Gradius is one of the great classic shmups. Originally an arcade title, it has been ported to several home and portable systems, including the Famicom. These ports are all fairly common. So why would someone be asking $400 for a Famicom Gradius? Because it’s a limited, contest prize promotional version that advertised a brand of instant ramen!

The gameplay in this version of Gradius remained basically the same, except the power up pods have been replaced by animated boxes of ramen noodles! Externally, all that has changed is a triangular sticker advertising the ramen has been added.

Sources:

• TinyCartridge: Is $400 too much for a loose copy of Gradius?
• http://www.atarihq.com/tsr/fc/gradiusa.html
• Gradius World