Dariusburst

Dariusburst

Title screen

Developer:	Pyramid
Publisher:	Taito
Music:	Zuntata
Release date:	PSP JP: December 2009 iOS International: February 2012 Android JP: May 2012 Android International: October 2015

Dariusburst

Dariusburst is a horizontal scrolling shoot-em-up developed by Taito and released by Pyramid in 2009 for the PSP. As usual, the game features multiple branching paths designated by zones, mechanical fish-themed enemies, various types of powerup and a soundtrack produced by Taito's in-house band Zuntata. However, there are also several differences between previous Darius games and Dariusburst, which will be listed in the gameplay overview.

Chronologically, Dariusburst is one of the more recent games in the Darius series, taking place after the reclamation of Darius in Darius Twin and Gaiden but before Chronicle Saviours. A port of Dariusburst would be released for mobile devices in 2012 named Dariusburst: Second Prologue, which omits Burst Mode but makes up for it by including additional missions, a new SP mode that is functionally identical to arcade mode but with some altered stages and new bosses, and a new playable ship named the Assault. A massively altered version named Dariusburst: Another Chronicle was released in 2010 for arcades, which would be updated with Another Chronicle EX in 2011. Another Chronicle EX would be ported to PC and PS4 through Dariusburst: Chronicle Saviours in 2015, then on Switch and PS4/5 through Another Chronicle EX+ in 2021.

Gameplay Overview

Dariusburst has the same general gameplay concept as every game before it. Control the Silver Hawk and use it to shoot down enemies, pick up coloured orbs dropped by some enemies to gain powerups, and choose the next zone to fight through after the boss at the end of the level. However, there are some important changes that should be listed.

• All ships (except Origin) now have a Burst system. Charge up the Burst meter by shooting down enemies, then when it is full, use it to unleash the ship's Burst weapon. Legend, for instance, fires a large Burst Laser that behaves similarly to the Alpha Beam from G-Darius, including the ability to counter enemy Burst Lasers. It can also be detached and controlled independently of the ship, in which case it will remain firing in the same direction from the same place until it is disabled or it runs out of fuel in the Burst Meter.
• Stage progression has been heavily altered. Now, the player is forced to play through Zones A and B in every playthrough with no choice. Afterwards, the game returns to typical Darius behaviour with the player being able to choose the zones they go through. However, the game still ends at Stage 5 as it did in G-Darius, but with only 4 possible Final Zones, and 11 stages in total across the whole game.
• In addition to the simplified level progression, Dariusburst devolves back to the boss system used in the original Darius, where every zone of a stage has the same boss (for example, all Stage 2 zones in Darius have Electric Fan as the boss). The only exception is the Final Zones, where each one of them house a different final boss. This is changed in SP Mode of Second Prologue.
• The player can now choose between 3 different ships to play as (4 in Second Prologue). These are Legend which is the default ship and fires a standard Burst Laser, Next which behaves very similarly to Legend except with a weaker main attack, homing bombs and a more mobile Burst Turret, and finally Origin, which behaves identically to the ship from the original Darius and does not have a Burst Laser. Second Prologue adds the Assault; its main attacks are similar to those of the Next (minus the homing bombs), but its Burst is entirely different. It is now a moving "Spark" that can be detonated remotely for medium damage, and does damage as it passes through enemies.

Rank

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Scoring

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Zones

The zones in Dariusburst start with A and B which all players are required to complete in every playthrough, then afterwards it opens up for the traditional flow of progression.

Below is a list of zones and their respective bosses.

Stage 1

• Zone A: The game starts in the ruins of an abandoned city, which then transitions into an undersea cave.

All Stage 1 zones have Iron Fossil as the boss.

Stage 2

• Zone B: The player travels to a space station just outside of Darius' atmosphere, then exits to reveal multiple other space stations under attack by the Belsar.

All Stage 2 zones have Mud Wheel as the boss.

Stage 3

• Zone C: The player travels to a battlefield in outer space. They head into a Belsar base near the battlefield, where the meat and potatoes of the level begin.
• Zone D: The player travels through an asteroid ring surrounding Darius. Lightning Claw is the boss in SP Mode.

All Stage 3 zones have Lightning Flamberge as the boss.

Stage 4

• Zone E: The player travels through a portal. They warp through the portal and are teleported near Amnelia.
• Zone F: The player travels through a massive junkyard containing the ruins of various destroyed ships. Heavy Jaw is the boss in SP Mode.
• Zone G: Practically identical to Zone E.

All Stage 4 zones have Mirage Castle as the boss.

Stage 5

• Zone H: The player fights through a secret Belsar base stationed near Amnelia, and work to destroy it. Hungry Gluttons is the final boss.
• Zone I: The player fights through an asteroid field near Amnelia. Several enemy battleships are inbound. Thousand Knives is the final boss.
• Zone J: The player fights through an enemy-controlled moon orbiting Amnelia. Dark Helios is the final boss.
• Zone K: The player fights through an enemy base near Amnelia. Countless battleships can be seen guarding it. Great Thing is the final boss.

Story

Dariusburst takes place after Darius is reclaimed and resettled during the events of Darius Gaiden and Twin. The Belsar have unleashed a powerful computer virus that crippled all interplanetary communication systems, allowing the Belsar to move in for an easy victory. The humanoid AI terminal Ti2 and test pilot Riga Practica were entrusted with 2 experimental new Burst Silver Hawks, and ordered to move out and take down the Belsar Flagship before they reached Darius.