{{Short description|1994 arcade game}} {{good article}} {{Infobox video game | title = Darius Gaiden | image = Darius flyer.jpg | alt = The poster for ''Darius Gaiden'', showing the red and blue Silver Hawks (the players' ships) fighting Golden Ogre, the game's first boss. The logo to the game, displayed in a white and teal gradient, is displayed at the bottom, while the Taito logo is at the top. | caption = Promotional flyer | developer = Taito{{efn|Ported to Saturn by Aisystem Tokyo and to PlayStation by Nexus Interact.}} | publisher = Taito | producer = Hidehiro Fujiwara | designer = Hisakazu Kato | artist = Hirokazu Kato | programmer = Akira Kurabayashi | composer = Hisayoshi Ogura | series = ''Darius'' | platforms = Arcade, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Windows | released = {{collapsible list|title={{nobold|September 1994}}|{{vgrelease|JP|September 1994|NA|November 1994}}|'''Saturn'''|{{vgrelease|JP|December 15, 1995|NA/EU|1996}}|'''PlayStation'''|{{vgrelease|JP|December 20, 1996}}<ref name="fam-mag-ps-rev" />|'''Windows'''|{{vgrelease|JP|1997|NA/EU|1998}}}} | genre = Horizontal-scrolling shooter | modes = Single-player, multiplayer | arcade system = Taito F3 System }} {{nihongo foot|'''''Darius Gaiden'''''|ダライアス外伝|Daraiasu Gaiden|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} is a 1994 horizontal-scrolling shooter arcade game developed and published by Taito. The fifth entry in its ''Darius'' series, players control a starship named the Silver Hawk in its mission to destroy the Belsar empire before it wipes out the population of planet Darius. ''Gaiden'' adds several new features to the core concepts of its predecessors, including screen-clearing black hole bombs and the ability to capture mid-level bosses. The game has been ported to several consoles, including the Sega Saturn and PlayStation.
Created by producer Hidehiro Fujiwara, ''Darius Gaiden'' was designed to show off the technological capabilities of Taito's then-new F3 System, an arcade board that utilized interchangeable cartridges. Though he had little exposure to the series, Fujiwara wanted to design a new ''Darius'' game that improved on its established concepts. The development team worked to retain many of the franchise's core elements while also focusing on creating a new and engaging experience. Originally titled ''Darius III'', its name was changed to ''Darius Gaiden'' as its plot took place between the first two games; gaiden is the Japanese term for "side story".
''Darius Gaiden'' was critically acclaimed in arcades, and received several awards. The home console conversions were also well received, with critics applauding its gameplay, attractive visuals, and responsive controls. Some felt its music was bizarre and unfitting, while some enjoyed its outlandish nature. Retrospectively, it has been ranked among the greatest side-scrolling shooters of all time. It was followed by ''G-Darius'' in 1997.
==Gameplay== thumb|left|The player launching a black hole bomb towards waves of enemies.
