<s>
,	O
retitled	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
in	O
the	O
Japanese	O
arcade	B-Application
re-release	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
scrolling	O
shooter	O
arcade	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
by	O
Konami	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Released	O
in	O
1986	O
as	O
a	O
spin-off	O
of	O
Gradius	B-Application
,	O
Salamander	B-Application
introduced	O
a	O
simplified	O
power-up	O
system	O
,	O
two-player	O
cooperative	O
gameplay	O
and	O
both	O
horizontally	O
and	O
vertically	O
scrolling	O
stages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
these	O
later	O
became	O
normal	O
for	O
future	O
Gradius	B-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Contra	B-Application
,	O
another	O
game	O
by	O
Konami	O
was	O
also	O
given	O
this	O
treatment	O
,	O
with	O
its	O
title	O
written	O
in	O
Japanese	O
as	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Salamander	B-Application
was	O
followed	O
with	O
a	O
sequel	O
in	O
1996	O
titled	O
Salamander	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
player	O
controls	O
Vic	B-Application
Viper	I-Application
and	O
the	O
second	O
player	O
takes	O
the	O
reins	O
of	O
debuting	O
spacecraft	O
Lord	B-Application
British	I-Application
,	O
which	O
is	O
sometimes	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
"	O
Road	B-Application
British	I-Application
"	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
ambiguity	O
of	O
Japanese-to-English	O
romanization	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
are	O
allowed	O
to	O
continue	O
from	O
where	O
they	O
leave	O
upon	O
death	O
instead	O
of	O
being	O
returned	O
to	O
a	O
predefined	O
checkpoint	O
as	O
per	O
Gradius	B-Application
tradition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
gains	O
power-ups	O
by	O
picking	O
up	O
capsules	O
left	O
behind	O
by	O
certain	O
enemies	O
,	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
the	O
selection	B-Application
bar	I-Application
used	O
in	O
other	O
Gradius	B-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
Japanese	O
version	O
of	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
keeps	O
the	O
selection	B-Application
bar	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
under	O
its	O
original	O
title	O
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
Europe	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
in	O
North	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Konami	O
later	O
released	O
an	O
enhanced	O
version	O
of	O
Salamander	B-Application
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
1987	O
bearing	O
the	O
American	O
title	O
of	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
which	O
further	O
fleshes	O
out	O
the	O
organic	O
motif	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
power-up	O
system	O
was	O
also	O
modified	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
Japanese	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
using	O
the	O
same	O
power-up	O
gauge	O
as	O
the	O
original	O
Gradius	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ocean	O
Software	O
on	O
their	O
Imagine	O
label	O
,	O
released	O
licensed	O
versions	O
of	O
Salamander	B-Application
for	O
computer	O
systems	O
by	O
Spectrum	O
,	O
Commodore	O
and	O
Amstrad	O
in	O
1988	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
missing	O
two	O
of	O
the	O
six	O
stages	O
,	O
the	O
simultaneous	O
two	O
player	O
mode	O
and	O
gameplay	O
being	O
much	O
easier	O
than	O
its	O
arcade	B-Application
counterpart	O
,	O
the	O
Commodore	O
port	O
is	O
generally	O
considered	O
to	O
be	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
arcade	B-Application
conversions	O
on	O
this	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Salamander	B-Application
was	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
Family	O
Computer	O
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
1987	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
of	O
being	O
a	O
direct	O
port	O
of	O
Salamander	B-Application
,	O
elements	O
were	O
taken	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Salamander	B-Application
and	O
the	O
Japanese	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
re-release	O
,	O
and	O
some	O
elements	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
levels	O
and	O
bosses	O
,	O
were	O
removed	O
to	O
make	O
way	O
for	O
new	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
of	O
the	O
background	O
graphics	O
and	O
enemy	O
sprites	O
from	O
Salamander	B-Application
are	O
used	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
those	O
used	O
in	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
,	O
though	O
the	O
Gradius-style	O
power	O
bar	O
is	O
used	O
in	O
place	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
instant	O
pick-up	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
NES	O
version	O
is	O
practically	O
identical	O
to	O
its	O
Famicom	O
equivalent	O
,	O
other	O
than	O
not	O
having	O
the	O
multiple	O
endings	O
,	O
