Darius HD

A couple months ago, I posted a feature where we counted down Electronic Gaming Monthly's best-reviewed shoot 'em ups of all time. It was a fun list that featured a lot of predictable picks, a few fan-favorites and even a couple unexpected surprises. But while most of those shooters are tied to decades-old consoles, there is one that you can buy in a brand-new HD compilation starting this week. I'm talking about EGM's sixth favorite shoot 'em up, G-Darius, the 1997 arcade hit that not only revolutionized the fish-themed franchise, but also changed the way we looked at 2D shooters as a genre. Now, G-Darius HD is out on the PlayStation 4 and Switch, so I think it's about time to find out if this classic action game still deserves the sky-high praise it received a quarter-century ago.

To fully appreciate G-Darius, we first need to remember where the shoot 'em up genre was at the time. It was the mid-1990s, and despite having an incredible run of success a decade earlier, 2D shooters were largely out of step with the 32-bit generation. This was an industry that was shifting to 3D, and with fighting games and first-person shooters dominating the conversation, many wondered if classic side-scrolling shoot 'em ups would still be relevant going into the 21st century.

G-Darius feels like a response to all of the naysayers who thought the genre was old news. Released in 1997, this was a game that had the unenviable task of pleasing hardcore fans, while simultaneously shaking up the long-running franchise and proving to a skeptical industry that 2D shooters have a place in a world filled with 3D graphics. Taito was walking a tightrope where even the smallest mistake could have dire consequences. All this is why the release of G-Darius was so monumental. It somehow managed to not only please the most outspoken fans, but also proved to the doubters that shoot 'em ups were here to stay.

While the genre has ebbed and flowed over the last twenty-four years, it never really went away. I would argue that this is a great time to be a fan of side-scrolling shoot 'em ups, thanks to a steady influx of compilations, revivals and new releases from indie studios. That's one of the reasons why it makes so much sense to release G-Darius HD. This was a game pivotal in bridging the divide between classic and modern shooters, and who knows where we would be without it.

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This brand-new compilation gives us a chance to experience both the original 1997 arcade hit and an HD version with remastered graphics. No matter which one you choose, G-Darius puts your shoot 'em up skills to the test with an impressive amount of levels, bosses and power-ups. It's a prequel that gives us everything that made the Darius franchise so unique (except for maybe the super-widescreen display), all while building on the formula in a lot of important ways.

Beyond simply using 3D polygons, the big change in this Darius game is the ability to capture the enemies and use them against your fishy foes. You do this with capture balls, which you can throw around the screen to gain an upper hand. What's cool about this move is that every type of enemy has a different move or ability, which means that you will be able to use some as extra shields, while others may provide heavy firepower against tough bosses. The fun of the game is seeing what each of these enemies will do when captured. And if you're really desperate (or just want to reel in a different fish), you can explode captured foe and take out a few nearby baddies.

This pairs perfectly with the rest of the power-ups, which come in the form of colored orbs. If you've played past Darius games, then you already know how these items work. Collecting these orbs will upgrade your fire rate, missiles and shield, giving our tiny ship a fighting chance against the increasingly difficult bosses. But don't take that to mean that G-Darius is easy, because this game can be incredibly tough. Much like the previous installments, the game has a tendency of dipping into punishing bullet hell territory, which will make you happy that we're given unlimited continues.

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One of the things this series has always done well is give players a lot of incentive to play the games multiple times. A lot of shooters figure that you'll want to replay the levels until you can beat them without continuing, but Darius takes it a step further by giving us branching paths. And what's especially cool about G-Darius is how you not only get to choose your path after each boss, but there are also mid-level detours that give you even more options. There are fifteen stages in all, as well as multiple endings and a lot of epic boss fights.

Speaking of which, those boss fights are both the best and worst parts of G-Darius. Visually, these fights are gorgeous, with Taito using the 3D polygonal characters to do things that never could be done with simple 2D sprites. I love that these opponents are massive and overpowering, giving you a real sense of dread any time they show up. And with bosses based on lobsters, prawns, jellyfish and more, it's hard not to love the ship designs. That said, I wish that there were more opportunities to use the capture balls during these fights. That move plays an important role in the normal stages, yet feels like a complete afterthought in the boss battles. It's a shame the developer didn't find a way to better incorporate this unique move into the fight.

If you've read my reviews of recent Darius games and compilations, then you've already heard me complain about the pricing. For as good as many of those shooters are, I can't help but feel like the packages are overpriced. That's not the case when it comes to G-Darius. Considering how many levels, bosses and power-ups you're getting in this game, I think the thirty-dollar asking price is fair. This is a high-water mark for the Darius franchise and one of the greatest 2D shooters ever made, and this compilation does an excellent job of letting both versions shine. It may not have as many games as the Cozmic Collections, but this is easily the most fun installment and the best Darius game currently available on modern consoles. It's easy to see why EGM ranked this the sixth-best shoot 'em up of all time.