''Darius Gaiden'' is a horizontal-scrolling shooter video game. The player controls a starship named the Silver Hawk in its mission to obliterate the Belsar empire, which is plotting to destroy what is left of the human race and their new home of planet Darius.<ref name="Manual">{{cite book |title=Darius Gaiden Instruction Manual (Sega Saturn) |date=December 15, 1995 |publisher=Taito |language=ja}}</ref> A second player can join in at any time.<ref name="Manual"/> The game uses a non-linear level progression system where players can select whichever level they choose after completing the previous one. There are twenty-seven stages total, with the player only being able to play seven of them at a time. In these levels, the Silver Hawk must destroy constantly moving formations of enemies while avoiding their projectiles, as well as dodging obstacles.<ref name="HG101"/> Enemies are made to resemble fish, crabs, seahorses, and other aquatic creatures.<ref name="HG101"/> Levels conclude with a boss that must be defeated by destroying its weak spot, such as its head or mouth.<ref name="Manual"/>
The Silver Hawk begins the game with a forward-moving shot. Collecting colored emblems dropped by correspondingly colored enemies allows the player to power-up the Silver Hawk's abilities.<ref>{{cite news |author1=E. Storm |title=Gen-32 Japan Soft - Darius Gaiden |url=https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_4_Issue_02/page/n63/mode/2up |access-date=May 29, 2020 |agency=GameFan |issue=2 |publisher=DieHard Gamers Club |date=February 1996 |volume=4 |pages=64–65}}</ref> Green emblems grant the player missiles, red emblems increase the length and power of shots, and blue emblems give the player a protective shield.<ref name="Manual"/> Collecting additional emblems upgrades the player's weapons, such as a stronger shield or missiles that move forwards and backwards.<ref name="HG101"/> The Silver Hawk also begins the game with three black hole bombs. Firing them creates a large swirling vortex that sucks in all enemies and projectiles, followed by lightning strikes that inflict massive damage on enemies.<ref name="Manual"/> The Silver Hawk also has the ability to capture minibosses, which appear in the middle of most levels.<ref name="HG101"/> This is accomplished by destroying the energy orb on its head and collecting it when it flies off. Captured minibosses ally with the player and fire their own weapons at enemies for a brief period of time, before they self-destruct.<ref name="Manual"/>
==Development== ''Darius Gaiden'' was published by Taito as the third arcade installment in its ''Darius'' series, and the fifth entry overall. Its development was headed by producer Hidehiro Fujiwara, who was alongside designer and artist Hirokazu Kato, and programmer Akira Kurabayashi. Fujiwara had little exposure to the series aside from assisting in production of the original ''Darius''. Nonetheless, he was a fan of the first game, and was ready to work on a sequel that could improve on concepts established by its predecessors.<ref name="Mook"/> When Fujiawara was conceiving the idea for ''Gaiden'', Taito released its F3 System, an arcade system board that allowed arcade operators to swap out games through interchangeable ROM cartridges, similar to the Neo Geo.<ref>{{cite news |title=Taito's F3 Arcade System |url=https://archive.org/details/GamefanVolume2Issue12November1994/page/n217/mode/2up |access-date=May 29, 2020 |agency=GameFan |issue=12 |publisher=DieHard Gamers Club |date=November 1994 |volume=2 |page=203}}</ref> Taito wanted big-name franchises to appear on its new board to increase awareness and attract attention, so Fujiwara proposed the idea of a ''Darius'' game as the series was well known in Japan. Taito approved the request and allowed development of ''Darius Gaiden'' to begin.<ref name="Mook">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/dariusgaidengamestmookvol.6#page/n129/mode/1up|title=ダラ外インタビュー |work=Gamest Mook |volume=6 |publisher=Shinseisha |date=March 20, 1995 |pages=127–129 |language=ja |isbn=978-4-88199-504-4}} ([http://shmuplations.com/dariusgaiden/ Translation] by Shmuplations. {{webarchive |url=https://archive.today/20201015190804/http://shmuplations.com/dariusgaiden/ |date=October 15, 2020}}).</ref>
