Gradius III

The player pilots the Vic Viper starfighter to battle the onslaughts of the Bacterion Empire. There are a total of ten levels in the game, with stage 4 being something of a bonus level; here, the player controls the Vic Viper in a third-person perspective and must avoid colliding with walls. Though the level is completely devoid of any enemies, free floating power-ups are scattered throughout. There are also two hidden levels that are based on the early sections of Gradius and Salamander. The game contains the familiar weapons, level layouts, and enemies that have become trademarks of the series.

Like the Japanese versions of previous games in the series, Gradius III does not include a continuation feature; if the player loses their lives, the game will be over. The Japanese version of the game contains a 'beginner mode' that allows the player to venture through the first three levels at a much easier difficulty. At the end of the third level, the game will bid the player to try the game again at the normal difficulty ('technical mode'), which can loop endlessly. The Asian (non-Japanese) arcade release lacks the beginner mode and retrospective introduction sequence, but reduces the difficulty overall.

In Japan, Game Machine listed Gradius III on their January 15, 1990 issue as being the third most-successful table arcade unit of the month.

Gradius III received positive to favorable reviews. 5 out of 10 for impressive graphics and game-play. 0 out of 10 for Virtual Console and criticizing the game for its high difficulty. In the Japanese video game magazine Famicom Tsūshin, two reviewers complimented the ability to adjust the difficulty level, while still finding themselves struggling with the game.