Replaying Gradius made me realize how much I needed to return to those arcades that no longer exist.

The first time I saw a Vic Viper ship on screen was in a built-in machine in a local convenience store. One of those that no longer exists.

We played without knowing English, without understanding what a power-up was or why a giant octopus was popping out of the background of the screen. But there we were, competing with laughter, waiting for our turn with a sweaty coin in our hand. Gradius wasn't just a game: it was part of the environment. Of growing up.

Today, almost three decades later, holding Gradius Origins in my hands stirred more than nostalgia. It brought me face to face with the undiluted memory of a genre that shaped an entire generation: the shoot 'em up.

This collection, available for PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC , not only brings back seven of the franchise's most iconic original titles, but does so with an obsessive focus on detail.

It includes 18 distinct versions , with their regional variants, forgotten compilations, and modes never before played outside of Japan. All carefully curated and remastered to ensure a faithful experience, yet also friendly to modern times.

And yet, nothing prepared me for the impact of Salamander III .

Yes, Konami did something unexpected: it dusted off the most beloved Gradius spin-off and gave it a new installment, 15 years after its last attempt.

The result isn't a nod or a tribute. It's a legitimate, challenging new game, with six intense levels, impeccable 2D design, and a rhythm that alternates between horizontal and vertical scrolling seamlessly, as if it had never ceased to exist.

The music. The effects. The way the power capsules fall on screen. Everything has that old-school feel with a modern texture. I played it like someone opening a box and finding a letter they thought was lost. No other recent game has brought back the feeling of being home so powerfully.

Sure, there are improvements designed for modern times : save points, rewind, invincibility mode. But the important thing lies elsewhere: in how this collection doesn't try to sell you nostalgia, but rather to reconstruct it with dignity, without editorializing or altering it.

Gradius Origins is many things: a playable historical archive, a collector's gem, an entry point for new players. But above all, it's a reminder of what video games were like before open maps, cinematics, and skill trees.

When all that mattered was surviving a few more seconds, dodging the next shot, and trying to reach, at least once, the third level.

And if you've ever played any of these titles—in an arcade, on an emulator, or even on an old console—you'll understand how important it is to be able to come back. Because Gradius Origins doesn't just let you play: it lets you go back there.