The original ''Darius'' and its sequel ''Darius II'' both used three individual monitors made to appear seamless via mirror effects. Kato insisted that ''Gaiden'' scrap this concept and use a single-screen display, as he felt the concept had grown old by that point. During production, the development team focused on making the game fun to play and unlike any other shooter before it to make it stand out.<ref name="Mook"/> Fujiwara and the others also wanted the game to show off the technical capabilities of the F3 System, such as its sprite rotation and 3D effects. The game was originally titled ''Darius III'', which was used in overseas marketing material.<ref>{{cite book |title=Taito Cybercore System promotional flyer |date=1994 |publisher=Taito |location=United States |url=https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=flyer&db=videodb&id=5665&image=1 |access-date=May 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325041713/https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=flyer&db=videodb&id=5665&image=1 |archive-date=March 25, 2019}}</ref> Due to the story taking place between ''Darius II'' and the first ''Darius'', Kato decided to name the game ''Darius Gaiden'', with "gaiden" being a Japanese term for "side story".<ref name="Mook"/>
Though the team worked to make ''Gaiden'' feel fresh and new, they also focused on implementing many of the franchise's core concepts to make it feel like a proper sequel. Returning ideas include a similar stage structure, formidable opponents such as King Fossil and Vermilion Coronatus, and a proper storyline.<ref name="Mook"/> The game's presentation was also a focal point; the programmers worked to add a number of flashy effects that showed off the F3 System's technological capabilities, though this also complicated the process of making sprites. Some characters, including the first stage boss Golden Ogre, were 3D models pre-rendered as 2D sprites. The midboss capture mechanic, a concept borrowed from an older Taito game, was thought to have made the game more complicated or unbalanced and was almost excluded from the final version.<ref name="Mook"/>
===Music=== {{listen | filename = Darius Gaiden - VISIONNERZ.ogg | title = "Visionnerz (Hallucinated People)" | pos = right | description = "Visionnerz" is the music used for the first level. The rest of the soundtrack is based on this piece in particular. }} The soundtrack for ''Darius Gaiden'' was composed by Zuntata, the house band of Taito.<ref name="Zuntata Interview"/><ref name="GFan"/> The band's leader, Hisayoshi Ogura, was the director of the music. Ogura based its music on Jungian archetypes, presenting them in an operatic fashion. He describes the music for the first level, "Visionnerz", as being "the collapse of the ego given musical form". It uses lyrics pulled from other sources, which are based on the idea of "truth isn't what lies in front of you".<ref name="Ogura Interview"/> Ogura intended the music to represent the game's dream-like stages and atmosphere.<ref name="Ogura Interview"/> In an interview, he said: "If you were looking at something and it changed in front of your eyes, and you suddenly realized that everything you thought was an indisputable truth a second ago wasn't true at all, that would be a considerable shock to you. People in such situations would be unable to maintain their composure. They'd start to break down mentally. That's the kind of concept I wanted to convey through "Visionnerz" and the music of ''Darius Gaiden''".<ref name="Ogura Interview">{{cite web |last1=Kemps |first1=Heidi |title=Interview: Hisayoshi Ogura of Ogura Hisayoshi Ongaseisakushow and Taito/ZUNTATA |url=http://gaming.moe/?p=1000 |website=Gaming.moe |access-date=May 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191023002754/http://gaming.moe/?p=1000 |archive-date=October 23, 2019 |date=July 28, 2015}}</ref> The band's sound engineer, Katsuhisa Ishikawa, designed the game's sound effects.<ref name="Zuntata Interview"/>
The entire soundtrack was completed in order, with "Visionnerz" being the source of inspiration for most of the music. Unlike Taito's other game soundtracks, the one for ''Gaiden'' is synchronized to the gameplay and sound effects, which was possible through constant communication between programmers and sound designers.<ref name="Zuntata Interview"/> For the final stages, the music was made to change in tone when the boss shows up, creating an intense and ominous atmosphere. Ogura has claimed that ''Darius Gaiden'' is his favorite soundtrack in terms of direction.<ref name="Zuntata Interview">{{cite web |title=Zuntata – 2009 Darius Odyssey Book Interview |url=http://shmuplations.com/zuntatadarius/ |website=Shmuplations |access-date=May 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230190658/http://shmuplations.com/zuntatadarius/ |archive-date=December 30, 2019}}</ref>
