Gradius III

In the darkest reaches of infinite space, evil lurks... The Dark Forces, led by the God of Destruction, Bacterian, are preparing to launch a massive attack on the planet Gradius. With their unstoppable power, the Dark Forces threaten to plunge the universe into all-out war and total annihilation. Their invasion force shatters the defenses of Gradius, and the surrounding planets soon fall like dominoes. Now Bacterian's evil grip reaches for the heart of the Resistance... the planet Gradius itself.... To counter the approaching threat, the United Gradius World Forces assemble all of their battleships. Half of them form a defensive network - the other half an assault team. But they are heavily outnumbered, and the Dark Forces break through their thin front line with ease. No fighter survives the carnage.... At the last second, the United Gradius World Forces send out two fighters previously considered too dangerous for combat operations: The VIC-VIPER interdimensional fighters. The fighters take off for the Heart of Darkness to participate in the battle that will decide the fate of the universe....