History YMMV / Darius

* FranchiseOriginalSin: One of the criticisms of ''Another Chronicle'' (''EX''(''+'')) Chronicle Mode and ''Chronicle Saviours''[='=]s CS Mode is that [[CopyAndPasteEnvironments they reuse the same level designs over and over]]. However, level design reuse dates as far back as the very first ''Darius'' game, where many later Zones are just earlier zones with different colors,, and ''Darius II'' and ''Twin'' tend to use the same tilesets for zones of the same tier. That said, they didn't cause a lot of criticism since those games have a fewer number of Zones, and in ''II'' and ''Twin'', Zones with the same environments can be thought of as easier/harder variants of one another. The problem with ''Another Chronicle'' and ''Chronicle Saviours'' is that they to give the impression of a galactic-scale quest for liberation by reusing the same levels many times, especially in ''AC'' where it looks like there are 3,000+ levels. In fact, in ''AC'' some levels are exact copies of other levels, just with different loadout options.

* CondemnedByHistory: ''Darius Twin'' was the entry point for the series for many American players growing up due to the scarcity of ''Darius'' series arcade cabinets outside of Japan, and as such became the game where players became acquainted with the series' fish-themed bosses and bore nostalgia factor as a result. However, as the arcade games gained more accessibility thanks to emulation and home ports like the ''Taito Legends 2'' compilation and ''Darius Cozmic Collection'' (the latter of which is available on no less than three different platforms, including UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}), ''Twin'' has come to be seen in a negative light due to what players now view as uninteresting rehashes of environments and bosses from the first two games and for not really making use of the SNES's unique-for-its-time graphical capabilities and, by nature of being a game made for consoles, lacking the multi-screen gimmick of ''Darius'' and ''Darius II'', especially when compared to the slightly later ''Gaiden'' with its refined game mechanics, surreal Hisayoshi Ogura soundtrack, and absolutely dazzling visuals that make it one of the best-looking sprite-based shmups in existence.

** The ''Darius 1'' port on the Genesis Mini, [[PromotedFanboy actually made by a fan]], adapts very well to the smaller screen while remaining as faithful to the original as possible; in particular, it uses a more conventional aspect ratio like ''Super Darius'' and ''Darius Plus'' on PC Engine, but the graphics are actually formatted to not require the screen to [[ScreenCrunch wobble up and down with the player's movement]]. It also adds a few new features, like an option to reduce the hitbox when a shield is active, Tiat as an "easy mode" character that adds more modern conveniences like keeping powerups upon respawn and removing the checkpoint system, and a "26 bosses" option that gives every single zone (even ones in the same tier of zones) a unique boss, including bosses that were never in the original arcade version. The ''Darius Extra'' revision features additional options like support for 6-button controllers, rapid-fire settings, three versions of the game (Old, New, and Extra), and shield hitbox settings. The game would later get released on an actual Genesis cartridge, and for those not willing to BreakOutTheMuseumPiece, it would later get a port to UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, again by M2, with all the convenience features expected of their Taito ports like per-button rapid-fire settings, screen size and filter options, and savestates.

** ''Darius Gaiden'' is easily one of Taito's finest-looking 2D games alongside its hardware sibling ''VideoGame/{{RayForce}}'', featuring "[[UsefulNotes/SuperNES Mode 7]]"-esque landscapes, a vibrant color palette especially in the [[HyperspaceIsAScaryPlace trippy hyperspace]] fourth-tier Zones, and boss explosions that turn into a show of lights and colors that make up the background for the "select next Zone" prompt.

* SequelDifficultyDrop: If only counting arcade releases, ''Gaiden'' is substantially easier than ''Darius II'' (including its ''Sagaia'' variants), despite some controversy and false rumors regarding its rank system. While dying still imposes a significant penalty on powerups collected and especially shot power, the addition of {{Smart Bomb}}s as well as massive increases to the player's firepower makes it a much more tolerable beast than the first two games.