==Release== ''Darius Gaiden'' was released in Japan in September 1994, and in North America in November.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Akagi |first1=Masumi |title=アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) |date=October 13, 2006 |publisher=Amusement News Agency |language=ja |location=Japan |isbn=978-4990251215 |edition=First |url=https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n137 |access-date=August 16, 2019}}</ref> In promotional material, Taito advertised the game's new mechanics and more serious tone in promotional flyers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Taito sales flyer |url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19940915p.pdf |access-date=May 28, 2020 |agency=Game Machine |issue=480 |publisher=Amusement Press |date=September 15, 1994 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522222151/http://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19940915p.pdf |archive-date=May 22, 2020 |language=ja}}</ref> In the months after its debut, an updated version named ''Darius Gaiden Extra Edition'' was released. ''Extra Edition'' changes the level progression system slightly by swapping out easier levels with those that are much harder. It also provides minor alterations to the gameplay, such as increasing the rate of fire and removing the cap on the number of black hole bombs that can be carried. ''Extra Edition'' also has a gameplay mode that converts the branching stage paths into one long, singular run through every level.<ref name="HG101"/>
The game has been ported to several consoles. It was first released on the Sega Saturn on December 15, 1995, in Japan. This version was released a year later in North America, where it was published by Acclaim Entertainment as part of its publishing deal with Taito.<ref name="HG101"/> The Saturn version is a near-perfect port, with slight alterations to the soundtrack to accommodate for system limitations. A PlayStation version was released in Japan on December 20, 1996, which adds new computer-generated animated scenes.<ref name="fam-mag-ps-rev" /> This version was developed by BEC.<ref name="fam-mag-ps-rev" /> {{failed verification span|text=''Darius Gaiden'' was released for Windows in 1997, which was subsequently re-released in North America in 2004.|date=October 2025}}{{fact|date=October 2025}} The 2005 {{failed verification span|text=PlayStation 2 and Xbox|date=October 2025}} compilation ''Taito Legends 2'' includes ''Darius Gaiden''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Greg |title=Taito Legends 2 Review |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/06/04/taito-legends-2-review-2?page=2 |publisher=IGN |access-date=May 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118051424/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/06/04/taito-legends-2-review-2?page=2 |archive-date=January 18, 2017 |date=June 4, 2007}}</ref> ''Darius Gaiden'' is also included in ''Darius Cozmic Collection'', released in 2019 for the Nintendo Switch.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wong |first1=Alistar |title=Darius Series Headed To Nintendo Switch As Darius Cozmic Collection |url=https://www.siliconera.com/darius-series-headed-to-nintendo-switch-as-darius-cozmic-collection/ |website=Siliconera |publisher=Curse, Inc. |access-date=May 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528203745/https://www.siliconera.com/darius-series-headed-to-nintendo-switch-as-darius-cozmic-collection/ |archive-date=May 28, 2020 |date=July 2, 2018}}</ref>
==Reception== {{Video game reviews | EGM = 7.375/10<ref name="EGM">{{cite magazine |title=Review Crew: Darius Gaiden|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |issue=80|publisher=Sendai Publishing|date=March 1996|page=29}}</ref> | Fam = 6/10, 9/10, 9/10, 9/10 (SS)<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Famicom Tsūshin|date=December 22, 1995|language=Japanese|publisher=ASCII Corporation|title=New Games Cross Review Part 2|issue=366|page=33}}</ref><ref name="Famitsu SS">{{cite magazine |title=ダライアス外伝 (SS) |url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=4458&redirect=no |magazine=Famitsu |publisher=Kadokawa Corporation |access-date=May 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528183106/https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=4458&redirect=no |archive-date=May 28, 2020 |language=ja}}</ref><br />7/10, 5/10, 6/10, 7/10 (PS)<ref name="fam-mag-ps-rev">{{cite magazine|magazine=Famicom Tsūshin|date=December 