pack")

Sony PlayStation (1996, "Gradius Deluxe Pack")

Sony PSP (2006, "Gradius Collection")

Computers

Sharp X68000 (1992)

PC [MS Windows] ("Gradius Deluxe Pack")

Soundtrack Releases

Album Name	Catalogue No.	Released	Publisher	Comments
MIDI Power X68000 Collection ver.1.0	KICA-7602	1992-05-21	King Records Inc.	CD version.
Thunder Cross	276A-7703	1989-05-21	King Records Inc.	CD version.
Gradius Arcade Soundtrack	KMCA-155~6	2002-04-24	Konami Music Entertainment	2 CD version.
Space Odyssey Gradius 2 ~Gofer's Ambition~	BY30-5202	1988-07-21	Apollon	CD version.
Symphonic Poem Gradius III	KICA-1010	1990-06-05	King Records Inc.	CD version.
Perfect Selection Gradius	KICA-1048	1991-11-21	King Records Inc.	CD version.
Perfect Selection Konami Battle the Best	KICA-1189	1996-09-21	King Records Inc.	CD version.
MIDI Power Pro Best Selection	KICA-7670	1995-08-04	King Records Inc.	CD version.
MIDI Power Pro 7 ~Gradius~	KMCA-5	1999-04-23	Konami Music Entertainment, Inc.	CD version.
Perfect Selection Konami Shooting Battle	KICA-1136	1993-12-22	King Records Inc.	CD version.
Perfect Selection Konami Shooting Battle II	KICA-1171	1995-11-22	King Records Inc.	CD version.
Konami GM Hits Factory II	KICA-1131	1993-10-21	King Records	CD version.
Konami GM Hits Factory I	KICA-1122	1993-03-24	King Records	CD version.
Konami Game Music Collection Vol.1	K30X-7705	1988-08-05	King Records	CD version.
MIDI Power X68000 Collection ver.1.0	KICA-7907	1998-09-23	King Records	CD version.
Konami Famicom Music Memorial Best Vol.1	140A-7709	1989-07-21	King Records	CD version.
Perfect Selection Gradius Part 2	KICA-1112	1992-11-06	King Records Inc.	CD version.
Gradius In Classic II	KICA-1135	1993-12-22	King Records Inc.	CD version.
Gradius In Classic I	KICA-7624	1993-12-22	King Records Inc.	CD version.
Konami Game Music Vol.4 A-JAX	28XA-201	1988-03-10	Alpha Records	CD version.
Konami Game Music Vol.4 A-JAX	ALC-22922	1988-03-10	Alpha Records	Cassette version.
Konami Game Music Vol.4 A-JAX	ALR-22922	1988-03-10	Alpha Records	Vinyl version.
Game Sound Legend Series "Konami Game Music Vol.4 ~A-JAX~"	SCDC-00472	2005-11-23	Scitron Digital Content Inc.	CD version.
Space Odyssey Gradius 2 ~Gofer's Ambition~	KSF-1524	1988-07-21	Apollon	Cassette version.
Space Odyssey Gradius 2 ~Gofer's Ambition~	AY25-0021	1988-07-21	Apollon	Vinyl version.
Gradius Tribute	SCDC-00530	2006-12-20	Happinet	CD version.
Winbee's Neo Cinema ~Evergreen side~	KICA-7612	1993-02-05	King Records Inc.	CD version.
Winbee's Neo Cinema 2 ~Paradise side~	KICA-7642	1994-08-05	King Records Inc.	CD version.
Winbee's Neo Cinema 3 ~Tokimeki side~	KICA-7674	1995-10-05	King Records Inc.	CD version.
Konami Game Music Collection Vol.1	KICA-2309	1993-05-21	King Records	CD version.
Konami Game Music Collection Vol.1	K25H-4705	1988-08-05	King Records	Cassette version.
Gradius IV Fukkatsu Original Game Soundtrack	KICA-7947	1999-03-05	King Records	CD version.
Original Sound of Gradius 2 (MSX Version)	BY12-5022	1987-10-05	Apollon Compusic	CD version.
Original Sound of Gradius 2 (MSX Version)	KHY-1021	1987-10-05	Apollon Compusic	Cassette version.
Konami Special Music Golden Treasure Chest	220A-7721~3	1989-12-21	King Records Inc.	3 CD version.
Konami Famicom Music Memorial Best Vol.1	096T-3709	1989-07-21	King Records	Cassette version.
Konami Game Music Collection Vol.1	K25G-7705	1988-08-05	King Records	Vinyl version.
Thunder Cross	KICA-2306	1993-05-21	King Record Co., Ltd.	CD version.
Salamander OVA 3: Gofer no Yabou Original Soundtrack	K30X-7159	1989-02-21	N/A	CD version.
Beep Special Project - SUPER GAME MUSIC	N/A	1988-07-01	Softbank Publishing	Vinyl version.
GRADIUS house ReMix	LC-1742	2009-02-27	Konami	CD version.

References

The contents of this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
The sources used include MAME (version 0.113u2) and history.dat (revision 1.28 - 2008-10-18).
Please see http://www.arcade-history.com for credits.