Salamander 2

2-Player Shoot Them Up [KONAMI] Vic Viper 

Type of the game: [Coin-Op] Arcade Video Game
Salamander 2 © 1996 Konami.

A one or two player shoot-em-up released ten years after the game it sequels, Salamander 2 remains faithful to the superb 1986 original; retaining both the organic look and feel of the graphics, as well as the horizontal and vertically scrolling levels. While the game doesn't break any new ground gameplay-wise, and is little more than a retread of (and tribute to) the original game, what it does it does very well; and the graphics in particular are nothing short of stunning.

Konami GX Hardware

Main CPU : 68EC020
Sound CPU : 68000
Sound Chips : (2x) K054539

Control : 8-way joystick
Buttons : 3

Salamander 2 was released in January 1996.

Note : The kanji on the title screen actually reads 'Sa Ra Man Da', meaning 'Sand Gauze Wide Snake'. This is an example of 'ateji', where Japanese artists use the phonetic value of a character to allow the title to be written with kanji (often choosing those that fit the game; the 4th kanji here means snake).

Soundtrack releases:
May 04, 1996; Salamander 2 Orignal Game Soundtrack [KICA-7695]
May 21, 1998; Salamander - Kukeiha Club Pro-Fusion [KICA-7702]
Apr.09, 2003; Salamander Arcade Soundtrack [KOLA-030]

1. Gradius [Model GX400] (1985)
2. Salamander [Model GX587] (1986)
3. Gradius II - GOFER no Yabou [Model GX785] (1988)
4. Gradius III - Densetsu Kara Shinwa-e [Model GX945] (1989)
5. Nemesis '90 Kai (1993, Sharp X68000)
6. Salamander 2 (1996)
7. Solar Assault - Gradius (1997)
8. Solar Assault - Revised (1997)
9. Gradius Gaiden (1997, Sony PlayStation)
10. Gradius IV - Fukkatsu (1998)
11. Gradius Generation (2001, Nintendo Game Boy Advance)
12. Gradius V (2004, Sony PlayStation 2)
13. Gradius Neo (2004, NTT DoCoMo i-mode Phones)
14. Gradius Neo Imperial (2005, NTT DoCoMo i-mode Phones)
15. Gradius Wide (2007, NTT DoCoMo i-mode Phones)
16. Gradius Rebirth (2008, Nintendo Wii)

Producer : Tango
Director : Qchan
Graphic designers : Satoyan, Masato Hijima, Sonshi Sdr, Kaori Nishimura, Yas, Motohisa Ando
Sound designers : You Takamine, Naoki Maeda
Hard designer : V Kobe Yzz
Develop assistant : Takaaki "Q" Kumemura
Product designer : K. Iwashita
Programmers : Qchan, Yamamoso Type2, Takeaki Hasegawa

Consoles:

Sony PlayStation (July 3, 1997; "Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus [Model SLPM-86037]")
Sega Saturn (June 19, 1997; "Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus [Model T-9520G (VS057-J1]")
Sony PSP (January 25, 2007; "Salamander Portable [Model ULJM-05219]")
Sony PSP (March 13, 2008; "Salamander Portable [Konami The Best] [Model ULJM-05322]")

Game's ROM.
Game's screenshots.