These games are so difficult…Straight up: I did not finish even one of these games. They are incredibly difficult and I found myself dying without completing a single mission. It would not be reasonable for me to post a review so, instead, you’re getting my impressions.
What is Darius?
Darius is a series of games released on arcade and 90’s consoles such as the SNES and Genesis. These are side scrolling shoot-em-ups. There are two digital editions packages available on the Nintendo Switch and PS4, which emulated these classic titles:
Darius Cozmic Collection Console ($59.99)
This collection includes 6 titles (9 versions) from the Darius home console series:
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Darius II (Mega Drive, JP version)
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SAGAIA (Genesis, US version)
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SAGAIA (Master System, EU version)
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Darius Twin (Super Famicom, JP version)
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Darius Twin (Super NES, US version)
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Darius Force (Super Famicom, JP version)
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Super Nova (Super NES, US version)
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Darius Alpha (PC Engine, JP version)
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Darius Plus (PC Engine, JP version)
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Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade ($44.99)
This collection includes 4 titles (7 versions) from the Darius arcade series:
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Darius (Arcade, original version)
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Darius (Arcade, new version)
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Darius (Arcade, extra version)
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Darius II (Arcade, Dual Screen version)
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SAGAIA (Arcade, ver.1)
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SAGAIA (Arcade, ver.2)
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Darius Gaiden (Arcade)
Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade
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There are two aspects to this article:
- Technical: the quality of the emulation and organization of these games
- Value: are these games worth the money?
Technical
Each collection is organized the same way. After launching the title from your Switch home screen, you’re greeted with an introduction and then a list of titles (see above). At that point you select the game and each has it’s own set of save locations for instant saving of your progress, which can help you complete these games, which were designed as arcade games (meaning: insert your coin to continue).
Well done, technically.
Value
If you love these types of games or, perhaps, you have an affinity for the Darius series specifically, you may find a way to justify spending $45+ on these collections.
Conclusion
It’s difficult for me to recommend these games. But, I am happy they exist. Somewhere out there are die-hard fans of Darius or shoot-em-ups and classic arcade games. The titles are well executed but hard as hell. But the price may be a tight constraint for many.