| Introduction:
Parodious is a game that was only released in Japan. It is a parody of the game called Gradius. If anyone is unfamiliar with what a parody is, it is simply a thing(in this case a game) that makes fun of something. In Parodious, the gameplay is much like the games in the Gradius series, but the levels are all really wacky. This game will tickle your funny bone. There are a couple of parts that *ahem* may be a little inappropriate for little kids.
Graphics [7/10]:
If it wasn't for the fact that the graphics on this game are silly, this game would have a low rating in the graphics department. There really aren't many special effects or many good animations in this game. This game does not really take full advantage of the SNES's capabilities in graphics for most of the game. However, I have to give Konami credit for their creativity. Most of the enemies on this game look rather silly. I really like the pirate cat ship in the first level. Also, the boss of this one level is *ahem, young ones, avert thine eyes* a pretty blonde woman in bed. Some of the later levels, like the bathouse and the graveyard are better detailed. Most of the game is really colorful too. They even put blood on the penguin things that stay on the ground. All in all, the graphics look silly and colorful(not to mention the lovely ladies from time to time in this game), but it isn't top notch either.
Music and Sound [9/10]:
The music and sound on this game is probably more likely to make you laugh than the graphics. When you powerup, a high-pitched female voice tells you what powerup you used and it sounds rather silly. Most of the music for the stages fit the stage they are in. I really like the music in the Omake stage. The Omake stage is actually a different way to play Parodious, but I will explain that in detail in the gameplay section.
Gameplay [6/10]:
I have two words for the gameplay on this game "TOO HARD!" True, you can adjust the difficulty settings between 1-7(1 being easiest, 7 being the hardest) but the game is playable on 1, and impossible once you start cranking it up. The default setting is 4, and it's nearly impossible! What's really frustrating about this game is you die in one hit. Also, when you die, you lose all the powerups you have collected. This means you have to re-do the area with just a pea shooter while dodging enemies, bullets, and everything else. Despite the difficulty, this is a fun game to play. You have plenty of enemies to shoot at, and it helps the fun factor out that the game itself is silly. Despite the fact that you lose all powerups after dying, there are alot of powerup capsules, so assuming you can live long enough, you can get some major firepower reasonably quick. Also, it's nice you get to choose between four ships. You have the Vic Viper from the Gradius series, an Octopus, the Twinbee from some NES game (I forget the name of it, could someone help me out here?), and a Penguin. Also, you can choose to play the regular game(where you play stage after stage until you beat the game) or play the single Omake stage. The Omake stage is tough, but you don't have to replay areas over when you die, another one of your ships just appears where you died.
Challenge and Replay [10/10]:
This game has plenty of challenge, no doubt about that. Once you beat it on the easiest setting, you can crank it up and try the game again. Also, you can try out the four different ships, since they each have their own unique powerups. The Omake stage is fun to play too. This game is very replayable because of all the wacky enemies, music, and sounds in this game. This is a fun game to play, provided you don't get frustrated with the challenge.
Conclusion/Overall [8.5/10]:
Despite the low gameplay rating, this is a fun game to play. I have been playing this game alot lately. I think what gives this game it's biggest boost is the fact that it is silly. It's hard to get too mad at a game that is making you laugh.
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