One of the best parts of a video game is the ending, but who has the time to go back and play through every game? Let me introduce you to Game Over: The Early Years, the weekly show where we dive into classic games and spoil both their stories and endings. From the biggest hits to obscure classics, we're taking a look at some of the best and most memorable conclusions in video game history.

One of the reasons why I love making these Game Over episodes is because it gives me an excuse to really dig into the stories and lore of classic game franchises. I'll often go into a series thinking that it will be relatively simple, only to find a deep and fascinating story full of surprises. That's certainly true when it comes to the Gradius series, which originally debuted in arcades back in 1985 and has since gone on to spawn more than a dozen sequels and spin-offs. Over the course of two episodes, we're going to explore every inch of the Gradius timeline in an effort to fully understand the Bacterian Wars. Turn back now if you don't want to know what happens next, because today we're going to spoil the stories and endings for the mainline Gradius series. This is Game Over: The Early Years!


Still want more endings? Then I recommend you discover 23 Endings: The Early Years, the holiday series that ran during the 2017 holiday season. We cover Ninja Gaiden, Street Fighter II, Super Mario Bros. 2, Ghostbusters, Golden Axe, Metroid, Double Dragon, Flashback, Final Fight and many more!

And while you're just clicking on stuff at random, I suggest you head over to the Defunct Games YouTube page and subscribe to the channel. We're posting new episodes of Game Over: The Early Years every Monday, along with brand new game reviews throughout the week.