History VideoGame / Darius

Perhaps best well-known for its unusual setup consisting of three screens lined up horizontally. Got multiple ports on the UsefulNotes/PCEngine. A new port was released in 2019 on the Sega Genesis/[=MegaDrive=] Mini:

Uses the same three-screen setup as the first game (and also ''VideoGame/TheNinjaWarriors1987''), but also came in a two-screen variant. Got ported to the Genesis/[=MegaDrive=] and Master System under the title ''Sagaia'' and to the PC-Engine CD under the title ''Super Darius II''. It was later ported to the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn under the original title.

** ''Dariusburst: Chronicle Saviors'' (a consumer port of ''Another Chronicle EX'' with an exclusive campaign mode -- PC, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/PSVita, 2015 (NA/PAL) / 2016 (JP))
* ''Darius Cozmic Collection'' (UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/Playstation4, 2019) \\

* ''Darius Cozmic Revelation'' (UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/Playstation4, February 24. 2021) \\

* ''Dariusburst CS Core + Taito/Sega Pack'' (UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch. 2022) \\

* AWinnerIsYou: In contrast to the other games, the sole ending of the Game Boy ''Sagaia'' consist of a brief shot of the Silver Hawk turning into a phoenix, then a portrait of the pilot, then the credits.

* AWinnerIsYou: [[spoiler: Defeat Vermillion Coronatus in Darius Gaiden and you'll get...a screen depicting that you just played a game and the "pilots" are teenage kids (in the shape of Proco and Tiat) sighing a relief, accompanied by the caption: "I finally beat Darius Gaiden!"]]
** [[spoiler: That's actually a callback to the ending for Zone Y's boss, Cuttlefish, in the first Darius.]]

** The Creator/{{Capcom}} pack includes the Mobilesuit α from ''[[VideoGame/HyperDyneSideArms Side Arms: Hyper Dyne]]'', the Tanikura F7W Saber from ''VideoGame/VarthOperationThunderstorm'', and the Gambler from ''VideoGame/{{Progear}}''.

* NintendoHard:
** The entire series naturally, since it's a ShootEmUp series for arcades. Bosses are bone-breakingly difficult and losing one life can [[ContinuingIsPainful seriously degrade your ship's weapons]].
** ''Chronicle Saviours'' has CS Mode, which like Chronicle Mode gives you a big chart of missions to complete, with each mission having a variable number of stages and bosses. ''Un''like in Chronicle Mode, you cannot use continues, making clearing each stage especially with Presets a hell of a challenge.

* GaidenGame: The game ''Syvalion'' is meant to be a spinoff of the series, with you helping the people of Planet Darius halfway through the game. In turn, ''Darius Force'''s three final bosses (Zandick II, Megalopros and Galst Vic) are upgraded versions of enemies from the game, and the metal dragon makes a cameo in ''Dariusburst''

* GrandFinale: The CS Mode in ''Chronicle Saviours'' seems to be this.

** The X86000 port of ''Syvalion'' includes ''Sybubblun'', a brutally difficulty 20-stage ArrangeMode of the original ''VideoGame/BubbleBobble'' where Bub, Bob and all the enemies are reskinned to look like Syvalion and the game's enemies.

A spin-off game but still part of the series. Was re-released in 2006 as a part of ''Taito Legends 2''

* VersionExclusiveContent: The X86000 port of ''Syvalion'' includes ''Sybubblun'', a brutally difficulty 20-stage ArrangeMode of the original ''VideoGame/BubbleBobble'' where Bub, Bob and all the enemies are reskinned to look like Syvalion and the game's enemies.

** One of the random scenarios of ''Syvalion'' reveals that the game is a StealthSequel to ''Raimais'', a VideoGame/PacMan clone with shmup elements. The Syvalion pilot is revealed to be the brother of the female protagonist of that game, and the mad doctor from the same game is not only revealed to be the commander of the Varia aliens, but he also kidnapped the pilot's sister, a RoleReversal of what happened in ''Raimais''.

** ''G-Darius HD'' (also for PC, 2022): A straight release of the game, featuring the usual assortment of online leaderboards and gadgets expected from M2's modern shoot em up rereleases. Features both a port of the arcade version and a ''HD'' version with upscaled textures and a new 3D model for the Silver Hawk. A second patch was released on March 31, 2022 for the PC version and the Japanese console versions and on June 1, 2022 for the Western console versions, containing the arcade exclusive ''Ver.2'' in both HD and original format, as well as the original Playstation port. It also includes a training mode, replays, new gadgets and a "Super Easy" mode created by M2. The Steam port, which was released on March 30, 2022, includes subwoofer support and ''G-Darius Exhibition'', a new ultra widescreen mode made from the ground-up where you fight Fire Fossil, Queen Fossil and Great Thing.

* ShieldedCoreBoss: [[MeaningfulName Absolute Defender]] from ''G-Darius'', you had to destroy his regenerating shield generator in order to be properly damage him.

** ''Sagaia'' (Arcade, 1988) - A western ArrangeMode of sorts, featuring entirely different, shorter but more intense levels, a simplified brancing path system and other tweaks to encourage a shorter play cycle (for example, bosses have more dense and faster bullet patterns but much less health)

The first of two console-exclusive original ''Darius'' games. Less punishing than other titles (that is, until the last stage), but has fewer branching paths and continuing after running out of lives here is completely impossible.

An apparently official ROMHack with rearranged stages, much faster autofire, and if you start a game on the player 2 side, you will do a 28-stage mode in which you do all of the stages, instead of just 7 of them.

* HoldTheLine: Several missions in ''Chronicle Saviours'' require you to stop enemies from reaching an off-screen target that is represented by a LifeMeter on the left side of the screen. Allowing enemies to escape will decrease the meter; don't lose the whole meter or you'll get a Game Over even if you have lives remaining![[note]]Exaggerated in that being in CS Mode, you won't be allowed to continue; instead, it will be time for you to restart from the beginning-or give up altogether...[[/note]]

** In the original ''Darius'', you can't continue nor can a second player join in once you reach one of the final Zones; be careful not to lose all your lives at these points or your game will be over instantly and for real even if there are credits available!
** The ability to continue is unavailable in ''Chronicle Saviours''[='=]s CS mode; the very moment you run out of lives, your mission will be failed. This is mitigated somewhat by most missions being only a few stages and bosses and having a gradual difficulty curve as you go up each branch of missions. Some missions, however, throw at least 15 stages at you, making them the equivalent of playing a full arcade game.