April 3, 2025 at 896 × 672 in Konami Shoot ‘Em Ups: The Definitive Review – 76 Full Reviews for Konami’s Arcade, Console, and Portable Shmups from 1980 to 2007
What I especially love is after fighting the iconic Big Core from the first Gradius (this after beating the Big Core MK II in the previous level), the game surprises you with one last new Big Core encounter, the lamely named Covered Core, to close one the best boss rushes in gaming history.