27, 1996|language=Japanese|publisher=ASCII Corporation|title=New Games Cross Review Part 2|first1=Sawadhi|last1=Noda |first2=Goro|last2=Uchisawa|author3=Combatant Maruko|first4=Ranbu|last4=Yoshida |location=Japan|issue=221|page=37}}</ref><ref name="Famitsu PS">{{cite magazine |title=ダライアス外伝 (PS) |url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=6379&redirect=no |magazine=Famitsu |publisher=Kadokawa Corporation |access-date=May 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528181741/https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=6379&redirect=no |archive-date=May 28, 2020 |language=ja}}</ref> | GameFan = 97/100, 90/100, 95/100 (SS)<ref name="GFan">{{cite news |author1=E. Storm |author2=Nick Rox |author3=K. Lee |title=Viewpoint - Darius Gaiden |url=https://archive.org/details/GamefanVolume4Issue02/page/n17/mode/2up |access-date=May 28, 2020 |agency=GameFan |issue=2 |publisher=DieHard Gamers Club |date=February 1996 |volume=4 |page=18}}</ref> | NGen = 2/5 (SS)<ref name="NGen25">{{cite magazine |title=Every Sega Saturn Game Played, Reviewed, and Rated|magazine=Next Generation|issue=25 |publisher=Imagine Media|date=January 1997|page=63}}</ref> | PCGUS = 74% (PC)<ref name="PCG">{{cite web |last1=Erickson |first1=Daniel |title=Reviews: Darius Gaiden |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/06/darius_gaiden.html |website=PC Gamer |publisher=Future plc |access-date=May 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018001029/http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/06/darius_gaiden.html |archive-date=October 18, 2006 |date=2001}}</ref> | rev1 = ''Sega Saturn Magazine'' | rev1Score = 80% (SS)<ref name="SSM">{{cite magazine|last=Automatic |first=Rad |title=Review: Darius|magazine=Sega Saturn Magazine|issue=5|publisher=Emap International Limited|date=March 1996|pages=72–73}}</ref> | award1 = Gold Hall of Fame<ref name="Famitsu SS"/> | award1Pub = ''Famitsu'' | award2 = 2nd Best Graphic<br />3rd Best Shooting<br />7th Grand Prize<ref name="Gamest">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/vol.-112-2#page/n11/mode/2up |title=GAMEST MOOK Vol.112 ザ・ベストゲーム2 アーケードビデオゲーム26年の歴史 |date=January 17, 1998 |publisher=Gamest |isbn=9784881994290 |pages=10–11 |edition=Volume 5, Number 4 |language=ja}}</ref> | award2Pub = ''Gamest'' }} Upon its debut in arcades, ''Darius Gaiden'' received critical acclaim, and was a commercial success.<ref name="HG101"/><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software) |url=http://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19941101p.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523194956/http://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19941101p.pdf |archive-date=23 May 2020 |magazine=Game Machine |issue=483 |publisher=Amusement Press |date=November 1, 1994 |page=25 |lang=ja}}</ref> The Japanese magazine ''Gamest'' handed the game several awards, including the 2nd "Best Graphic", 3rd "Best Shooting", and 7th "Grand Prize" awards. Readers also voted it as being the fourth best arcade game of the year.<ref name="Gamest"/> ''Gamest'' commended Taito for not focusing on gimmicks like the panoramic screen, but instead on the gameplay by making it fresh and interesting. Staff praised the mechanics, soundtrack, graphical style, and overall presentation.<ref name="Gamest"/>
Home releases of ''Darius Gaiden'', specifically the Sega Saturn version, also received positive reviews. The Saturn version sold over 70,000 copies in Japan alone.<ref>{{cite web |title=Game Search (based on Famitsu data) |url=https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search |website=Game Data Library |access-date=March 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424035430/https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search |archive-date=April 24, 2019 |date=March 1, 2020}}</ref> ''Famitsu'' awarded it the "Gold Hall of Fame" award, the magazine's second highest award for a game.<ref name="Famitsu SS"/> Publications specifically focused on the gameplay and graphical style. The four reviewers for ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' were impressed by the visuals for their 3D effect and detail,<ref name="EGM"/> as were ''Famitsu'' staff and ''GamePro''{{'}}s Air Hendrix.<ref name="Famitsu SS"/><ref name="GPro">{{cite news |last1=Hendrix |first1=Air |title=ProReview - Darius Gaiden (Sega Saturn) |url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_091_Volume_08_Number_04_1996-04_IDG_Publishing_US/page/n81/mode/2up |access-date=May 28, 2020 |agency=GamePro |issue=91 |publisher=International Data Group |date=April 1996 |page=80}}</ref> Staff at ''GameFan'' compared its quality to SNK's ''Pulstar''.<ref name="GFan"/> Rad Automatic of ''Sega Saturn Magazine'' praised ''Gaiden'' for its graphics and action-packed gameplay, specifically the level of challenge and usage of branching level paths.<ref name="SSM"/>
