This Shmup Changed the Arcade Forever
0🕹 Darius Version 2
📛 Alternate Names: Darius II (alternate ROM ID)
📅 Release Date: 1986 (Version 2 in 1987)
🔫 Genre: Horizontal Shoot 'Em Up
👨 🏻 💻 Developers: Taito
👨 🏻 💻 Publishers: Taito
🔢 Max Players: 2 Simultaneous
⁉ Cooperative: Yes
🕹 Game Introduction:
Take the fight to a fish-themed alien invasion in a triple-screen space shooter that defined widescreen arcade immersion.
🕹 Game Description:
Darius Version 2 refined the original by enhancing enemy waves, collision response, and performance. Choose branching routes through the galaxy, blast robotic aquatic bosses, and power up across zones A-Z.
🎴 Game Play:
👉 🏻 Side-scrolling with three-screen panoramic view
👉 🏻 Power-ups for bombs, lasers, and shield upgrades
👉 🏻 Choose branching paths for stage variety
👉 🏻 Epic boss fights vs mecha-fish monsters
👉 🏻 Cooperative 2-player with color-coded ships
📕 Background & History:
Version 2 improved the original’s pacing and balance. Taito’s iconic “triple-screen” cabinet stood as an arcade innovation—towering and immersive.
🐣 Cheats, Tricks, Bugs, and Easter Eggs:
👉 🏻 Holding both fire buttons spams bomb faster
👉 🏻 Hidden Z route gives tougher boss path
👉 🏻 Some enemy waves drop instant full shield
🐱 💻 Hacks:
👉 🏻 MAME builds allow single-screen adjustment
👉 🏻 Custom ROMs enable boss-only gauntlet mode
🎉 Trivia:
👉 🏻 Boss names are based on sea creatures
👉 🏻 One of the first to feature route selection
👉 🏻 Triple-screen cabinets are collector holy grails
👓 Lonster's Review:
Huge screens. Huge bosses. Huge vibes. Darius Version 2 is pure arcade spectacle. And those fish bosses? ICONIC.
🌟 Legacy:
It redefined scale in shooters and gave birth to one of the longest-running shmup franchises.
✨ Cultural Impact:
Taito’s triple-screen innovation inspired arcade layout design, and the Darius soundtrack still slaps today.
💭 Lonster's Final Thoughts:
Darius didn’t just shoot its shot—it shot across three screens. This one’s an ocean-sized classic.
📱 Where To Find Lonster da Monster?:
Lonster's Pop! Obsession: / @lonster_da_monster
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