Darius Plus

~ DARIUS PLUS ~

Taito / NEC Avenue

HuCard+

1990

I'd played through Super Darius many times before acquiring this, its chip counterpart. I knew Plus would basically be the same game as SD, but I was still pretty excited for it because I'd heard so many good things about its treatment of the excellent soundtrack. I was expecting an overachiever audibly, but wound up gravely disappointed. Tunes that were sweet on CD degenerate into warbled messes here; formerly ominous dirges are rendered meek and unassertive.

Otherwise, not much was different. I got the same high-speed gameplay...

...and, unfortunately, the same cramped, unfair boss battles.

Actually, when it comes to the bosses, SD was "blessed" with a few fresh faces. Thing is, some of those new guys ended up among the cheapest of a bastardish bunch already oversized and overstocked with attack capabilities. DP undoubtedly benefits from the absence of one goon in particular, though boss redundancy still can't be considered a positive.

Now, if you're the hardcore type of nerd that I am and you're interested in differences between the chip and CD that are largely irrelevant, you'll want to note that Super "features" pre-game bits and ending scenes that Plus lacks. (Plus owners should be able to live happily without these "bonuses"...all of the endings are dull, anyway.)

If you're limited to HuCard play, then by all means, pick up Darius Plus. It's a great shooter. Of course, if you have access to CDs, go with Super for its amazing soundtrack. Should you enjoy SD and wonder if Plus will be worth tracking down for the sake of hearing the chip music... well, I'd say no. But I'll note once again that most folks do seem enamored with the HuCard tunes, and you may well end up in their camp. It wouldn't be the first time everyone else in the universe disagreed with me on something.