Darius

From Sega Retro

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Darius MD TitleScreen.png

Darius
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Sega Games (JP), Sega of America (US), Sega Europe (EU)
Developer:
Licensor: Taito
Original system(s): Taito Triple-screen System
Developer(s) of original games: Taito
Genre: Shooting

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
JP 		¥6,980 (7,538)[1]
Sega Mega Drive
US 		$79.99[2]
Sega Mega Drive
DE 		€79.99[4]
Sega Mega Drive
ES 		€79.99[4]
Sega Mega Drive
FR 		€79.99[4]
Sega Mega Drive
UK 		£69.99[4]
Sega Mega Drive
IT 		€79.99[4]
Sega Mega Drive
AU
Sega Mega Drive
AS
Non-Sega versions

Darius (ダライアス) is a side-scrolling space shoot-'em-up originally developed for arcades by Taito. A Sega Mega Drive port was produced in 2019 that is pre-installed in the Mega Drive Mini as a bonus game.

Story

The vicious Belsar have attacked the peaceful Darius system, which now faces absolute devastation at their abominable hands. Darius' defense fighters proved no match for the overwhelming firepower of the alien forces, which wiped out their entire fleet in one fell swoop.

With nothing left to protect them, the people could only sit and wait for the icy embrace of death as the satellite bombardments continued unopposed, until a single bright light came out of the darkness of the mourning clouds, referred to as "Silver Hawk".

Like a phoenix brought forth from the embers of a burning world, the bird-shaped visage became a beacon of the planet's last fight for survival.

Gameplay

The game is a side-scrolling shoot-'em-up set mostly in caverns and space environments and featuring aquatic creatures such as fish and crabs for its enemies. The player controls an ornate fighter spacecraft, named the Silver Hawk, and must navigate through scrolling terrain while battling a variety of fighter craft, ground vehicles, turrets, and other obstacles throughout the game's stages (referred to as zones in the game). When the player reaches the end of a zone, a boss battleship appears, which must be defeated to proceed. Once the boss of a zone is destroyed, the player is given a choice of which zone to play next by flying upward or downward at the branching path that is presented. There are a total of 26 zones in the game (with zones V and Z occurring twice in the game's branching path system), but only seven can be played in a single run.

The Silver Hawk moves in any direction using the D-Pad. Its main weapon is shooting forward-firing missiles for air-to-air attacks by pressing A or C. The missiles can be upgraded to lasers or eventually waves by collecting Power Capsules (in the form of large, colored orbs) that are dropped by specially-colored enemies throughout the game's zones. The Silver Hawk can launch bombs for air-to-surface attacks by pressing B. These are initially dropped downwards, but they can likewise be upgraded to launch in two, then four directions. Both weapons can be fired simultaneously, and the buttons can be held for continuous fire.

The ship is destroyed if it takes damage from an enemy or collides with terrain. It can be equipped with a protective force field, which can be upgraded by Power Capsules to absorb additional hits. If the player is shot at without a force field active or collides with the terrain, a ship is lost and all upgrades are returned to the lowest level (for example, LASER 4 is downgraded to LASER 0). The ship respawns after a moment if the player has additional ships remaining. Losing all ships ends the game, with no option to continue.

There is an optional Boss Rush Mode where the player fights all 26 bosses consecutively. The player can also choose to change the Silver Hawk's pilot to Tiat (the second player pilot in the arcade original), who retains all upgrades when a ship is lost, but doing so disqualifies the player from entering the high score table. Progress in the Boss Rush Mode and the high score table are saved.

Items

In the normal game, the red, green, and blue capsules appear after destroying some enemies of the same color. The silver, gold, and extend capsules appear after shooting certain parts of the terrain.

In the Boss Rush Mode, a red, green, and blue capsule appears after defeating each boss.

