Gokujou Parodius: Kako no Eikou o Motomete (ver JAD)

Arcade Video game published 30 years ago:

極上パロディウス! ～過去の栄光を求めて～ (c) 1994 Konami.
(Gokujyou Parodius! Kako no Eikou o Motomete)

Gokujyou Parodius is a horizontally-scrolling shoot-em-up and is the first arcade sequel to 1990's "Parodius Da." As with previous titles in the series, the game is parody of Konami's "Gradius" games and picks up where the first game left off. This time, however, Konami also parodies other classics of the genre, including Irem's legendary "R-Type", with the infamous mothership that forms R-Type's entire third level affectionately parodied.

All four of the series' main characters return, along with with a simultaneous two-player mode. Some of the characters do not have 'Options' but can instead power-up their weapon and strengthen it until it can inflict massive amounts of destruction. In the two-player game, the second player will have a different set of characters to select. They are clones of the first player characters, except with different names and slightly altered sprites or changed colour palettes.

The game's title translates as "Fantastic Parodius - Pursue the Glory of the Past". "Gokujyou Parodius" consists of seven stages, rather than the ten stages of previous games in the series.

- TECHNICAL -

Konami GX Hardware
Game ID : GX321

Main CPU : Motorola 68EC020 (@ 24 Mhz)
Sound CPU : Motorola 68000 (@ 9.2 Mhz)
Sound Chips : (2x) K054539 (@ 48 Khz)

Players : 4
Control : 8-way joystick
Buttons : 3

- TRIVIA -

Gokujyou Parodius was released in April 1994 in Japan.

The title of this game translates from Japanese as 'Fantastic Parodius! - Surpassing Its Former Glory'.

This game is known outside Japan as "Fantastic Journey [Model GX321]".

The name of the fish character Mambo has a double meaning, he gets his name from the real life fish called Ocean Sunfish (or Mola Mola), but called Mambou in Japan. The other meaning is Mambo from the musical style, which is why the female partner character in this game is called Samba, yet another musical style.

Stage 1 music is a remix of 'In the Mood', by Joe Garland (1939).
Stage 1 boss music is a remix of 'Carmen : Le Toreador', by Georges Bizet (1875).
Stage 2 music is a remix of 'Stars and Stripes Forever', by John Philip Sousa (1896).
Stage 3 music is a remix of 'Tritsch-Tratsch Polka', by Johann Strauss (1858).
Stage 3 boss music is a remix of 'Mambo No. 5', by Damaso Perez Prado (1949).
Stage 4 music is a remix of 'Guillaume Tell', by Gioacchino Rossini (1829).
Stage 4 boss music is a remix of Gradius's Aircraft Carrier music.
Stage 5 music is a megamix of 'Yankee Doodle', 'Ej Lucka, Lucka' / Czech Folk Song, 'Mary Had a Little Lamb', 'Circus Song' (Chopsticks), 'London Bridge', 'Picnic'.
Stage 5 boss music is a remix of 'Piano Sonata K.331, 3rd : Rondo Alla Turca', by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Stage 6 music is a remix of 'Juugoya Otsukisan', by Nagayo Motoori.
Stage 6 boss music is a remix of 'Zuizui Zukkorobashi', by Japanese Children's Song.
Moai Ship stage music is a remix of 'Die Walkure', by Richard Wagner.
Moai Ship stage boss music is a remix of 'Symphony No.25 in G minor, K.183; 1st movement', by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Stage 7 music is a remix of 'Symphony No.9 in E minor : From The New World', by Antonin Dvorak.
Special stage music is a megamix of music from others Konami Games : TwinBee, Salamander, AJax, Gradius II/III, Thunder Cross.
Special stage boss music is a remix of 'Flight of the Bumblebee', by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
Ranking table music is a remix of 'The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a', by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Soundtrack releases :
Gokujou Parodius [King Records - KICA-7641 - Jul 5, 1994]

- SERIES -

1. Parodius - Tako wa Chikyuu o Sukuu [Model RC759] (1988, MSX)
2. Parodius Da! Shinwa kara Owarai e [Model GX955] (1990, ARC)
3. Gokujyou Parodius! Kako no Eikou o Motomete [Model GX321] (1994, ARC)
4. Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius [Model SHVC-AJOJ-JPN] (1995, SFC)
5. Sexy Parodius (1996, ARC)

- STAFF -

Programmers: Chichibinta Tsukasa, V. Mailer
Character designers: Shuujirou Hamakawa (Shuzilow.HA), Magurou, Taro Maru, Ishimaroid, Bon.Natsumi
Music: Seiichi Fukami (Prophet Fukami), Satoko Miyawaki (M.Puddin' Satoko), Kazuhiro Senoo (Sitar Senoo)
Sound effects: Shinji Tasaka (Gokujyou-Tasaka), Akihiro Juuichiya (118)
Hard designers: Million Hide, Suke, Escape Yoshiaki, Kazuhiro Namba (Nanba Shot Tom)
Product designer: Poper Takashi

Special Thanks: Yoshitoh Asari, Daijirou, Mekayo, Kanban Musume, Baja, Kanny, Nakazy, Tugeko, Lan, AC Bugcheckers

- PORTS -

* CONSOLES:
[JP] Nintendo Super Famicom (1994) "Gokujyou Parodius! [Model SHVC-AGPJ-JPN]"
[JP] Sony PlayStation (1994) "Gokujyou Parodius Da! Deluxe Pack [Model SLPS-00002]"
[JP] Sega Saturn (1995) "Gokujyou Parodius Da! Deluxe Pack [Model T-9501G]"
[JP] Sony PSP (Jan. 25, 2007) "Parodius Portable [Model ULJM-05220]"