Matt Slagle (AP)

Video games like "Gradius V'' should come with a warning label. Something about nasty thumb blisters would seem appropriate.

After only a few hours with this side-scrolling space shooter, my fingers were red and cramping. But this impossibly difficult game kept luring me back for more punishment.

Perhaps I'm a softie for old-school games like this, but I just HAD to keep playing and get to the next level. Fingers? Bah, who needs 'em?

This new T-rated PlayStation 2 game is quite possibly the pinnacle of a genre that's been around for years. It's a simple notion _ move your ship around the screen, dodging weapons fire and swarms of enemy spacecraft that come at you from all directions.

I can't remember the last time I had this much fun piloting a space ship through endless waves of alien hordes.

It's not without frustration. Few games require the lightning-fast reflexes of "Gradius V,'' and apparently my reflexes aren't what they used to be.

Thank goodness there's no quarter slot in my PS2. I've already dropped well more than the $30 the game costs.

There are some new additions to this version, notably a two-player cooperative mode. Not only is playing with a friend a healthy social thing to do, we managed to get a lot further with the added help.

And now you can post high scores to a national leaderboard, if your PS2 is connected online.

It's hard to focus at times with so much going on, so give those hands a rest occasionally and watch someone else play. You'll be amazed at the colorful, gorgeously rendered three-dimensional backgrounds that zip by at incredible angles.

"Gradius V'' is extremely tough but serves as great reminder of the 1980s golden age of arcade games. I just hope my hands can recover.

4 stars out of 5.

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