When comparing Tokio / Scramble Formation vs Gradius, the Slant community recommends Gradius for most people. In the question“What are the best and the most revolutionary games of all time?” Gradius is ranked 37th while Tokio / Scramble Formation is ranked 49th. The most important reason people chose Gradius is:
Perhaps it’s the first arcade game having secret stages?
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Formation modes required the play to react to circumstances
As the player captures enemy planes, they would follow the player's plane in a formation. This was likely the first time players could change formations of friendly ships, which was quite innovative for the time. The basic formation could hit both air and ground units, although it only covered a small area while the two other formations could only target either air or ground but covered a much larger area. The best players had to dynamically switch formations depending on their surroundings.
Pro One of the first to use ym2203 tunes and sound effects
Tokio / Scramble Formation was among the first arcade games using yamaha ym2203, and the audio was designed to make the most of the chip using as few resources as possible.
Pro Secret stages
Perhaps it’s the first arcade game having secret stages?
Pro Power-ups chosen during gameplay
The kind of power-up depends on the amount of power-up capsules collected, and the second button allows you to choose the desired one.