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DARIUSBURST (PSP)
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Publisher: Taito.
Developer: Pyramid. Released: December 2009 (JP). Genre: Horizontal-scrolling shoot 'em up. Posted 8th October 2023. By Tom Clare © 2023 |
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The first new mainline Darius game in more than twelve years when it released in Japan on Christmas Eve of 2009, Dariusburst rather unusually (for a game of this kind) arrived as a portable console release a year before launching in arcades. Fast-forward a further five years and PS4, Vita and PC gamers would enjoy an expanded port under the subtitle Chronicle Saviours. For this review, however, the focus is on the PSP original that was sadly never localised.
This is a shame, as whilst it is unlikely to be remembered amongst the series’ crowning achievements, it delivers an exciting slice of shoot ‘em up action. As is customary with the Darius games, plot serves as little more than a framework for the setting and combat theme, as the story sees the planet Darius under siege from the marauding Belsar army. The main point of focus concerns the development of Burst System weaponry, giving players an opportunity to bring to a close an enduring conflict. Import fans will find few barriers here: the menus, options and scoreboards are all displayed in English, with the sole potential stumbling block being that the short endings are subtitled in Japanese. These video sequences are largely self-explanatory, however, so it’s by no means a deal breaker.
It just wouldn't be a Taito shooter without gigantic boss fights
Whilst a heavy chunk of what’s on show here will seem familiar to fans, there’s no denying that, with a widescreen perspective, it’s an ideal fit for Sony’s portable. Dariusburst plays very nicely on PSP. Shooting waves of enemies is, as ever, an explosive and satisfying process, with responsive D-Pad controls, decent collision physics and a rate of performance that’s both smooth and rapid. Controls couldn’t be simpler, with primary fire (bullets, lasers and the like) and secondary missiles deploying together via all but one of the face buttons. That leaves X to fire the vaunted burst attack, a powerful, concentrated beam that’s useful for damaging bosses. The Burst System plays a relatively small part in proceedings, however, as whilst it recharges between uses, it does so slowly. It’s best used on mid-level bosses and then put on ice to charge for the end-of-level encounter.
Its visuals are attractive but less distinctive than its predecessors. The nautical theme synonymous with the series has been put firmly on the back burner, with only enemy designs and some recognisable bosses pointing to the game’s origins. In place of the subterranean settings are more familiar genre fare: debris-filled space graveyards, asteroid fields and the like. Pseudo-3D visuals, which occasionally see the camera pan slightly to show off the breadth of its impressive bosses, lend it the vibe of an R-Type Final.
Its visuals are attractive but less distinctive than its predecessors. The nautical theme synonymous with the series has been put firmly on the back burner, with only enemy designs and some recognisable bosses pointing to the game’s origins. In place of the subterranean settings are more familiar genre fare: debris-filled space graveyards, asteroid fields and the like. Pseudo-3D visuals, which occasionally see the camera pan slightly to show off the breadth of its impressive bosses, lend it the vibe of an R-Type Final.
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The main bone of contention here is the brevity of the experience. Whilst the majority of Darius games offer somewhere in the region of 25 stages, this PSP instalment weighs in at a relatively lean 11 levels. Fun, addictive gameplay ensures you’ll be quite happy to play through the different levels and four short ending sequences. Beating Arcade mode grants the player a second ship, but each run lasts just five missions and is good for only a little over twenty minutes, meaning that without stretching the play out with the game’s additional difficulty settings and high-score possibilities, you’ll be completing this lightning-fast.
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This means a chunk of the longevity burden is left to the game’s two other modes, with mixed results. Burst mode is fairly straightforward (though difficult), tasking the player with beating the game armed only with a single life. Achieve this, and there’s a heritage ship waiting as a reward. Then there’s the somewhat underwhelming Mission mode which, on the surface, offers dozens of challenges. However, these are mostly a mixture of level segments and boss combinations where again, the task is to triumph without losing a life. This becomes steadily more gruelling as longer sequences are strung together. It’s quite disheartening to die near the end of a boss fight, with nothing to show for your efforts and the need to begin all over again, and it feels too much like retreading the Arcade mode.
Still, Dariusburst delivers characteristically excellent boss fights and these screen-filling contraptions come at you with all manner of attack patterns. Visuals are splendid at times, particularly the light-speed stage transitions and a strong, busy array of levels. They’re not amongst Taito’s most creative, but they look the part. The music meanwhile is very hit-and-miss. The ending lament is absolutely beautiful, but the warbling mess of the second stage BGM will make your ears bleed.
Still, Dariusburst delivers characteristically excellent boss fights and these screen-filling contraptions come at you with all manner of attack patterns. Visuals are splendid at times, particularly the light-speed stage transitions and a strong, busy array of levels. They’re not amongst Taito’s most creative, but they look the part. The music meanwhile is very hit-and-miss. The ending lament is absolutely beautiful, but the warbling mess of the second stage BGM will make your ears bleed.
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Dariusburst contains four endings and 11 levels, rather less than Darius Gaiden's seven endings and 28 stages
There’s no problem with short levels, particularly in a portable setting. However, the lack of overall content (and variety) does detract from the experience because Dariusburst offers far fewer long-term possibilities than any of its predecessors. Less exciting than G-Darius and with only a little over a third of the level count of Darius Gaiden, Dariusburst’s lasting achievement is showing a high-end, horizontal-scrolling shoot ‘em up can work with little compromise on the PSP. Given the popularity of both genre and system in Japan, it’s perhaps surprising there weren’t a great many more like it.
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VERDICT
"Dariusburst's lasting achievement is showing a high-end, horizontal-scrolling shoot 'em up can work with little compromise on the PSP. It's fun and addictive, but a significantly abbreviated level selection means its shelf life is limited." OVERALL: 6/10 |
OTHER HORIZONTAL SHMUP GAMING ALTERNATIVES REVIEWED
Gate of Thunder (1990, PC Engine)
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Sine Mora (2012, PS Vita)
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