History NightmareFuel / Gradius

* The final non-[[ZeroEffortBoss zero-effort]] boss of ''Gaiden'', Sol, doesn't have any BackgroundMusic at all; instead, there's a hellish-sounding klaxon that plays until you enter the final boss's lair.

* The aforementioned Doom from ''Salamander 2'' really means it when he says "I'm going to scare you like you've never been scared before!" Unlike Bacterion, Doom is ''actually a difficult final boss''.

* The aforementioned Doom from ''Salamander 2'' really means it when he says "I'm going to scare you like you've never been scared before!" Unlike Bacterian, Doom is ''actually a difficult final boss''.

* ''Salamander''/''Life Force'' (NES) and ''Gradius II'' (NES) have the [[DramaticDisappearingDisplay HUD vanish]] and the background turn solid black for most bosses (due to hardware limitations), making the player feel like they're [[AloneWithThePsycho trapped in a dark room with a very dangerous enemy]]. This effect is especially pronounced in ''Life Force'', due to its subdued rendition of the boss theme "Poison of Snake", and against the Stage 4 boss in particular, a skeletal head with a creepy SlasherSmile and bulging eyes.

* ''Salamander''/''Life Force'' (NES) and ''Gradius II'' (NES) have the [[DramaticDisappearingDisplay HUD vanish]] and the background turn solid black for most bosses (due to hardware limitations), making the player feel like they're [[AloneWithThePsycho trapped in a dark room with a very dangerous enemy]]. This effect is especially pronounced in ''Life Force'', due to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCVxcWNRHEk its subdued rendition of the boss theme "Poison of Snake"]], and against the Stage 4 boss in particular, a skeletal head with a creepy SlasherSmile and bulging eyes.

* The final non-[[ZeroEffortBoss zero-effort]] boss of ''Gaiden'', Sol, doesn't have any background music at all; instead, there's a hellish-sounding klaxon that plays until you enter the final boss's lair.

--> '''Gofer, in ''Gradius IV''':'' [[FamousLastWords My body will be broken into pieces and spread across the universe]]. [[AsteroidsMonster But with every piece, I will be reborn]]! [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Then you will regret having destroyed me]]! [[EvilLaugh HAHAHAHAHA!]]

--> '''Gofer, in ''Gradius IV''':'' [[FamousLastWords My body will be broken into pieces and spread across the universe]]. [[MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning But with every piece, I will be reborn]]! [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Then you will regret having destroyed me]]! [[EvilLaugh HAHAHAHAHA!]]

* What's really scary is that every the Bacterian Emperor gets defeated, the cells composing the Bacterian Empire ''increase'' in numbers, making a new and stronger Empire. This gives rise to the theory that the Bacterian Emperors ''[[SchmuckBait intentionally leave themselves defenseless]]'' so that they can spread across the universe.

* The ending of ''Nemesis 3''. David recovers the capsule containing a 3-year-old James Burton, revives him, and sends him safely back to Gradius. All is well as he time warps out...only to be attacked in the middle of time warp by Venom, who's NotQuiteDead and whose portrait is staring ''right at the player''. Venom declares, in menacing red text, that he'll finish the job. If you failed to get the shield device from earlier in the game, David notes that he can't use his ship's built-in shield in warp (in comparison, if you ''did'' get the shield item, he's able to use it to return safely to his own time), and drops out of warp in hopes of defending himself from the attack. The last shot is of Venom's portrait on a black screen as he [[EvilLaugh laughs at you]]. What happens to David is [[UncertainDoom not explicitly stated]], leaving the gruesome details up to the player's imagination.

---> "'''Year:''' G6809 - '''Event:''' David Burton sets out in ''Vixen'' fighter to repel Bacterion. Not yet returned."

* The ending of ''Nemesis 3''. David recovers the capsule containing a 3-year-old James Burton, revives him, and sends him safely back to Gradius. All is well as he time warps out...only to be attacked in the middle of time warp by Venom, who's NotQuiteDead and whose portrait is staring ''right at the player''. Venom declares, in menacing red text, that he'll finish the job. If you failed to get the shield device from earlier in the game, David notes that he can't use his ship's built-in shield in warp (in comparison, if you ''did'' get the shield item, he's able to use it to return safely to his own time), and drops out of warp in hopes of defending himself from the attack. The last shot is of Venom's portrait on a black screen as he [[EvilLaugh laughs at you]].
---> "'''Year:''' G6809 - '''Event:''' David Burton sets out in ''Vixen'' fighter to repel Bacterion. [[UncertainDoom Not yet returned]]."

* ''Salamander''/''Life Force'' (NES) and ''Gradius II'' (NES) have the [[DramaticDisappearingDisplay HUD vanish]] and the background turn solid black for most bosses (due to hardware limitations), making the player feel like they're [[AloneWithThePsycho trapped in a dark room with a very dangerous enemy]]. This effect is especially pronounced in ''Life Force'', due to its subdued rendition of the boss theme "Poison of Snake", and against the Stage 4 boss in particular, a skeletal head with a creepy SlasherSmile and bulging eyes that serve as its weakpoints.

[[caption-width-right:256:[[BrainMonster This]] is the ''first'' boss in ''Life Force'', by the weay.]]