having	O
two	O
option	O
power	O
ups	O
instead	O
of	O
three	O
,	O
and	O
being	O
titled	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
North	O
America	O
version	O
was	O
later	O
re-released	O
for	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
on	O
February	O
16	O
,	O
2009	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
,	O
on	O
January	O
23	O
,	O
2014	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
and	O
August	O
21	O
,	O
2014	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
U	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
European	O
version	O
is	O
titled	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
:	O
Salamander	B-Application
on	O
its	O
cover	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
November	O
22	O
,	O
1989	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
two	O
levels	O
of	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
were	O
profiled	O
in	O
the	O
second	O
issue	O
of	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
,	O
issued	O
in	O
1988	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
MSX	B-Operating_System
port	O
of	O
is	O
significantly	O
different	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
and	O
any	O
other	O
ports	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
levels	O
are	O
notably	O
longer	O
than	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
original	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
forced	O
to	O
start	O
from	O
a	O
pre-defined	O
checkpoint	O
upon	O
death	O
of	O
either	O
pilot	O
,	O
instead	O
of	O
starting	O
where	O
he	O
left	O
off	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
of	O
the	O
Vic	B-Application
Viper	I-Application
and	O
the	O
Lord	B-Application
British	I-Application
Space	O
Destroyer	O
,	O
the	O
ships	O
are	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Sabel	O
Tiger	O
and	O
the	O
Thrasher	O
;	O
piloted	O
by	O
human	O
characters	O
named	O
Iggy	O
Rock	O
and	O
Zowie	O
Scott	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
MSX	B-Operating_System
version	O
was	O
re-released	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
's	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
January	O
12	O
,	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
later	O
released	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
U	O
's	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
on	O
July	O
20	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
version	O
for	O
the	O
PC	B-General_Concept
Engine	I-General_Concept
was	O
released	O
on	O
December	O
6	O
,	O
1991	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Based	O
on	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
of	O
Salamander	B-Application
,	O
changes	O
on	O
this	O
port	O
include	O
starting	O
from	O
a	O
pre-defined	O
checkpoint	O
upon	O
death	O
in	O
1	O
Player	O
mode	O
,	O
faster	O
enemy	O
animations	O
,	O
and	O
improved	O
music	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
the	O
PC	B-General_Concept
Engine	I-General_Concept
version	O
was	O
re-released	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
's	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
on	O
September	O
11	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
on	O
July	O
21	O
,	O
2010	O
and	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
U	O
's	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
on	O
October	O
22	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
and	O
also	O
for	O
the	O
Project	O
EGG	O
con	O
Windows	O
Store	O
on	O
March	O
3	O
,	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
on	O
November	O
16	O
,	O
2017	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
U	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PC	O
version	O
is	O
on	O
the	O
TurboGrafx-16	B-Device
Mini	I-Device
released	O
in	O
2020	O
and	O
is	O
the	O
sole	O
title	O
from	O
the	O
compilation	O
that	O
is	O
excluded	O
from	O
the	O
Japanese	O
model	O
while	O
being	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
North	O
American	O
and	O
European	O
ones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
compilation	O
titled	O
Salamander	B-Application
Deluxe	O
Pack	O
Plus	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
for	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
on	O
June	O
19	O
,	O
1997	B-Application
,	O
and	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
on	O
July	O
6	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
compilation	O
includes	O
Salamander	B-Application
,	O
the	O
Japanese	O
version	O
of	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Salamander	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Konami	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
would	O
be	O
released	O
in	O
the	O
U.S.	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
a	O
bundle	O
with	O
Gradius	B-Application
Gaiden	I-Application
,	O
but	O
this	O
release	O
was	O
later	O
cancelled	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Salamander	B-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
