Darius Gaiden

n/a

NTSC-U/PAL
NTSC-J

Darius Gaiden

System(s): Sega Saturn

Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment (US, Europe), Taito (Japan)

Developer: Aisystem Tokyo

Licensor: Taito

Original system(s): Taito F3 System

Developer(s) of original games: Taito

Sound driver: SCSP/CD-DA (15 tracks)

Genre: Shooting^[1]^[2]

Number of players: 1-2

Release	Date	RRP	Code
JP	1995-12-15^[2]	¥5,800 (5,974)5,800e^[3]	T-1102G
US	1996-01-29^[4]	$59.9959.99^[5]^[6]	T-8123H
EU	1996-03		T-8123H-50
DE	1996-03		T-8123H-50
UK	1996-03-01^[7]^[8]	£34.9934.99^[9]	T-8123H-50
PL	1996
AU	199x

Non-Sega versions
Arcade PlayStation Windows PC

This short article is in need of work. You can help Sega Retro by adding to it.

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. Gaiden was ported to the Sega Saturn and released in late 1995, curiously arriving before the Saturn port of Darius II.

The game's soundtrack was composed by Taito's house band Zuntata.

Gameplay

Darius Gaiden closely follows the established formula seen in previous Darius entries, but dropped the eye-catching multiple screen setup in favour a simple one-screen solution. The difficulty of the game is considered to be lower than that of Darius 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, with the "upper" routes typically being easier to clear. However, the upper routes also offer more scoring chances, which goes against the usual risk vs. reward design in arcade games, and as the high score table is not dictated by path, the only reason to use a different route is to see each of the different stages and endings.

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

The game has a dynamic difficulty level, depending on power ups collected, survival time and so on.

History

During development original version, it was known as Darius III. Why it was changed to a"gaiden" type of story (roughly meaning "side story"), is unknown.

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.

Production credits

Producer: Hidehiro Fujihara
Game Design: Hisakazu Kato, Akira Kurabayashi, Masami Kikuchi, Hidetaka Harada, Naoto Omura, Rintaro Doi, Katsumi Kaneoka, Hisayoshi Ogura, Katsuhisa Ishikawa
- Thanks: Kentaro Matsumura
Art Director: KAT, Masami Kikuchi, Baw-Baw
Programmer: Kurabar, Naoto Omura, Hidetaka Harada
Hardware Engineer: Katsumi Kaneoka
Decorator: Rintaro Doi
Sound Director: OGR (Zuntata), Katsuhisa Ishikawa (Zuntata)
Bit Pattern: Makoto Fujita, Ucky Maeda, Toru Kawaishi, Miwa Kamiya
Special Thanks: Hisao Shimizu, Rie Amino, Takako Akitsu, Masahiro Tashiro, Nakayama Jotohei, Nobuyuki Hayashi, Ryoto Komai, Yasunobu Kosokabe, Saori Hiratsuka, Ryota Sasaki, Naoto Yagishita, Takao Yoshiba, Nobuaki Kuroki, Yuichi Onogi, Makoto Osaka, Yoshihiro Mori, Naomitsu Abe, Masatoshi Tsuneoka, Yosuke Tsuda, V.G. Tokyo All Staff, Papara Kaito, Yoshinari Mitani, I.G Tatsunoko, ...And Default Members
Presented by: Taito®

Source:

In-game credits^[10]

Magazine articles

Main article: Darius Gaiden/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

PDF

JP flyer

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average

Publication

Version

Score

CD Consoles (FR)

40

^[11]

Consoles + (FR)

88

^[12]

Computer & Video Games (UK)

87

^[8]

Edge (UK)

60

^[13]

Electronic Gaming Monthly (US)

NTSC-U

74

^[14]

Famitsu (JP)

NTSC-J

83

^[15]

Fun Generation (DE)

PAL

40

^[16]

GameFan (US)

94

^[17]

Game Players (US)

NTSC-U

53

^[5]

GamePro (US)

NTSC-U

78

^[18]

GamePro (UK)

83

^[19]

Joypad (FR)

NTSC-J

85

^[20]

MAN!AC (DE)

NTSC-J

76

^[21]

Mega Fun (DE)

PAL

61

^[22]

Mean Machines Sega (UK)

NTSC-J

79

^[23]

Mean Machines Sega (UK)

PAL

69

^[24]

Player One (FR)

PAL

90

^[25]

Saturn Fan (JP)

NTSC-J

81

^[26]

Saturn+ (UK)

PAL

84

^[27]

Sega Magazin (DE)

PAL

80

^[28]

Sega Power (UK)

NTSC-J

35

^[29]

Sega Pro (UK)

NTSC

69

^[30]

Sega Saturn Magazine (UK)

PAL

80

^[9]

Sega Saturn Magazine (JP)

NTSC-J

80

^[31]

Sega Saturn Magazine (JP)

NTSC-J

89

^[32]

Total Saturn (UK)

PAL

46

^[33]

Ultimate Future Games (UK)

NTSC-J

79

^[34]

Última Generación (ES)

68

^[35]

Video Games (DE)

NTSC-U

60

^[36]

VideoGames (US)

70

^[6]

	72
Based on 30 reviews

Darius Gaiden

Saturn, JP
Cover
Spinecard Disc Manual

Saturn, US
Cover
Disc Manual

Saturn, EU
Cover
Disc

Saturn, FR (Blister pack)
Cover

Technical information

Main article: Darius Gaiden/Technical information.