Darius MD, Items.png
 Shot
Increases the Shot meter by one point. Collecting 8 or 16 capsules fills the meter and upgrades the weapon to the next level. This is the front-facing standard shot. The ship is initially armed with
Darius MD, Power-ups.png
Missiles, which explode when they hit enemies. Collecting 8 capsules upgrades to
Darius MD, Power-ups.png
Lasers, which can pierce through enemies (but not terrain). Collecting 16 capsules upgrades to
Darius MD, Power-ups.png
Waves, which are tall and pass through both enemies and terrain unhindered.
Darius MD, Items.png
 Bomb
Increases the Bomb meter by one point. Collecting 8 or 16 capsules fills the meter and upgrades the bombs to the next level. Bombs are launched from the ship at different angles to improve its shot coverage. The ship is initially armed with
Darius MD, Power-ups.png
Bombs, which are dropped at a downward angle from the front of the ship. Collecting 8 capsules upgrades to
Darius MD, Power-ups.png
Twin Bombs, which are launched from the front of the ship at opposite angles. Collecting 16 capsules upgrades to
Darius MD, Power-ups.png
Multi-Bombs, which are launched in four directions from the front and back of the ship.
Darius MD, Items.png
 Arm
Increases the Arm meter by one point and surrounds the ship in a protective shield. The shield absorbs a certain number of hits, depending on its color, and collecting another Arm capsule restores a hit, up to the maximum. Collecting 8 or 16 capsules fills the meter and upgrades the shield to the next level. The shield is retained between zones if it is not lost. The ship is initially equipped with the green
Darius MD, Power-ups.png
Arm shield, which can absorb up to 3 hits. Collecting 8 capsules upgrades to the silver
Darius MD, Power-ups.png
Super Arm shield, which can absorb up to 4 hits. Collecting 16 capsules upgrades to the gold
Darius MD, Power-ups.png
Hyper Arm shield, which can absorb up to 5 hits and also protects against collisions with terrain.
Darius MD, Items.png
 Silver

Awards a random point bonus.

Darius MD, Items.png
 Gold

Destroys all on-screen enemies.

Darius MD, Items.png
 1-Up

Awards an extra ship.

Zones

There are 26 zones in all, but only seven are played in a single playthrough. There are two ways to access the V and Z zones, but they are the same zones regardless of how they are reached.

The original arcade game only had 11 bosses (one boss shared by every zone in the same tier for the first six tiers, then a separate boss for every zone in the final tier), but the game includes all of the extra bosses added in Super Darius, giving every zone a unique boss for a total of 26 bosses. However, there is an option to play the game with only the arcade bosses.

