Gradius

Gradius is the origin of the Konami Code and one of the defining horizontal shooters of the 1980s. You pilot the Vic Viper against the Bacterian empire, and the whole game is built around a power-up bar you fill by collecting orange capsules.

That bar is what separates it from its contemporaries. Each capsule advances the selector through Speed Up, Missile, Double, Laser, Option and Shield, and you choose when to cash it in - spend early for a fast ship, or hold for laser and options and fly underpowered while you wait. The Options are the key: up to four trailing satellites that duplicate your fire and let you cover the whole screen. Losing a life resets you to a bare ship at the last checkpoint, which is why Gradius deaths feel so expensive. Its Moai head parade and volcano stage are among the most quoted pieces of 8-bit design.

• ▸Power-up bar with selectable Speed Up, Missile, Double, Laser, Option and Shield
• ▸Up to four Options that duplicate your shots and follow your ship
• ▸Checkpoint respawn with no power-ups - losing a life costs you the build
• ▸The Moai head and volcano stages, still the series' signature set pieces