It's a Duel to the Death With the Evil Bacterions!

You are the last hope of the gentle people of Gradius.
You've just lifted off to confront the all-out attack of the amoeboid Bacterions.
Your hyper-space fighter is armed with the greatest arsenal in the galaxy. Air-to-surface and double beam laser cannons for incredible firepower.
Powerful force fields for protection.
Time and space warps for fleeing the dimension.
You'll need it all just to survive.
Because at the heart of the Bacterion Empire lies the Xaerous Superfortress - the nerve center of the all-knowing, all-seeing Bacterion Bio-Computer.
It's a Duel to the Death.
While the entire galaxy watches.
Waits.
And hopes.