I just recently won Super R-Type so I thought I would play another space shooter for the SNES system. This one was a better game than Super R-Type as it boasted better graphics, better music and the bosses at the end of each level actually resembled something as this game had a fish theme going on. The game is difficult, but not as unforgiving as Super R-Type...in that one, when you died you had to begin the level again or at a check point. You also died with one hit all the time. Here you start up where you died and you could get a shield power up that made the game a bit less stressful; however, it was still a challenging game as most space shooters from this era are.
The story is, quite frankly, the same old same old. A ruthless empire has taken over the planet of Darius, a group escaped and now their family will use space ships to blast through several planets to take it back. The enemy are fish for the most part, though at the end they throw in something a bit different.
The game play is left to right for the most part as you blast through hordes of enemies. Yeah, about the same thing as one expects. The most unique aspect of the game is the whole fish theme as other space shooters have had underwater stages with enemies of this type, they do not encompass the entire game as is the case here. Some of the levels move diagonally to change things up too. Another thing that is a bit different here is you get to choose your stage occasionally as you make your way to the main planet in the game, Darius. As in other games of this type, you get power ups to help you progress through the level and if you get enough here you are shooting up nearly the entire screen! Good thing too, as some of these enemies take a whole heck of a lot of hits!
So a good game in nearly every regard. It will not blow you away with its uniqueness, but at the same time it has enough different to keep you entertained. There is also a two player mode in this one, not sure if that would make the game easier or harder. I can see where the extra firepower would make taking out some of the bosses a bit easier, but I also see the screen as being to full of lasers and bullets making it difficult to judge what is coming from the second person and what is coming from the enemy. Still, all in all a nice game for any SNES collector.