This Week in Defunct Games - Dec. 14, 2010

What Is It? Fitting somewhere between Darius II and Darius Force, Darius Twin is the franchise's first console specific iteration. This is a traditional 2D horizontal shooter, one where you play a space ship tasked with shooting down a race of evil alien fish. There's a perfectly ridiculous story that sets up the action, but all you need to know is that this is a two-player game full of outer space sea life. The gameplay is simple enough, offering the ability to shoot your normal laser gun, as well as drop bombs on enemies below. Before long you'll discover weapon and ship upgrades, giving you the upper hand in this action-packed shooter. Best of all, Darius Twin allows players to choose their own path through the twelve exciting levels. It's not going to win any awards for originality, but Darius Twin has a great sense of style and cool sea life enemies you don't see in other 2D shooters.

Does It Still Hold Up? The gameplay is strong, but fans of 2D shooters have seen it all before. The graphics are sharp and the music is generally catchy. I like being able to choose my own path; it adds a level of replay you don't normally find in this genre. The power-ups aren't as interesting as other shooters, but that won't keep you from having a great time shooting down sharks, crabs and other alien space ships.

Is It Worth The Money? Believe it or not, Darius Twin is the first traditional 2D space shooter released on the Virtual Console in eight months. The last game was Zaxxon back in April. Thankfully this Taito release washes away the bad taste still lingering from Zaxxon. This may not be the best shooter of the year, but that shouldn't stop fans of the genre from having a great time with Darius Twin. Throw in multiple endings and two-player support and you have a solid shooter that is well worth your eight dollars.