Gradius V: another great game in the series

The next game in the Gradius series (excluding the Gradius III and Gradius IV ports) comes to the PS2 in the form of Gradius V. Comparatively, this game is much different than the previous games in the series. Sure there is the classic gameplay, but the best part of the game is the fact you get to control your multiples/options. Also I like the fact that the game keeps track of total game hours accrued over time. Now in this game there are 256 loops. The only way to reach all 256 is to beat the game 256 consecutive times. This also means that in order to reach all 256, you need to leave your PS2 on all the time which is bad. There is a save feature but it's totally useless. I'm still trying to figure out what it's for. It would be nice if the save feature was used to save loop progress. Loop progress is saved but it is only for stage select; there is no way to continue from your current loop whenever you press game start on the menu; you always restart from loop 1. Another thing that is different is that in previous titles, you take one hit and you are dead. In this game, the hitbox is much smaller on your ship. You may get hit but you won't necessarily dead all the time. That said, the hitbox can be frustrating. It can be hard to find sometimes and sometimes you die without you knowing. Regardless of those small quips, this game plays great. 8 levels full of enemies mean you must stay on your toes. The weapons are plentiful in Weapon Edit mode, so you can customize your ship using any configuration you chose. There are pros and cons to each which is a good thing. The game is two player and in two player mode, both players share the multiples/options which leads to a full cooperation between both players. This game is really great and I hope that a Gradius game is in the works for the PS3. I know one thing: I will get it if it comes out. Destroy the Core!!!