I should love this game… I’ve been trying for years to get in to it, keep thinking it will get better just round the corner but… It’s so damn tedious!
I’m at a point near the start where I’ve just fed the mouse/rat 3 bits of cheese and now I’m trying to climb up and…? Jump in some water? I just keep falling and dying over and over.
Just having a rant! Really want to like this game as much as others seem to…
Parodius is a parody of Gradius (hence the name).
is it just wordplay or is it a straight up parody?
It’s a “silly” version of Gradius. Wikipedia can explain it better than I can: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parodius:_The_Octopus_Saves_the_Earth
“Many of the characters and enemies are derived from that famous shooter series [Gradius], while other elements are extracted from other Konami titles, such as Antarctic Adventure and TwinBee. This game is of particular note in the series as being heavily infused with Japanese culture and folklore.”
Thanks. Until now I thought Parodius was just trying to be a funny take on shmups. I understood the Gradius/parody portmanteau, but I didn’t realize it was a true parody (e.g., clearly borrowing characters/enemies in a humorous way).