Gradius ReBirth: Reverse Resurrection

With all the big announcements at E3 it looks like Konami wanted to quietly , but Konami has announced Gradius ReBirth for the WiiWare on the Konami of Japan site (via Joystiq). All there is at this time is a solitary screenshot. From the screen we can tell that it is indeed a Gradius title, the Vic Viper is shooting missles, Moai heads are back, and that it looks retro (much like the new Mega Man 9). The visuals seem to be in the NES/SNES range. There is no information about the title yet as the whether it's a remake, a sequel, or a side-story, but I'm sure Konami will give us details soon. What is known is that the game will be available this Summer, which would mean very soon. I am wondering though, will the game only be for WiiWare or will it also appear on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade? After what Capcom pulled with Mega Man 9 I wouldn't be surprised if we see some news down the line about Gradius ReBirth coming to every download service.

According to the Google translated version of the Konami Japan page, underneath the Gradius ReBirth title is "Gradius reverse." I don't know how accurate Google's translation is, but what does "reverse" mean? Given the older console look of the screenshot I'm assuming it just refers to the retro look (and probably sound) of the game.

Good thing the game isn't called Gradius AfterBirth. Hey, there's always the sequel.

Okay Konami, I'm all for rebirthing and after-birthing Gradius games no matter what they are, but what about Gradius VI? Gradius VI was announced for the PS3 before the console's launch, but no-one has heard of it for a long time now. Let's get some news on that pronto.

- Shawn - 07/17/08