<s>
is	O
a	O
Japanese-developed	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
up	O
video	O
game	O
published	O
by	O
Konami	O
for	O
the	O
Sony	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
2	I-Device
video	B-Device
game	I-Device
console	I-Device
in	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gradius	B-Application
V	I-Application
was	O
largely	O
developed	O
under	O
contract	O
by	O
Treasure	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
previously	O
worked	O
on	O
Radiant	B-Application
Silvergun	I-Application
and	O
Ikaruga	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
set	O
predominantly	O
in	O
outer	O
space	O
where	O
players	O
control	O
a	O
fictional	O
spacecraft	O
called	O
Vic	B-Application
Viper	I-Application
through	O
a	O
continuously	O
scrolling	O
background	O
depicting	O
the	O
territories	O
of	O
Bacterianan	O
evil	O
empire	O
which	O
serves	O
as	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
enemy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gradius	B-Application
V	I-Application
received	O
overall	O
positive	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
takes	O
place	O
as	O
a	O
2D	O
scrolling	O
shooter	O
with	O
the	O
Vic	B-Application
Viper	I-Application
contending	O
with	O
formations	O
of	O
enemies	O
,	O
both	O
stationary	O
and	O
moving	O
,	O
that	O
fire	O
bullets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Should	O
players	O
come	O
into	O
contact	O
with	O
anything	O
on	O
the	O
screen	O
,	O
the	O
Vic	B-Application
Viper	I-Application
explodes	O
,	O
and	O
they	O
lose	O
a	O
life	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Gradius	B-Application
V	I-Application
,	O
the	O
hit	O
box	O
(	O
the	O
pixels	O
which	O
must	O
be	O
touched	O
by	O
an	O
object	O
to	O
destroy	O
the	O
ship	O
)	O
has	O
been	O
reduced	O
in	O
size	O
to	O
allow	O
players	O
to	O
get	O
through	O
small	O
areas	O
more	O
easily	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gradius	B-Application
V	I-Application
marks	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
can	O
reappear	O
immediately	O
and	O
resume	O
the	O
game	O
from	O
where	O
they	O
lose	O
a	O
life	O
ever	O
since	O
Salamander	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
this	O
mode	O
,	O
they	O
can	O
customize	O
the	O
Vic	B-Application
Viper	I-Application
with	O
various	O
combinations	O
of	O
weapons	O
found	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
Select	O
Weapon	O
Array	O
"	O
screen	O
,	O
from	O
earlier	O
Gradius	B-Application
games	O
,	O
or	O
new	O
weaponry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Finally	O
,	O
players	O
have	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
view	O
the	O
highest	O
local	O
scores	O
,	O
save	O
or	O
load	O
game	O
data	O
using	O
a	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
memory	O
card	O
,	O
or	O
to	O
adjust	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
settings	O
,	O
including	O
stereo	O
or	O
monoural	O
sound	O
,	O
difficulty	O
,	O
number	O
of	O
lives	O
available	O
,	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
points	O
required	O
to	O
earn	O
extra	O
lives	O
,	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
restart	O
from	O
a	O
checkpoint	O
or	O
immediately	O
after	O
being	O
destroyed	O
,	O
or	O
button	O
configuration	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
new	O
feature	O
in	O
Gradius	B-Application
V	I-Application
gives	O
players	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
control	O
their	O
"	O
Multiples	O
"	O
with	O
the	O
push	O
of	O
a	O
button	O
,	O
depending	O
on	O
which	O
weaponry	O
was	O
selected	O
before	O
starting	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
pressing	O
a	O
button	O
,	O
players	O
can	O
freeze	O
their	O
Multiples	O
in	O
place	O
,	O
cause	O
them	O
to	O
rotate	O
around	O
the	O
Vic	B-Application
Viper	I-Application
,	O
control	O
the	O
direction	O
of	O
their	O