* SequelDifficultySpike: ''G-Darius'' on the other hand cranks the difficulty back to absurd levels, to the point where the game becomes pure BulletHell due to the amount of enemies and bullets that fills the screen in mere seconds. Not only that, but upgrading your main shot takes a lot of power-ups compared to ''Gaiden'', and if you die once, your main shot reverts back to its starter level. Even with the Capture system, this game is often regarded by fans as the hardest game in the series.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Western enthusiasts often dismiss the original ''Darius'' as a lackluster also-ran to the likes of ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}'' and ''VideoGame/RType'' only notable for its idiosyncratic "space robot fish" theme and fancy cabinet, but for 1987, the game was legitimately a huge leap for shooters in production values and content variety. That it boasted 28 different stages (even if background graphics and tilesets are [[CutAndPasteEnvironments repeated a lot]]) and MultipleEndings that players ''had'' to discover for themselves through the branching path system was a huge selling point that gave the game a lot of replayability, as did the roster of 12 bosses with distinct attack pattern and huge, well-detailled sprites-- to give a frame of comparison, 1985's ''Gradius'', itself a big leap for the genre, had 3 different boss characters over its 7 stages, one of which is an immobile ZeroEffortBoss. The game is often criticized for [[ContinuingIsPainful its harsh penalties for dying once]], but even then, ''Darius'' was more forgiving than its contemporaries simply because the segmented power-up level mechanic gave players the possibility of retaining some of their lost power at all. But as the cabinet was not widely circulated in western arcade and none of its home ports [[NoExportForYou would be released outside Japan until much later]], many fans first exposure to the series was through its prettier, deeper and more forgiving sequels ''Darius Gaiden'' or ''G-Darius'', a comparison that obviously does the original little favor.

* JustHereForGodzilla: Many people who get ''Cozmic Collection: Arcade'' just get it for ''Darius Gaiden'', due to ''Darius I'' and ''II'' as being perceived as [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny not very well-aged]], although there are a minority of players who do enjoy them.

** That's not to entirely outdo the [[https://darius.fandom.com/wiki/Bio_Strong original Bio Strong]] from ''Darius II'': a floating shrimp-baby-embryo-thing that hides among a mess of imitation embryos it throws at you before [[JumpScare popping up to fill a near quarter of the entire playfield.]] [[HellIsThatNoise Its infantile shrieks]] and globs of flesh and placenta that fly everywhere when it dies is the icing on the cake.

* ItsHardSoItSucks: The ''Ver. 2'' iteration of ''G-Darius'' isn't well-liked due to making the already-NintendoHard game more difficult (more enemies, more difficult patterns, detonating captured enemies no longer grant invincibility frames) without really doing anything to make the increased difficulty worth it from a player satisfaction standpoint. It does add boss timers and significant bonuses for killing bosses faster, but as this game has no [[EveryTenThousandPoints "extra life every X points"]] system, anyone who isn't score-minded isn't going to care, plus the hefty time bonus de-emphasizes waiting for bosses to fire their Beta Beams so that the player can engage in the game's iconic BeamOWar mechanic. ''Ver. 2'' does have a "beginner" mode...that barely even reduces the difficulty (with the only notable difference being that you respawn with pre-captured enemies after dying) and cuts the number of stages down to three. ''Ver. 2'' does feature difficulty settings, including the [[EasierThanEasy "Super Easy"]] setting, but it hardly makes a difference either (the same is true of "version 1" of the game). When this version was added to ''G-Darius HD'' patch, players were more interested in the beginner-friendly options in the [=PS1=] port that was also included with the same update.

*** The [[VideoGame/NightStriker Inter Gray]], from the Taito DLC pack. It has a weak main gun but compensates with mini homing shots when the ship is moving. That is just the half of it, though. Its burst is a MacrossMissileMassacre, which rips through waves of popcorn enemies and charges fast with each kill. Also, when the burst is active, it generates a shield that is invulnerable to the majority of enemy fire. Said burst is also like the Genesis and Murakumo, in which it can execute a burst counter by touching enemy bursts rather than the timing based mechanic of the other ships. Even more, however, is that the Inter Gray during its burst can turn around while the counter burst is active, as opposed to other burst-based ships where they're stuck in a single direction.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Most fans advise avoiding the ''Taito Legends 2'' version of ''Darius Gaiden'', due to {{nerf}}ing the maximum rate of fire to prevent people from blazing through with a turbo controller.

** ''Darius Plus'', ''Super Darius'', and ''Darius Extra'' have My Home Daddy. You won't be laughing at its name for long when it starts pelting you with bullets that have gravitational trajectories that can be difficult to predict in the heat of the moment and fast targeted laser bolts.