Tier 1

Darius MD, Stage A.png

Darius MD, Stage A Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage A.png

  • Darius MD, Stage A Boss.png

Zone A
Boss:
King Fossil
Boss (arcade):
King Fossil

Tier 2

Darius MD, Stage B.png

Darius MD, Stage B Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage B.png

  • Darius MD, Stage B Boss.png

Zone B
Boss:
Electric Fan
Boss (arcade):
Electric Fan

Darius MD, Stage C.png

Darius MD, Stage C Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage C.png

  • Darius MD, Stage C Boss.png

Zone C
Boss:
Burst Out
Boss (arcade):
Electric Fan

Tier 3

Darius MD, Stage D.png

Darius MD, Stage D Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage D.png

  • Darius MD, Stage D Boss.png

Zone D
Boss:
Big Rajarnn
Boss (arcade):
Dual Shears

Darius MD, Stage E.png

Darius MD, Stage E Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage E.png

  • Darius MD, Stage E Boss.png

Zone E
Boss:
Little Stripes
Boss (arcade):
Dual Shears

Darius MD, Stage F.png

Darius MD, Stage F Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage F.png

  • Darius MD, Stage F Boss.png

Zone F
Boss:
Dual Shears
Boss (arcade):
Dual Shears

Tier 4

Darius MD, Stage G.png

Darius MD, Stage G Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage G.png

  • Darius MD, Stage G Boss.png

Zone G
Boss:
Myhome Daddy
Boss (arcade):
Fatty Glutton

Darius MD, Stage H.png

Darius MD, Stage H Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage H.png

  • Darius MD, Stage H Boss.png

Zone H
Boss:
Fatty Glutton
Boss (arcade):
Fatty Glutton

Darius MD, Stage I.png

Darius MD, Stage I Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage I.png

  • Darius MD, Stage I Boss.png

Zone I
Boss:
Guard Savage
Boss (arcade):
Fatty Glutton

Darius MD, Stage J.png

Darius MD, Stage J Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage J.png

  • Darius MD, Stage J Boss.png

Zone J
Boss:
Steel Spine
Boss (arcade):
Fatty Glutton

Tier 5

Darius MD, Stage K.png

Darius MD, Stage K Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage K.png

  • Darius MD, Stage K Boss.png

Zone K
Boss:
Hard Mollusk
Boss (arcade):
Keen Bayonet

Darius MD, Stage L.png

Darius MD, Stage L Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage L.png

  • Darius MD, Stage L Boss.png

Zone L
Boss:
Alloy Lantern
Boss (arcade):
Keen Bayonet

Darius MD, Stage M.png

Darius MD, Stage M Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage M.png

  • Darius MD, Stage M Boss.png

Zone M
Boss:
Tough Spring
Boss (arcade):
Keen Bayonet

Darius MD, Stage N.png

Darius MD, Stage N Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage N.png

  • Darius MD, Stage N Boss.png

Zone N
Boss:
Hyper Sting
Boss (arcade):
Keen Bayonet

Darius MD, Stage O.png

Darius MD, Stage O Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage O.png

  • Darius MD, Stage O Boss.png

Zone O
Boss:
Keen Bayonet
Boss (arcade):
Keen Bayonet

Tier 6

Darius MD, Stage P.png

Darius MD, Stage P Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage P.png

  • Darius MD, Stage P Boss.png

Zone P
Boss:
Drio Sawm
Boss (arcade):
Iron Hammer

Darius MD, Stage Q.png

Darius MD, Stage Q Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage Q.png

  • Darius MD, Stage Q Boss.png

Zone Q
Boss:
Mystic Power
Boss (arcade):
Iron Hammer

Darius MD, Stage R.png

Darius MD, Stage R Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage R.png

  • Darius MD, Stage R Boss.png

Zone R
Boss:
Fire Star
Boss (arcade):
Iron Hammer

Darius MD, Stage S.png

Darius MD, Stage S Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage S.png

  • Darius MD, Stage S Boss.png

Zone S
Boss:
Iron Hammer
Boss (arcade):
Iron Hammer

Darius MD, Stage T.png

Darius MD, Stage T Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage T.png

  • Darius MD, Stage T Boss.png

Zone T
Boss:
Buddy Blazer
Boss (arcade):
Iron Hammer

Darius MD, Stage U.png

Darius MD, Stage U Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage U.png

  • Darius MD, Stage U Boss.png

Zone U
Boss:
Red Crab
Boss (arcade):
Iron Hammer

Tier 7

Darius MD, Stage V.png

Darius MD, Stage V Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage V.png

  • Darius MD, Stage V Boss.png

Zone V
Boss:
Strong Shell
Boss (arcade):
Strong Shell

Darius MD, Stage W.png

Darius MD, Stage W Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage W.png

  • Darius MD, Stage W Boss.png

Zone W
Boss:
Green Coronatus
Boss (arcade):
Green Coronatus

Darius MD, Stage X.png

Darius MD, Stage X Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage X.png

  • Darius MD, Stage X Boss.png

Zone X
Boss:
Octopus
Boss (arcade):
Octopus

Darius MD, Stage Y.png

Darius MD, Stage Y Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage Y.png

  • Darius MD, Stage Y Boss.png

Zone Y
Boss:
Cuttle Fish
Boss (arcade):
Cuttle Fish

Darius MD, Stage Z.png

Darius MD, Stage Z Boss.png

  • Darius MD, Stage Z.png

  • Darius MD, Stage Z Boss.png

Zone Z
Boss:
Great Thing
Boss (arcade):
Great Thing

History

Taito originally planned to release a port of the game for the system, but it was cancelled for unknown reasons. A port of the sequel, Darius II, did get a release, however.

