Manufacturer: 
Year: 1986
Other versions:
Darius (old version) 1986
Darius Extra Version 1986
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...Earth date 1986 AC
Before the final battle we have to go throughout the whole sector, trying to shoot down enemies ship's squad, avoiding missiles earth-air and shots from the anti-aircraft's posts spread all along the way, sometimes even at the top of the screen. You can see that in some aliens formations the last one has a different color; hit it and it will drop a helpful sphere. By touching it you will have your power increased. At the top left of the screen power level of Silver hawk is shown, and every time you get a sphere the indicator will increase by one unit until it gets to the maximum power, after that, it will reset and you will get a new different and more powerful arm than the previous one.
Indicators are: missile, bomb, arm: depending on the sphere color you'll increase one of those indicators. Further than that you can find spheres giving you a barrier resistant to a few shots, and other spheres will just give you some bonus points. You score by: destroying earth's posts and aliens, and, if you are so good to hit an entire formation, you'll get an additional bonus point.
After the destruction of any end of round boss, you have the possibility to choose the next sector to clear, in fact you'll find yourself in front a fork allowing you to take the way upwards or downwards; for example: after sector A by choosing downwards way you'll carry on in sector B, by taking the upwards way you'll go to sector C, and so on until the last round.
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Ratings
PRESENTATION: 75%
GRAPHICS: 72%
SOUND: 55%
ORIGINALITY: 59%
HOOKABILITY: 53%
LASTABILITY: 43%
This first episode of Darius series, thus
being a 1986 game, is something incredible, a multi-screen game!! This is the feature of this arcade that made it definitely
popular in that time arcades. Played with an emulator, this feature gets lost, together with its big charm. Game is a classic
"shoot'em up", with many sectors to free from invaders and end of round bosses. Presentation is average: includes score
table, demo screens and introductory sequence about silver hawk features.
Well done graphics, great animation and good variety of enemies to destroy, not impressive the chromatic effects of the bosses.
Good music during the game, sound effect are not really pleasant to our ears and volume is too loud. Personally I find this game
too difficult in certain points, (I've played with the level difficulty on "easy"), so, after being shot, we have to go
again through the same way, where you'll certainly be shot again. Game attracts, but, for the reasons I've mentioned above, I
don't think you can play it for long. Surely dedicated to experienced "shoot'em up" players, non for everybody, it's not
one of my favorites, even if it's a classic that has done the story of videogames.
Classic demo spaced out with specifications
of the vehicles we are about to drive and of the respective pilots, introduces this revolutionary shooter with a huge screen size:
three monitors (13" diagonal) in a row, which give a game surface definitely bigger compared to the others. Unfortunately
this mammoth size makes game nearly unplayable on a 15" screen, and also on a 17"... because of images crushing we nearly
lose space conception and graphics quality... Also music is quite good, but I must say say that sound effects aren't too suitable
for a space battle field. Concerning the rest I have to confirm my lack of love for shooter games: if you aren't good in this kind
of games you'll spend the first half an hour trying to pass the first two levels, making you losing interest... yes, I know...
enemies movements are schematic and always the same... so, what do I play for??? Overall if you are a shooter's fan try to have a
game, concerning myself I'm trying to finish Bubble Bobble with one credit (I'll manage one day!).
Presentation is detailed in specifications,
seems something serious! Not bad for a shooter, revolutionary for its size 16 years ago, it's a pity that on your computer monitor
it loses the feature that gave it the popularity. Well designed backgrounds, they involve you, they give a game a strange and
thrilling atmosphere... only if it was bigger! Your spaceship seems an insect size object... (I have a 15" monitor)
