is a 1989 scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Taito for arcades. It is a direct sequel to the 1987 title Darius. It was later released as in Japan in 1991 for the Game Boy as well as non-Japanese ports. A remake was released for the PC Engine Super CD-ROM² as in 1993.

Gameplay

The game is set in the inner half of the Solar System, and has the same branching level structure as Darius. Similar to the first Darius game, Darius II was programmed for multiple screens; while a three-screen version like the original exists, Darius II is more commonly and generally represented as a two-screen game.

The red/green/blue powerups from the first game return, and have the same function, respectively. They provide upgrades to the "missile" main weapon, the "bomb" subweapon, and a shield to absorb damage. Two new powerups were added: a yellow powerup that adds a new "laser" main weapon which functions somewhat similarly to the bombs, and a rainbow powerup that grants one upgrade to all the players weapons. Acquiring these powerups and the upgrade path is vastly different from Darius. A formation of a specific enemy must be completely destroyed (and a formation may not have a powerup), and every single powerup now grants some kind of upgrade. Furthermore, the various weapons upgrade differently, though the shield upgrade is the same as before.

Another new feature in Darius II is the appearance of minibosses known as "captains"; large enemies that appear somewhere in the level before the main boss. In Darius II, these are all smaller versions of bosses from the first game, with similar abilities. was released in Europe and Brazil in 1992, also titled Sagaia. It is somewhat based on the Mega Drive port, and while Tiat Young and her abilities are still present (though even more limited), many zones (and thus bosses) have been completely removed.

The PC Engine Super CD-ROM² version was published by NEC Avenue and released in 1993 under the title Super Darius II. This version features an entirely new set of bosses, major changes to levels, and a fully arranged soundtrack including new songs.

In 1996, a port of the arcade version itself was released in Japan and Europe for the Sega Saturn, complete with two-player mode and stretchable wide screen modes. The arcade version is also available in the Japan-only Taito Memories series of emulation-based compilations.

The arcade version, as well as console versions of Darius II, was included in Darius Cozmic Collection for the Nintendo Switch on February 28, 2019, and the PlayStation 4 on March 5, 2020 in Japan, and worldwide three months later on June 16, 2020. It was also included as part of Taito Milestones 2 on August 31, 2023 in Japan for the Switch, and worldwide the following day. On October 5, 2023, it was released for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 by Hamster Corporation through the Arcade Archives lineup. This version has a rarer three-screen mode found in Taito Milestones 2.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Darius II as the sixth most successful upright/cockpit arcade unit of November 1989.

Notes

References

  • Sagaia at MobyGames