References

Darius Gaiden
	Main page \| Comparisons \| Hidden content \| Magazine articles \| Reception \| Technical information No results

Darius games for Sega systems
	Darius II (1990) \| Darius (2019) \| Darius Extra Version (2020)
	Sagaia (1992)
	Darius Gaiden (1995) \| Darius II (1996)

[:File:DariusGaiden_Saturn_JP_Box_Back.jpg_p-1] File:DariusGaiden Saturn JP Box Back.jpg

[https:.2F.2Fweb.archive.org.2Fweb.2F20200227195410.2Fhttps:.2F.2Fsega.jp.2Ffb.2Fsegahard.2Fss.2Fsoft_licensee1.html-2] 2.0 ^2.1 https://sega.jp/fb/segahard/ss/soft_licensee1.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-02-27 19:54)

[:File:DariusGaiden_Saturn_JP_Flyer.pdf_p-3] File:DariusGaiden Saturn JP Flyer.pdf

[https:.2F.2Fgroups.google.com.2Fg.2Frec.games.video.sega.2Fc.2FpzEqyxCyUOo.2Fm.2FgTuzOdehLgoJ-4] ttps://groups.google.com/g/rec.games.video.sega/c/pzEqyxCyUOo/m/gTuzOdehLgoJ

[:File:GamePlayers_US_0904.pdf_p66-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Game Players, "Vol. 9 No. 4 April 1996" (US; 1996-03-19), page 66

[:File:VideoGames_US_88.pdf_p63-6] 6.0 ^6.1 VideoGames, "May 1996" (US; 1996-04-23), page 63

[7] Computer Trade Weekly, "" (UK; 1996-03-04), page 21

[:File:CVG_UK_172.pdf_p46-8] 8.0 ^8.1 Computer & Video Games, "March 1996" (UK; 1996-02-09), page 46

[:File:SSM_UK_05.pdf_p72-9] 9.0 ^9.1 Sega Saturn Magazine, "March 1996" (UK; 1996-02-24), page 72

[:File:DariusGaiden_Saturn_JP_SSEnding.pdf_p-10] File:DariusGaiden_Saturn_JP_SSEnding.pdf

[:File:CDConsoles_FR_15.pdf_p92-11] CD Consoles, "Mars 1996" (FR; 1996-xx-xx), page 92

[:File:ConsolesPlus_FR_051.pdf_p98-12] Consoles +, "Février 1996" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 98

[:File:Edge_UK_030.pdf_p70-13] Edge, "March 1996" (UK; 1996-02-09), page 70

[:File:EGM_US_080.pdf_p29-14] Electronic Gaming Monthly, "March 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 29

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

[:File:FunGeneration_DE_1996-03.pdf_p48-16] Fun Generation, "03/96" (DE; 1996-02-12), page 48

[:File:GameFan_US_0402.pdf_p18-17] GameFan, "Volume 4, Issue 2: February 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 18

[:File:GamePro_US_091.pdf_p82-18] GamePro, "April 1996" (US; 1996-xx-xx), page 82

[:File:GamePro_UK_09.pdf_p38-19] GamePro, "May 1996" (UK; 1996-04-xx), page 38

[:File:Joypad_FR_Supplement_050_International.pdf_p24-20] Joypad, "Février 1996 (Joypad International supplement)" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 24

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

[:File:MegaFun_DE_1996-03.pdf_p80-22] Mega Fun, "03/96" (DE; 1996-02-20), page 80

[:File:MeanMachinesSega42UK.pdf_p76-23] Mean Machines Sega, "April 1996" (UK; 1996-0x-xx), page 76

[:File:MeanMachinesSega43UK.pdf_p88-24] Mean Machines Sega, "May 1996" (UK; 1996-04-04), page 88

[:File:PlayerOne_FR_062.pdf_p94-25] Player One, "Mars 1996" (FR; 1996-0x-xx), page 94

[:File:SaturnFan_JP_1996-04.pdf_p62-26] Saturn Fan, "1996 No. 4" (JP; 1996-02-02), page 62

[:File:SaturnPlus_UK_02.pdf_p62-27] Saturn+, "Easter/April 1996" (UK; 1996-03-07), page 62

[:File:SegaMagazin_DE_28.pdf_p68-28] Sega Magazin, "März 1996" (DE; 1996-02-14), page 68

[:File:SegaPower_UK_77.pdf_p52-29] Sega Power, "April 1996" (UK; 1996-02-15), page 52

[:File:SegaPro_UK_55.pdf_p60-30] Sega Pro, "March 1996" (UK; 1996-01-25), page 60

[:File:SSM_JP_19951222_1995-14.pdf_p202-31] Sega Saturn Magazine, "1995-14 (1995-12-22)" (JP; 1995-12-08), page 202

[:File:SnGwSISDRZK_Book_JP.pdf_p11-32] Sega Saturn Magazine, "Readers rating final data" (JP; 2000-03), page 11

[:File:TotalSaturn_UK_04.pdf_p20-33] Total Saturn, "Volume One Issue Four" (UK; 1996-12-29), page 20

[:File:UltimateFutureGames_UK_16.pdf_p68-34] Ultimate Future Games, "March 1996" (UK; 1996-0x-xx), page 68

[:File:UltimaGeneracion_ES_11.pdf_p90-35] Última Generación, "Febrero 1996" (ES; 1996-0x-xx), page 90

[:File:VideoGames_DE_1996-02.pdf_p83-36] Video Games, "2/96" (DE; 1996-01-24), page 83

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

Darius Gaiden

From Sega Retro

Contents

Gameplay

History

Production credits

Magazine articles

Promotional material

Physical scans

Technical information

References