** The ''Darius 1'' port on the Genesis Mini, [[PromotedFanboy actually made by a fan]], adapts very well to the smaller screen while remaining as faithful to the original as possible; in particular, it uses a more conventional aspect ratio like ''Super Darius'' and ''Darius Plus'' on PC Engine, but the graphics are actually formatted to not require the screen to [[ScreenCrunch wobble up and down with the player's movement]]. It also adds a few new features, like an option to reduce the hitbox when a shield is active, Tiat as an "easy mode" character that adds more modern conveniences like keeping powerups upon respawn and removing the checkpoint system, and a "26 bosses" option that gives every single zone (even ones in the same tier of zones) a unique boss, including bosses that were never in the original arcade version. The ''Darius Extra'' revision features additional options like support for 6-button controllers, rapid-fire settings, three versions of the game (Old, New, and Extra), and shield hitbox settings.

** The ''Darius 1'' port on the Genesis Mini, [[PromotedFanboy actually made by a fan]], adapts very well to the smaller screen while remaining as faithful to the original as possible; in particular, it uses a more conventional aspect ratio like ''Super Darius'' and ''Darius Plus'' on PC Engine, but the graphics are actually formatted to not require the screen to wobble up and down with the player's movement. It also adds a few new features, like an option to reduce the hitbox when a shield is active, Tiat as an "easy mode" character that adds more modern conveniences like keeping powerups upon respawn and removing the checkpoint system, and a "26 bosses" option that gives every single zone (even ones in the same tier of zones) a unique boss, including bosses that were never in the original arcade version. The ''Darius Extra'' revision features additional options like support for 6-button controllers, rapid-fire settings, three versions of the game (Old, New, and Extra), and shield hitbox settings.

** The ''Darius 1'' port on the Genesis Mini, [[PromotedFanboy actually made by a fan]], adapts very well to the smaller screen while remaining as faithful to the original as possible; in particular, it uses a more conventional aspect ratio like ''Super Darius'' and ''Darius Plus'' on PC Engine, but the graphics are actually formatted to not require the screen to wobble up and down with the player's movement. It also adds a few new features, like an option to reduce the hitbox when a shield is active, Tiat as an "easy mode" character that adds more modern conveniences like keeping powerups upon respawn and removing the checkpoint system, and a "26 bosses" option that gives every single zone (even ones in the same tier of zones) a unique boss, including bosses that were never in the original arcade version.

*** The Saber, from the Capcom DLC pack. Perhaps the most overpowered DLC ship par excellence. It has access to three weapons, a machine gun, a laser, and a wide shot. The wide shot can wipe out waves of popcorn enemies, while the laser can tear up tougher enemies, minibosses and bosses in seconds. That's just part of what makes the Saber overpowered. If the Saber gets a green power up, it gets pods instead of missiles or bombs (or, with the DLC ships, a more powerful secondary attack or burst). These pods are indestructible all to but a few select enemy weapons, especially when you set the pods to 'napalm' mode, or with the pods fixed in front of you. This makes the pods into shields, and makes going up against bosses like Great Thing and Gigantic Bite utter cakewalks. Like the majority of other DLC ships, however, it lacks a burst. Instead, it uses smart bombs, but launched out straightforward rather than a big bomb. These smart bombs pierce enemies, and can even cancel out enemy projectiles. With all of these properties of the Saber, it is considered to be the best DLC ship, if not the best ship in Dariusburst period.

* CondemnedByHistory: ''Darius Twin'' was the entry point for the series for many American players growing up due to the scarcity of ''Darius'' series arcade cabinets outside of Japan, and as such became the game where players became acquainted with the series' fish-themed bosses and bore nostalgia factor as a result. However, as the arcade games gained more accessibility thanks to home ports like the ''Taito Legends 2'' compilation and ''Darius Cozmic Collection'' (the latter of which is available on no less than three different platforms, including UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}), ''Twin'' has come to be seen in a negative light due to what players now view as uninteresting rehashes of environments and bosses from the first two games and for not really making use of the SNES's unique-for-its-time graphical capabilities and, by nature of being a game made for consoles, lacking the multi-screen gimmick of ''Darius'' and ''Darius II'', especially when compared to the slightly later ''Gaiden'' with its refined game mechanics, surreal Hisayoshi Ogura soundtrack, and absolutely dazzling visuals that make it one of the best-looking sprite-based shmups in existence.

* CondemnedByHistory: ''Darius Twin'' was the entry point for the series for many American players growing up due to the scarcity of ''Darius'' series arcade cabinets outside of Japan, and as such became the game where players became acquainted with the series' fish-themed bosses and bore nostalgia factor as a result. However, as the arcade games gained more accessibility thanks to home ports like the ''Taito Legends 2'' compilation and ''Darius Cozmic Collection'' (the latter of which is available on no less than three different platforms, including UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}), ''Twin'' has come to be seen in a negative light due to what players now view as uninteresting rehashes of environments and bosses from the first two games and for not really making use of the SNES's unique-for-its-time graphical capabilities, especially when compared to the slightly later ''Gaiden'' with its refined game mechanics, surreal Hisayoshi Ogura soundtrack, and absolutely dazzling visuals that make it one of the best-looking sprite-based shmups in existence.

