Nemesis (1990). Play online

Summary

Nemesis on the Game Boy brings the iconic sideways‑scrolling shooter feel to the handheld. The game opens on a simple stage‑select screen, a hallmark of Konami’s portable titles. Its power‑up meter expands on the original Gradius formula by adding multi‑level missiles.
Only five stages appear, each capped by a distinct core boss that demands precise timing. Hidden bonus stages pop up for those who explore, rewarding extra lives and score bonuses. The tight level design keeps the action intense despite the system’s limitations.
Although marketed under the Nemesis name, the title is firmly part of the Gradius lineage and later resurfaced in the Konami GB Collection as Gradius and Gradius II. A direct follow‑up, Gradius: The Interstellar Assault, arrived the next year on the same platform. Contemporary critics hailed it as a “superb version of a classic coin‑op.”