fire	O
,	O
or	O
spread	O
them	O
out	O
above	O
and	O
below	O
the	O
ship	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
modified	O
from	O
the	O
similar	O
system	O
used	O
in	O
Gradius	B-Application
NEO	O
,	O
a	O
mobile	O
phone	O
game	O
released	O
months	O
before	O
this	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
year	O
8010	O
,	O
the	O
planet	O
Gradius	B-Application
is	O
once	O
again	O
invaded	O
by	O
the	O
alien	O
Bacterians	O
,	O
who	O
assemble	O
a	O
large-scale	O
assault	O
force	O
to	O
destroy	O
its	O
enemies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Vic	B-Application
Viper	I-Application
T-301	O
and	O
its	O
unnamed	O
pilot	O
is	O
deployed	O
to	O
rout	O
the	O
Bacterians	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
battle	O
,	O
a	O
large	O
Bacterian	O
spacecraft	O
comes	O
out	O
of	O
a	O
space-time	O
warp	O
and	O
attempts	O
a	O
kamikaze	O
attack	O
on	O
Gradius	B-Application
,	O
but	O
a	O
second	O
Vic	B-Application
Viper	I-Application
follows	O
it	O
and	O
tells	O
the	O
pilot	O
that	O
they	O
need	O
to	O
destroy	O
the	O
spacecraft	O
's	O
twin	O
cores	O
simultaneously	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
performed	O
successfully	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Vic	B-Application
Viper	I-Application
leaves	O
to	O
continue	O
the	O
offensive	O
in	O
other	O
locations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Near	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
Vic	B-Application
Viper	I-Application
encounters	O
a	O
spacecraft	O
in	O
a	O
Bacterian	O
facility	O
and	O
is	O
unable	O
to	O
destroy	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
study	O
of	O
the	O
spacecraft	O
reveals	O
that	O
it	O
is	O
exactly	O
the	O
same	O
one	O
that	O
tried	O
to	O
smash	O
into	O
Gradius	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Now	O
realizing	O
that	O
the	O
other	O
Vic	B-Application
Viper	I-Application
's	O
pilot	O
was	O
himself	O
from	O
the	O
future	O
,	O
he	O
activates	O
a	O
space-time	O
portal	O
and	O
travels	O
to	O
the	O
past	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
aid	O
in	O
its	O
destruction	O
alongside	O
his	O
past	O
self	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
time	O
,	O
the	O
Bacterian	O
core	O
controlling	O
the	O
spacecraft	O
speaks	O
,	O
revealing	O
itself	O
as	O
a	O
small	O
part	O
of	O
a	O
creature	O
once	O
called	O
Venom	O
(	O
possibly	O
Dr.	O
Venom	O
,	O
a	O
recurring	O
antagonist	O
of	O
the	O
Gradius	B-Application
series	O
)	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
Bacterians	O
will	O
always	O
return	O
before	O
dying	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
His	O
mission	O
done	O
,	O
the	O
pilot	O
flies	O
the	O
Vic	B-Application
Viper	I-Application
back	O
to	O
his	O
present	O
era	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gradius	B-Application
V	I-Application
was	O
officially	O
announced	O
on	O
January	O
16	O
,	O
2003	O
as	O
a	O
joint	O
venture	O
between	O
Konami	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
Tokyo	O
and	O
Treasure	O
-	O
a	O
development	O
studio	O
founded	O
by	O
former	O
employees	O
of	O
Konami	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
interview	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
producer	O
Yasushi	O
Takano	O
on	O
the	O
promotional	O
DVD	O
,	O
Gradius	B-Application
Breakdown	O
,	O
Takano	O
said	O
that	O
he	O
felt	O
the	O
traditional	O
Gradius	B-Application
formula	O
had	O
become	O
stagnant	O
and	O
expressed	O
a	O
desire	O
for	O
a	O
new	O
direction	O
for	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
remain	O
relevant	O
,	O
he	O
also	O
admitted	O
that	O
some	O
of	O
their	O
early	O
work	O
was	O
not	O
as	O
impressive	O
as	O
it	O
would	O
later	O
become	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Adding	O
further	O
incentive	O
for	O
customers	O
to	O
purchase	O
the	O
upcoming	O
game	O
,	O
Konami	O
later	O