Prior to its announcement for the Mega Drive Mini, a fan port of the game was created by Hideki "Hidecade" Konishi as a proof-of-concept.[6] This proof-of-concept would be used as the basis for a commercial version of the game with further development from M2.[7]

Versions

The original arcade game used a setup consisting of three CRT monitors and one-way-mirrors to present a seamless widescreen display to the player. The Mega Drive port condenses gameplay to a single screen, limiting the player's field-of-view. The arcade version had simultaneous two-player support, with player one controlling Proco and player two controlling Tiat. This has likewise been removed from the Mega Drive version, though Tiat remains optionally playable as an "easy mode" (mimicking the Mega Drive and Master System ports of Darius II). The ship respawns at a checkpoint after it is destroyed in the arcade version, but it revives in place in the PC Engine and Mega Drive ports (and the subsequent arcade games). The arcade version had only eleven bosses; fifteen additional bosses were added for Super Darius (some of which would reappear in Darius II), the only contemporaneous port of the game, and these extra bosses were included in the Mega Drive port. Additionally, the Mega Drive port includes a "Boss Rush Mode" where the player fights all 26 bosses in order, reminiscent of Darius Alpha.

Production credits

  • Directed and Produced by: Toshio Kohno
  • Game Designed by: Toshio Kohno, Akira Fujita, Kazuya Mikata
  • Programed by: Ken Hasegawa, Takashi Kuriyama, Hideaki Tomioka, Tohru Sugawara, Hidenori Sasatani, Hideki Hashimoto
  • Art Designed by: Tetsuroh Kitagawa, Yoshihiro Wakita, Junji Yarita, Yukio Ishikawa, Kohzoh Igarashi, Genya Kuriki, Taira Sanuki, Masami Kikuchi, Mitsuru Ogawa
  • Mechanical Engineer: Takeki Nakamura, Eiji Kubota
  • Cabinet Design: Takeo Shiraishi, Hisayoshi Nakane, Natuki Hirosawa
  • Hardware Design by: Takashi Ohhara, Syuji Kubota, Seigo Sakamoto
  • Music Composed and Arranged by: Yasuhiko Tanaka, Hisayoshi Ogura, Naoto Yagishita, Tsukasa Nakamura, Eikichi Takahashi, Masahiko Takaki
  • Special Thanks to: Makoto Tanaka, Hidehiro Fujiwara, Yoshimitsu Kasahara, Hiroyuki Sakoh, Toshiyuki Nishimura, Tadashi Kimijima, Mitsukoh Kimura, Excellent HP C Compiler, and many others
©Taito Corporation 1986,2019
Source:
In-game credits
Darius MD credits.pdf
[8]

Digital manuals

  • Mega Drive Mini manual

  • Mega Drive Mini JP manual

Technical information

Main article: Darius/Technical information.

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Mega Drive
 ?
CRC32 26ca4234
MD5 05dac074b9f194d74c44848eb15ad53f
SHA-1 4841d8f05a73cb7c5f98b710f14ebd72be1a6504
4MB 2019-04 Mega Drive Mini

References

NEC Retro has more information related to Super Darius
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://sega.jp/mdmini/ (Wayback Machine: 2019-07-14 21:12)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https:/twitter.com/SEGA/status/1111968820208513024 (Wayback Machine: 2019-04-01 16:32)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-07-29-sega-mega-drive-mini-delayed-to-october-in-europe (Wayback Machine: 2019-10-12 16:42)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 https:/twitter.com/SEGA_Europe/status/1111968818203643904 (Wayback Machine: 2019-04-20 03:06)
  5. ↑ https://www.siliconera.com/2019/04/02/sega-mega-drive-mini-to-have-asia-specific-version-with-sword-of-vermilion-and-more/ (Wayback Machine: 2019-04-19 18:07)
  6. ↑ https://gigazine.net/news/20180606-darius-on-megadrive/ (Wayback Machine: 2018-10-11 05:00)
  7. ↑ https://www.4gamer.net/games/465/G046598/20190823058/ (Wayback Machine: 2019-09-04 01:58)
  8. ↑ File:Darius MD credits.pdf
Darius

Darius MD TitleScreen.png

Main page | Comparisons | Maps | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Reception | Region coding



Darius games for Sega systems
Sega Mega Drive
 Darius II (1990) | Darius (2019) | Darius Extra Version (2020)
Sega Master System
 Sagaia (1992)
Sega Saturn
 Darius Gaiden (1995) | Darius II (1996)
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