Critics felt indifferent about the soundtrack, some of whom liked its strangeness while others found it to be unfitting. The music was Automatic's sole complaint with the game, describing it as being "some fat bint warbling away like an Old Spice advert".<ref name="SSM"/> ''Famitsu'' disagreed, claiming that the music gave the game some charm.<ref name="Famitsu SS"/> ''GameFan'' said that Zuntata's compositions were surprisingly good and fit its atmosphere.<ref name="GFan"/> Critics were also mixed towards the difficulty. ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' stated that it was their only gripe towards ''Gaiden'', feeling it was too high and made the game unnecessarily difficult to play.<ref name="EGM"/> Automatic thought otherwise, saying that the difficulty was just right.<ref name="SSM"/> ''GameFan'' staff argued that the Sega Saturn version was better than its arcade counterpart for its lack of slowdown and impressive graphical effects.<ref name="GFan"/> ''Famitsu'' was less enthusiastic about the PlayStation conversion due to its slowdown problems, jerky scrolling, and unimpressive opening cutscenes.<ref name="Famitsu PS"/> ''PC Gamer''{{'s}} Daniel Erickson, who reviewed the Windows version argued that the game wasn't as impressive as it used to be, but that the gameplay and responsive controls made it a worthy pickup for fans of the genre.<ref name="PCG"/>
===Retrospective feedback=== ''Darius Gaiden'' has been listed as being among the greatest side-scrolling shooters of all time.<ref name="GFan"/><ref name="Gamest"/><ref name="EuroG"/> In 2014, ''Eurogamer''{{'}}s Rupert Higham stated that ''Gaiden'' is "one of the most confident and accomplished sprite-based games ever imagined". He said that the game represented Taito's talent at designing unique stages that were fun to traverse through, and commented on the game's colorful, detailed visuals. Higham believes that ''Gaiden'' helped take the ''Darius'' franchise into a different direction, away from its focus on gimmicks such as the three-screen design and towards innovation and presentation. Higham also believes that Zuntata's soundtrack was one of the game's best and most memorable features.<ref name="EuroG">{{cite web |last1=Higham |first1=Rupert |title=Darius retrospective |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-03-29-darius-retrospective |website=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |access-date=May 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140402022236/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-03-29-darius-retrospective |archive-date=April 2, 2014 |date=March 30, 2014}}</ref> In 2016, Kurt Kalata of ''Hardcore Gaming 101'' said that the game allowed the series to "[grow] its figurative beard" and become one of the most-respected shooter franchises. He praised the game for its visuals and level design; he especially praised the game's presentation for being one of the best for a shooter, and the "hauntingly beautiful" soundtrack for its strangeness, saying that it "[makes] for a game that is not only a great shoot-em-up, but also one of the finest audiovisual experiences in any 2D arcade game".<ref name="HG101">{{cite web |last1=Kalata |first1=Kurt |title=Darius Gaiden |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/darius-gaiden/ |website=Hardcore Gaming 101 |access-date=May 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191118054211/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/darius-gaiden/ |archive-date=November 18, 2019 |date=February 1, 2016}}</ref>
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Darius series}} {{Authority control}}
Category:1994 video games Category:Arcade video games Category:Darius (series) Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games Category:PlayStation (console) games Category:PlayStation 2 games Category:Sega Saturn games Category:Sequel video games Category:Video games featuring female protagonists Category:Video games scored by Hisayoshi Ogura Category:Video games set on fictional planets Category:Taito games Category:Taito F3 System games Category:Windows games Category:Horizontally scrolling shooters Category:Video games developed in Japan