Darius Gaiden

n/a

Darius Gaiden

System(s): Sega Saturn

Publisher: Acclaim, Taito (JP)

Developer: Taito

Aisystem Tokyo

Genre: Shoot-'em-Up

Number of players: 1-2

Release	Date	RRP	Code

ESRB

Sega

ELSPA

USK

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Darius Gaiden (ダライアス外伝) is the third main entry in Taito's Darius series of horizontal space shoot-'em-up games, first released in 1994 in arcades as a sequel to Darius II. During development it was known as Darius III. Why it was changed to a"gaiden" type of story (roughly meaning "side story"), is unknown. The game's soundtrack was composed by Taito's house band Zuntata.

Gaiden was ported to the Sega Saturn and released in late 1995, curiously arriving before the Saturn port of Darius II. It was the second of two Darius games to be brought to Sega systems - its arcade successor, G-Darius, which used polygonal graphics, skipped the Saturn in favour of the PlayStation in 1998.

Darius Gaiden follows the established formula closely, but dropped the multiple screen setup. Difficulty is considered to be lower than in part II. So called black hole bombs have been added, that damage enemies and neutralize projectiles, but also sucks in power ups. Not using any of these yeilds a special score bonus at the end of the game, but is tied to not using continues.

Stages are selectable in the usual branching path fashion after defeating a boss. Each path has it'S unique ending

Strangely autofire, a common feature in shooting game ports, is missing from options. It must be activated by a cheat code.

Trivia

The game upholds the series tradition of offering branching paths, with the "upper" routs being easier to clear. However, the upper routes also offer more scoring chances, which goes against the usual risk=reward design in arcade games. Scores are lumped together in a single table and not sorted by the path taken through the game but total score only.
The game has a dynamic difficulty level, depending on power ups collected, survival time etc.

Promotional Material

JP flyer

Physical Scans

Sega Retro Average

Publication

Version

Score

CD Consoles (FR)

40

^[1]

Consoles + (FR)

88

^[6]

Computer & Video Games (UK)

87

^[2]

Edge (UK)

60

^[7]

Electronic Gaming Monthly (US)

NTSC-U

74

^[8]

Famitsu (JP)

NTSC-J

83

^[9]

Fun Generation (DE)

PAL

40

^[10]

GameFan (US)

94

^[11]

Game Players (US)

NTSC-U

53

^[12]

GamePro (US)

NTSC-U

78

^[13]

GamePro (UK)

83

^[14]

Game Informer (US)

NTSC-U

44

^[15]

Joypad (FR)

NTSC-J

85

^[16]

MAN!AC (DE)

NTSC-J

76

^[17]

Mega Fun (DE)

PAL

61

^[18]

Mean Machines Sega (UK)

NTSC-J

79

^[3]

Mean Machines Sega (UK)

PAL

69

^[4]

Player One (FR)

PAL

90

^[19]

Saturn Fan (JP)

NTSC-J

81

^[20]

Saturn+ (UK)

PAL

84

^[21]

Sega Magazin (DE)

PAL

80

^[22]

Sega Power (UK)

NTSC-J

35

^[23]

Sega Pro (UK)

NTSC

69

^[24]

Sega Saturn Magazine (UK)

PAL

80

^[25]

Sega Saturn Magazine (JP)

NTSC-J

80

^[26]

Sega Saturn Magazine (JP)

NTSC-J

89

^[27]

Total Saturn (UK)

PAL

46

^[28]

Ultimate Future Games (UK)

NTSC-J

79

^[29]

Última Generación (ES)

68

^[30]

Video Games (DE)

NTSC-U

60

^[31]

VideoGames (US)

70

^[32]

	71
Based on 31 reviews

Darius Gaiden

Saturn, US
Cover
Disc Manual

Saturn, EU
Cover
Disc

Saturn, JP
Cover
Spinecard Disc Manual

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 File:CDConsoles FR 15.pdf, page 92 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CDConsoles FR 15.pdf_p92" defined multiple times with different content
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 File:CVG UK 172.pdf, page 46 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 172.pdf_p46" defined multiple times with different content
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 File:MeanMachinesSega42UK.pdf, page 76 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega42UK.pdf_p76" defined multiple times with different content
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 File:MeanMachinesSega43UK.pdf, page 88 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega43UK.pdf_p88" defined multiple times with different content
↑ File:SSM_UK_05.pdf, page 72
↑ Consoles +, "Février 1996" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 98
↑ Edge, "March 1996" (UK; 1996-02-09), page 70
↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "March 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 29
↑ Famitsu, "1995-12-22" (JP; 1995-12-08), page 1
↑ Fun Generation, "03/96" (DE; 1996-02-12), page 48
↑ GameFan, "Volume 4, Issue 2: February 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 18
↑ Game Players, "Vol. 9 No. 4 April 1996" (US; 1996-03-19), page 66
↑ GamePro, "April 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 82
↑ GamePro, "May 1996" (UK; 1996-04-xx), page 38
↑ Game Informer, "April 1996" (US; 1996-0x-xx), page 59
↑ Joypad, "Février 1996 (Joypad International supplement)" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 24
↑ MAN!AC, "02/96" (DE; 1996-01-10), page 41
↑ Mega Fun, "03/96" (DE; 1996-02-20), page 80
↑ Player One, "Mars 1996" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 94
↑ Saturn Fan, "1996 No. 4" (JP; 1996-02-02), page 62
↑ Saturn+, "Easter/April 1996" (UK; 1996-03-07), page 62
↑ Sega Magazin, "März 1996" (DE; 1996-02-14), page 68
↑ Sega Power, "April 1996" (UK; 1996-02-15), page 52
↑ Sega Pro, "March 1996" (UK; 1996-01-25), page 60
↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "March 1996" (UK; 1996-02-24), page 72
↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "1995-14 (1995-12-22)" (JP; 1995-12-08), page 202
↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "Readers rating final data" (JP; 2000-03), page 11
↑ Total Saturn, "Volume One Issue Four" (UK; 1996-12-29), page 20
↑ Ultimate Future Games, "March 1996" (UK; 1996-0x-xx), page 68
↑ Última Generación, "Febrero 1996" (ES; 1996-0x-xx), page 90
↑ Video Games, "2/96" (DE; 1996-01-24), page 83
↑ VideoGames, "May 1996" (US; 1996-04-23), page 63