mobile	O
phones	O
in	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
three	O
arcade	B-Application
versions	O
(	O
Salamander	B-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
American	O
and	O
Japanese	O
adaptations	O
of	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
)	O
were	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
Arcade	B-Application
Archives	I-Application
on	O
November	O
27	O
,	O
2015	O
in	O
Japan	O
exclusively	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
compilation	O
of	O
the	O
Salamander	B-Application
series	O
,	O
titled	O
Salamander	B-Application
Portable	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
on	O
January	O
24	O
,	O
2007	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
compilation	O
features	O
all	O
three	O
games	O
previously	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
Salamander	B-Application
Deluxe	O
Pack	O
Plus	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
Xexex	O
and	O
the	O
MSX	B-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
Gradius	B-Application
2	I-Application
(	O
a.k.a.	O
</s>
<s>
Nemesis	B-Application
II	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
unrelated	O
to	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
Gradius	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Gofer	I-Application
's	I-Application
Ambition	I-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
20	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
an	O
application	O
called	O
PC	B-General_Concept
Engine	I-General_Concept
Game	O
Box	O
was	O
published	O
in	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
which	O
served	O
as	O
a	O
portal	O
to	O
download	O
classic	O
PC	B-General_Concept
Engine	I-General_Concept
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Among	O
the	O
downloadable	O
titles	O
is	O
the	O
PC	B-General_Concept
Engine	I-General_Concept
version	O
of	O
Salamander	B-Application
for	O
a	O
fee	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
is	O
included	O
on	O
Konami	O
's	O
Arcade	B-Application
Classics	O
Anniversary	O
Collection	O
released	O
in	O
April	O
2019	O
in	O
digital-only	O
format	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
and	O
PC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
,	O
the	O
compilation	O
in	O
Japan	O
only	O
had	O
the	O
Salamander	B-Application
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
while	O
everywhere	O
else	O
featured	O
the	O
American	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
instead	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2019	O
,	O
Konami	O
added	O
for	O
free	O
the	O
Japanese	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
respective	O
games	O
on	O
the	O
western	O
Arcade	B-Application
Classics	O
Anniversary	O
Collection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Only	O
the	O
Salamander	B-Application
version	O
can	O
be	O
played	O
in	O
this	O
addition	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
Japanese	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
is	O
not	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
compilation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Conversely	O
,	O
the	O
American	O
version	O
of	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
was	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
collection	O
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
that	O
same	O
update	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
Game	O
Machine	O
listed	O
Salamander	B-Application
on	O
their	O
August	O
15	O
,	O
1986	O
issue	O
as	O
being	O
the	O
second	O
most	O
successful	O
table	O
arcade	B-Application
unit	O
of	O
the	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
top-grossing	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
on	O
Japan	O
's	O
Gamest	O
charts	O
between	O
September	O
and	O
October	O
1986	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1997	B-Application
,	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
rated	O
the	O
NES	O
version	O
the	O
76th	O
best	O
console	O
video	O
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
coolest	O
shooters	O
ever	O
,	O
and	O
...	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
big	O
two-player	O
simultaneous	O
shooters	O
on	O
the	O
NES.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
series	O
is	O
not	O
canon	O
,	O
however	O
;	O
as	O
the	O
MSX	B-Operating_System
Gradius	B-Application
series	O
states	O
that	O
the	O
events	O
with	O
Gofer	O
take	O
place	O
over	O
a	O
two-hundred	O
year	O
period	O
following	O
the	O
crisis	O
with	O
Zelos	O
and	O
his	O
Salamander	B-Application
Armada	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
anime	O
,	O
the	O
Lord	B-Application
British	I-Application
Space	O
Destroyer	O
was	O
named	O
after	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
protagonists	O
,	O
Ike	O
Lord	B-Application
British	I-Application
of	O
planet	O
Latis	O
;	O
thus	O
making	O
it	O
Lord	B-Application
British	I-Application
's	O
Space	O
Destroyer	O
.	O
</s>