* CondemnedByHistory: ''Darius Twin'' was the entry point for the series for many American players growing up due to the scarcity of ''Darius'' series arcade cabinets outside of Japan, and as such became the game where players became acquainted with the series' fish-themed bosses and bore nostalgia factor as a result. However, as the arcade games gained more accessibility thanks to home ports like the ''Taito Legends 2'' compilation and ''Darius Cozmic Collection'' (the latter of which is available on no less than three different platforms, including UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}), ''Twin'' has come to be seen in a negative light due to what players now view as uninteresting rehashes of environments and bosses from the first two games, especially when compared to the slightly later ''Gaiden'' with its refined game mechanics, surreal Hisayoshi Ogura soundtrack, and absolutely dazzling visuals that make it one of the best-looking sprite-based shmups in existence.

* CondemnedByHistory: ''Darius Twin'' was the entry point for the series for many American players growing up due to the scarcity of ''Darius'' series arcade cabinets outside of Japan, and as such became the game where players became acquainted with the series' fish-themed bosses. However, as the arcade games gained more accessibility thanks to home ports like the ''Taito Legends 2'' compilation and ''Darius Cozmic Collection'' (the latter of which is available on no less than three different platforms, including UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}), ''Twin'' has come to be seen in a negative light due to what players now view as uninteresting rehashes of environments and bosses from the first two games, especially when compared to the slightly later ''Gaiden'' with its refined game mechanics, surreal Hisayoshi Ogura soundtrack, and absolutely dazzling visuals that make it one of the best-looking sprite-based shmups in existence.

* CondemnedByHistory: ''Darius Twin'' was the entry point for the series for many American players growing up due to the scarcity of ''Darius'' series arcade cabinets outside of Japan, and as such became the game where players became acquainted with the series' fish-themed bosses. However, as the arcade games gained more accessibility thanks to home ports like the ''Taito Legends 2'' compilation and ''Darius Cozmic Collection'', ''Twin'' has come to be seen in a negative light due to what players now view as uninteresting rehashes of environments and bosses from the first two games, especially when compared to the slightly later ''Gaiden'' with its refined game mechanics, surreal Hisayoshi Ogura soundtrack, and absolutely dazzling visuals that make it one of the best-looking sprite-based shmups in existence.

* CondemnedByHistory: ''Darius Twin'' was the entry point for the series for many American players growing up due to the scarcity of ''Darius'' series arcade cabinets outside of Japan. However, as the arcade games gained more accessibility thanks to home ports like the ''Taito Legends 2'' compilation and ''Darius Cozmic Collection'', ''Twin'' has come to be seen in a negative light due to what players view as uninteresting rehashes of environments and bosses from the first two games, especially when compared to the slightly later ''Gaiden'' with its refined game mechanics, surreal Hisayoshi Ogura soundtrack, and absolutely dazzling visuals that make it one of the best-looking sprite-based shmups in existence.

%% If possible, please do not link to unofficial uploads of Dariusburst OSTs, as they have a strong tendency to get copyright-struck fast. Link to official samples instead.

* TierInducedScrappy:
** Origin (based on the original ''Darius'' Silver Hawk) in ''Dariusburst''. No Burst and weak weapons; sure, its wave shot can pierce enemies, but you ''don't'' want it to do that when fighting a single massive target due to the [[OneBulletAtATime on-screen shot limit]]; meanwhile, the Gaiden ship also has piercing Wave shots but can also complement them with non-piercing shots for large targets. Second (based on ''Darius II''[='=]s Silver Hawk) in ''Dariusburst Another Chronicle'' and ''Chronicle Saviours'', despite also having no Burst, at least makes up for it with a powerful SpreadShot and 8-way piercing side lasers to go with its bombs.
** Of all the DLC ships in ''Chronicle Saviours'', [[VideoGame/DeathSmiles Windia]] might be the worst one of the bunch. Despite her shot power being Laser-type, it is not that strong enough and cannot pierce enemy swarms, her secondary shot is slow and unreliable and just like the game where she came from, she requires 500 items or more to even deal significant damage against enemies and bosses. Don't be surprised if you want to choose another ship to deal with her missions.