[:File:CDConsoles_FR_15.pdf_p92-1] 1.0 ^1.1 File:CDConsoles FR 15.pdf, page 92 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CDConsoles FR 15.pdf_p92" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:CVG_UK_172.pdf_p46-2] 2.0 ^2.1 File:CVG UK 172.pdf, page 46 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 172.pdf_p46" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:MeanMachinesSega42UK.pdf_p76-3] 3.0 ^3.1 File:MeanMachinesSega42UK.pdf, page 76 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega42UK.pdf_p76" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:MeanMachinesSega43UK.pdf_p88-4] 4.0 ^4.1 File:MeanMachinesSega43UK.pdf, page 88 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega43UK.pdf_p88" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:SSM_UK_05.pdf_p72-5] File:SSM_UK_05.pdf, page 72

[:File:ConsolesPlus_FR_051.pdf_p98-6] Consoles +, "Février 1996" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 98

[:File:Edge_UK_030.pdf_p70-7] Edge, "March 1996" (UK; 1996-02-09), page 70

[:File:EGM_US_080.pdf_p29-8] Electronic Gaming Monthly, "March 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 29

[9] Famitsu, "1995-12-22" (JP; 1995-12-08), page 1

[:File:FunGeneration_DE_1996-03.pdf_p48-10] Fun Generation, "03/96" (DE; 1996-02-12), page 48

[:File:GameFan_US_0402.pdf_p18-11] GameFan, "Volume 4, Issue 2: February 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 18

[:File:GamePlayers_US_0904.pdf_p66-12] Game Players, "Vol. 9 No. 4 April 1996" (US; 1996-03-19), page 66

[:File:GamePro_US_091.pdf_p82-13] GamePro, "April 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 82

[:File:GamePro_UK_09.pdf_p38-14] GamePro, "May 1996" (UK; 1996-04-xx), page 38

[:File:GameInformer_US_036.pdf_p59-15] Game Informer, "April 1996" (US; 1996-0x-xx), page 59

[:File:Joypad_FR_Supplement_050_International.pdf_p24-16] Joypad, "Février 1996 (Joypad International supplement)" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 24

[:File:MAN.21AC_DE_1996-02.pdf_p41-17] MAN!AC, "02/96" (DE; 1996-01-10), page 41

[:File:MegaFun_DE_1996-03.pdf_p80-18] Mega Fun, "03/96" (DE; 1996-02-20), page 80

[:File:PlayerOne_FR_062.pdf_p94-19] Player One, "Mars 1996" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 94

[:File:SaturnFan_JP_1996-04.pdf_p62-20] Saturn Fan, "1996 No. 4" (JP; 1996-02-02), page 62

[:File:SaturnPlus_UK_02.pdf_p62-21] Saturn+, "Easter/April 1996" (UK; 1996-03-07), page 62

[:File:SegaMagazin_DE_28.pdf_p68-22] Sega Magazin, "März 1996" (DE; 1996-02-14), page 68

[:File:SegaPower_UK_77.pdf_p52-23] Sega Power, "April 1996" (UK; 1996-02-15), page 52

[:File:SegaPro_UK_55.pdf_p60-24] Sega Pro, "March 1996" (UK; 1996-01-25), page 60

[:File:SSM_UK_05.pdf_p72-25] Sega Saturn Magazine, "March 1996" (UK; 1996-02-24), page 72

[:File:SSM_JP_19951222_1995-14.pdf_p202-26] Sega Saturn Magazine, "1995-14 (1995-12-22)" (JP; 1995-12-08), page 202

[:File:SnGwSISDRZK_Book_JP.pdf_p11-27] Sega Saturn Magazine, "Readers rating final data" (JP; 2000-03), page 11

[:File:TotalSaturn_UK_04.pdf_p20-28] Total Saturn, "Volume One Issue Four" (UK; 1996-12-29), page 20

[:File:UltimateFutureGames_UK_16.pdf_p68-29] Ultimate Future Games, "March 1996" (UK; 1996-0x-xx), page 68

[:File:UltimaGeneracion_ES_11.pdf_p90-30] Última Generación, "Febrero 1996" (ES; 1996-0x-xx), page 90

[:File:VideoGames_DE_1996-02.pdf_p83-31] Video Games, "2/96" (DE; 1996-01-24), page 83

[:File:VideoGames_US_88.pdf_p63-32] VideoGames, "May 1996" (US; 1996-04-23), page 63

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Darius Gaiden

From Sega Retro

Trivia

Promotional Material

Physical Scans