Darius II (1989) is the follow-up to Taito's horizontal shoot 'em up Darius (1986), keeping its most recognizable trademark: end-of-level bosses shaped like mechanical sea creatures, some filling the entire screen, and a branching level structure that lets players travel different paths to the end. It was released both in single-screen cabinets and in versions with two or even three monitors connected in panoramic format.
It is a central piece of Taito's identity in late-80s shooters, both for its technical ambition and for that highly particular underwater bestiary that no other shmup replicated in the same way.
If you liked this one
