Gradius II: GOFER no Yabō (グラディウスII -GOFERの野望-?, lit. "Gradius II: Gofer's Ambition"), known as Vulcan Venture outside Japan, is a horizontally-scrolling shooter developed and published by Konami in 1988 for video arcades.
Gradius II never saw availability in North America until the release of Gradius Collection for the PlayStation Portable, instead, the Life Force conversion of Salamander was marketed as the sequel to Gradius.
Plot[]
Two years ago, the planet Gradius was suddenly attacked by a Bacterian invasion fleet. On the brink of defeat, Gradius launched its last hope, the hyper-space fighter Vic Viper. The Vic Viper drove deep into the heart of the enemy forces and destroyed the Bacterian stronghold, the Xaerous Fortress, and brought victory to Gradius.
But now, the Bacterian menace is again threatening the planet Gradius. This time, the attack is led by a new enemy — a special unit known as Gofer. The Gradius forces again look to their savior — the Vic Viper — to save them from annihilation.