revealed	O
the	O
availability	O
of	O
The	O
History	O
of	O
Vic	B-Application
Viper	I-Application
—	O
a	O
book	O
indicating	O
inner	O
design	O
,	O
the	O
background	O
and	O
the	O
roadmap	O
of	O
the	O
Vic	B-Application
Viper	I-Application
ships	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
additional	O
DVD	O
with	O
expanded	O
content	O
titled	O
Gradius	B-Application
V	I-Application
Official	O
DVD	O
The	O
Perfect	O
was	O
also	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
to	O
be	O
ordered	O
separately	O
or	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
from	O
Konami	O
's	O
online	O
retail	O
store	O
,	O
Konamistyle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
North	O
American	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Konami	O
produced	O
a	O
DVD	O
called	O
Gradius	B-Application
Breakdown	O
as	O
a	O
pre-order	O
incentive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Breakdown	O
includes	O
a	O
retrospective	O
of	O
the	O
Gradius	B-Application
series	O
and	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
recorded	O
playthroughs	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Konami	O
also	O
held	O
an	O
online	O
high	O
score	O
ranking	O
competition	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
and	O
the	O
winners	O
received	O
a	O
director	O
's	O
cut	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Gradius	B-Application
Breakdown	O
DVD	O
that	O
included	O
additional	O
pieces	O
of	O
concept	O
art	O
and	O
videos	O
of	O
the	O
later	O
levels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gradius	B-Application
V	I-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
on	O
April	O
22	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
PS2	B-Device
Classic	I-Device
programme	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
soundtrack	O
was	O
composed	O
by	O
Hitoshi	O
Sakimoto	O
whose	O
previous	O
video	O
game	O
work	O
includes	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
to	O
the	O
tactical	O
role-playing	O
game	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
Tactics	I-Application
,	O
the	O
shoot'em	O
up	O
Radiant	B-Application
Silvergun	I-Application
and	O
the	O
action/RPG	O
hybrid	O
Vagrant	B-Application
Story	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sakimoto	O
noted	O
in	O
an	O
interview	O
that	O
"	O
It	O
was	O
a	O
great	O
honor	O
for	O
me	O
to	O
able	O
to	O
work	O
on	O
a	O
title	O
like	O
this	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
very	O
stressful	O
"	O
and	O
names	O
the	O
original	O
Gradius	B-Application
as	O
an	O
important	O
source	O
of	O
inspiration	O
on	O
his	O
work	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
also	O
revealed	O
that	O
his	O
clients	O
requested	O
a	O
music	O
style	O
that	O
would	O
be	O
reminiscent	O
of	O
the	O
earlier	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
as	O
a	O
result	O
comprises	O
remixes	O
of	O
music	O
used	O
in	O
previous	O
Gradius	B-Application
titles	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
original	O
tracks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
soundtrack	O
was	O
released	O
separately	O
on	O
CD	O
as	O
Gradius	B-Application
V	I-Application
Soundtracks	I-Application
by	O
Konami	O
Media	O
Entertainment	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
August	O
18	O
,	O
2004	O
,	O
and	O
features	O
22	O
tracks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overall	O
,	O
Gradius	B-Application
V	I-Application
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
"	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
X-Play	O
,	O
"	O
While	O
the	O
action	B-Application
is	O
always	O
constant	O
and	O
involving	O
,	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
variation	O
and	O
the	O
need	O
to	O
be	O
in	O
an	O
exact	O
spot	O
at	O
an	O
exact	O
time	O
is	O
simply	O
not	O
going	O
to	O
strike	O
everyone	O
as	O
fun.	O
"	O
</s>
