Last year, ININ released G-Darius HD, an enhanced version of Taito's arcade classic shoot 'em up. In our co-op review, we praised the game's gameplay but felt that it could have used more additional modes for the $30 price tag. Well, our wishes were answered in a big way via the recent Version 2 update. Developer M2 has added a whopping three additional variations of G-Darius, including the robust PSOne version of the game. Now that's how I like my fish-flavored sci-fi shooters!
The Version 2 update is so huge that it's hard to put into words. See the official summary below.
Three new versions
In addition to the two versions that are already part of G-Darius HD (1997’s G-Darius and its high-resolution version G-Darius HD) TAITO’s major update adds three new awesome versions:
- G-Darius Ver.2 was first released in 1998 and is an updated version of the original G-Darius which was initially published one year earlier. While the story remains the same, G-Darius Ver.2 comes with a beginner mode, rapid-fire function and a lot of adjustments to the gameplay.
- G-Darius Ver.2 HD comes as an HD version of G-Darius Ver.2
- G-Darius for Consumer adds the 1998 Japan-released console port of G-Darius
New gadgets, modes & settings
- Besides the three new complete versions of G-Darius, there are several new gadgets, modes, and settings implemented in G-Darius and G-Darius Ver.2 that improve [the] gaming experience. Learn more about the weaknesses of the enemy bosses with the Boss Gadget, improve from an overall Zone Map, and keep track of the remaining time until YAZUKA appears with the Yazuka Timer!
- Customize your parameters to train for the real battles in a newly added Training Mode, and check out your most glorious fights in the Replay Gallery.
G-Darius HD for Consumer
Sounds like a lot of content, doesn't it? The above text doesn't say much about the "G-Darius for Consumer," though, which is the original PlayStation port of the game. It's quite unique, with features like [grainy] FMV cinematics, a training mode, Vs. Boss Mode (in which players can practice against any of the 15 bosses), and a movie viewer. The Vs. Boss and Training modes even support co-op! "G-Darius for Consumer" is quite a distinctive version of the game, one that some players may prefer over other versions in the overall G-Darius HD package.
Our original co-op review rated G-Darius HD as a 3.5 based on the amount of content and replayability it offered for the money. The game just got a lot bigger, so we've kicked the score up to 4. G-Darius HD is a really good package with just about everything a G-Darius fan could want.
G-Darius HD sells for $29.99 on PlayStation, Switch, and Steam. The Switch version is on sale for 40% off at the time of this writing, a killer deal on 5 unique variations of a great shmup. Don't let those space fish get away!