With retro games finding a new toehold on the video game market due to WiiWare and Xbox Live Konami announced that they’ll be bringing back a classic series: Gradius. The new installment they’ll be making is appropriate titled Gradius Rebirth. It’s been several years since a new game was added to the side-scrolling shooter franchise. 

It’s not known yet whether it’s going to be a sequel or a remake of the original or possibly even a hybrid of old content and new. It will be getting a graphic update though, eschewing the pixellated stylings that Mega Man 9 will be sticking with.  From the first screenshot it seems like they’re not going too far in their update of the game’s visuals. They of course kept the maoi heads.