PixlBit

Get ready to blast aquatic-type alien creatures in this fun space shooter!

Darius Twin is a scrolling shooter released in 1991 for the Super Nintendo. It was developed and published by Taito. Surprisingly, it is not an arcade port; actually, DT is the first game in the series made specifically for a home console. The Darius series started in the arcades, however, in 1987. The series is unique from other shooters for one main reason: all the games have an aquatic theme. You're in space, but you're shooting fish aliens and other aquatic-type creatures, such as octopi, turtles, and even lobsters! It's a little bizarre, but it's also pretty awesome.

Darius Twin is named thus because it is two player (apparently the first game in the series to be so). The controls are very simple: holding the Y button will make your ship fire continuously. You can get upgrades by shooting all six red orbs which appear at the top and bottom of the screen; they will fly onto the screen many times during each level. After getting upgrades, you can shoot diagonally in front and behind by holding the B button. So, by holding Y and B at the same time, you can dish out maximum damage. However, holding both buttons for a long period of time will put some pressure on your wrist, leading to some real pain in the real world---GAH! (but it's not that bad)

You start the game with only three lives. However, if you go to Options, you can set your number of lives to the max, which is eight. You'll want to do this because after all your lives are gone, it's Game Over; you don't get any continues. So lives are precious! One thing I don't like about DT is the fact that it seems you cannot gain 1-ups by killing a certain amount of enemies. Tried as I might, I was never able to get any 1-ups! This makes lives even more valuable!

There are seven levels in DT, and some levels will allow you to choose alternate paths (you can choose which planet to go to next). However, both planets seem to be the same thing. My guess is that they are subtly different, with different enemy layouts or possibly a different boss. I did notice that one level had a blue boss while the other had a red one (it was the same boss, though). One level had a different background and music from the other. This variety is fine, but it would have been nice to see completely different levels. Sometimes you will have the option to choose between two planets, but you won't be able to move the arrow; this might mean you have to have a certain number of points in order to choose the other planet.

I love the upgrades! You'll want to get every upgrade you can, changing your weapon to more powerful and faster guns. Your diagonal shooter will change from pathetic pea-shooters to zooming lazers to twin blasts which shoot nearly constantly. Some upgrades will give your ship a shield. Shileds will take bullet damage a few times before going away. The good part is, shields will not disappear after a certain amount of time, and they can also be made stronger if you keep getting upgrades. Another wonderful thing is that you will keep all your upgrades (except shields, of course) after you die (unlike most shooters).

The backgrounds of the levels are good, although there's no animation in them. The first level is some kind of tropical planet. The backgrounds vary from high-tech facilities to black space to vast landscapes. Many of the enemies are fish-like, but all the bosses are aquatic-type machines; for the bosses, you'll fight pirahnas, an octopus, a turtle which shoots torpedoes, and even a giant lobster! You get a warning that the boss is approaching, and each one has a cool codename, such as "Queen Fossil" and "Demon Sword." The bosses are not difficult; in fact, they're very easy. They usually consist of one or two attacks which are easy to dodge.

Levels usually have the same enemy patterns in them. One I noticed in particular is when a group of enemies surround you from above and beneath; you can't really dodge it, so you have to blast your way out. Sometimes enemies will cheaply rush in right behind you and kill you, which is frustrating, especially since lives are so important. DT certainly keeps you on your toes. It's not a difficult game, but it can still be challenging.

The music is pretty good. It has that early Super NES sound quality to it (similar to the F-Zero music). It sounds dated today, but I still enjoyed it. Some of the themes are forgettable, while others are pretty cool. However, none of the themes are annoying, so that's a plus.

Final Verdict--4 Stars: Recommended

DT is a fun shooter. It's not as stressful as other shooters, such as Gradius, but it can still be challenging. You never feel overwhelmed by what's going on on-screen, but at the same time, you have to stay focused (can't afford to lose any lives). The aquatic theme is awesome, setting the Darius series apart from so many other space shooters. If you enjoy scrolling shooters (and who doesn't?), then give this one a try. It's even better with a friend! There's nothing quite like shooting a giant fish in space.

Join me every Saturday as we take a look back at all kinds of retro games, good and bad.