Get reeled in by an arcade classic
G-Darius HD (PEGI 7) PS4, Switch
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SHOOT ‘em up fans get another delicious serving of retro goodness in the form of G-Darius HD.
Initially released in 1997, first in arcades and then ported to the PlayStation, it was the fourth instalment of the superb Darius series.
Taito has one of the most enviable back catalogues of games in the industry, and the gaming giant has been on a bit of a roll lately with reissuing some of its classic titles.
And I’m delighted that this one has made it back onto consoles.
While G-Darius sticks with the series’ horizontal scrolling style, it was the first to feature three-dimensional graphics – given a new burst of life here in glorious HD.
It revolutionised the franchise, and changed the way mid-90s gamers – used to being fed a diet of 3D games – looked at 2D shooters.
First play-through left me with a huge grin on my face. There’s a reason this game is considered one of the greatest 2D shooters ever made.
The gameplay is fast paced and frenetic, the fantastic soundtrack adding to that frenzied feeling of movement.
The power-up system is instantly familiar as I swoop and soar to collect the orbs dropped by destroyed enemies to pimp up my spacecraft – the Silver Hawk.
And boy was I grateful for the extra firepower when, after finally despatching a heavily armoured fish firing lasers, I reached the first boss level.
I’m not sure anyone got to the bottom of why the series has such a heavy piscine theme, but I have learned that if fish ever rise from the oceans and arm themselves, we’re in very serious trouble.
And the first boss – the huge green battleship Eclipse Eye – is no walkover, destroying the Silver Hawk more often than I’d care to admit, before victory is mine.
But one of the great joys of arcade collections is that you can continue putting in ‘virtual’ coins to keep your game credits alive.
Boss defeated and you get to decide which zone you want to play next. On the surface, with only 15 zones to play through, it feels a little slim.
But in reality each zone gives you plenty to do, offering alternative routes to go down around halfway through each zone, so it never really feels like you play the same route twice.
The game’s unique ‘capture ball’ system had completely slipped my mind, a feature that emerged at almost the same time as Pokemon and its Pokéball concept.
In G-Darius you use the capture ball to do exactly that, capture passing enemies that you can then add to your arsenal. Some act as shields, so become extra gun turrets for your ship, but all will follow you until they are destroyed or you choose to detonate them to wipe out their colleagues.
I’d also forgotten the joys of ‘beam-dueling’, when you absorb a captured enemy’s energy and unleash a blast that wipes out almost the entire screen.
This is more handy than it sounds, for as you progress through the game the screen fills up quickly with swarming baddies. But it’s an absolute godsend during boss battles, which get trickier and trickier the more you advance.
In fact, at times it feels excessively difficult. And even though you only need to complete five of the 15 zones to trigger a win, it’s easier said than done.
While the fabulous Darius Cozmic Collections, released earlier this year, felt a little on the pricey side, G-Darius HD’s price tag – around £29 – feels spot on.
Buy it: £21.95 from thegamecollection.net/
First playthrough left me with a huge grin on my face