Parodius

Parodius: The Octopus Saves the Earth is the first game in the Parodius series, although this position is often confused with the better-known second game. "Parodius" is a portmanteau of "Gradius" and "Parody," and Parodius is a parody of Gradius. Gameplay is similar to Gradius, a horizontal scrolling shooter, but you play as silly characters from Konami games and Japanese pop culture, such as Takosuke the octopus and the Penguin from Antarctic Adventure. There are six stages with various obstacles and enemies, and it uses a similar selection-bar based power-up system to Gradius.