Darius Cozmic Collection [Switch, PS4]

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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by garrz32 »

Beep version was on Ebay , sold for £340 :( , looks like I truly missed the boat with this one.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by EmperorIng »

Johnpv wrote:Has anyone seen a translation guide for the various options in the menu?
Would be interested in this too. Some are pretty explanatory: the bottom half of the scree options turn on the various widgets. One of the top-half is a scanline option.

Sagaia ver 1 and 2 are pretty wild. Playing Darius II for so long I never expected these to be so different. I almost kinda like cutting out a third of the stages, too. :mrgreen:

This collection is really sweet (not to rub it in, garrz). I still need to try it out on my TV, but playing Darius II in handheld mode is great - as great as Darius II allows until you die and it all goes to shit. I'm glad I bought that cheap Hori d-pad joycon, because I can't imagine struggling with the 'd-pad' on the original joycon.

One painful thing this collection is showing me is how awful I have gotten at Gaiden. I don't know if it's just because I'm not using my Saturn pad like I'm used to, but I used to get halfway through the game without thinking about it. Now I am barely making it to King Fossil. :cry:

ALSO: can someone elucidate on the differences between SFC and SNES versions of Darius Twin? I hope the Japanese one is harder, though for a game so easy it's hard to tell...
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by garrz32 »

[quote="EmperorIng
This collection is really sweet (not to rub it in, garrz). quote]

Aaah it's Ok Emp, I'll get over it, once I stop crying in my cornflakes every morning it will be fine.

Enjoy the game! :wink:
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by BrianC »

As far as I know, the JP and US versions of Darius Twin don't have any major changes. Telling from a video, the JP version still keeps the upgrades after death, just like in the US version.

I'm enjoying the collection so far (though I have the version without Darius Twin) and like how it has varied screen options and the rare version 2 of Sagaia. The menus are very similar to the ShotTriggers games on PS4.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by Gydocker45 »

EmperorIng wrote:ALSO: can someone elucidate on the differences between SFC and SNES versions of Darius Twin? I hope the Japanese one is harder, though for a game so easy it's hard to tell...
I own both carts and the only difference is that the Japanese version is in mono, while the U.S. version is in stereo.

Forgot to mention that the buttons for bomb and shot are mapped to X and A in the Japanese verison and Y and B in the U.S. release.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by ACSeraph »

Gydocker45 wrote:
EmperorIng wrote:ALSO: can someone elucidate on the differences between SFC and SNES versions of Darius Twin? I hope the Japanese one is harder, though for a game so easy it's hard to tell...
I own both carts and the only difference is that the Japanese version is in mono, while the U.S. version is in stereo.
This is correct, that is the only difference. Apparently the Western release is considered the definitive version due to stereo support so this was just a little gift to the hardcore Japanese fans.

---

I've been knocking out basic 1ccs one by one and finally reached Sagaia V2. Actually, I prefer this to Darius II JP. More challenging with better graphics and boss fights; it feels like this is what the devs would have wanted Darius II to be had they had more time to work on things. I'm officially calling it: Sagaia V2 > Darius II
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by EmperorIng »

ACSeraph wrote:More challenging with better graphics and boss fights; it feels like this is what the devs would have wanted Darius II to be had they had more time to work on things. I'm officially calling it: Sagaia V2 > Darius II
I am not sure if the thing holding Darius II back was a lack of difficulty...

I appreciate the cute hermit-crab truck/ship enemies though.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by stryc9 »

Darius II arcade virgin reporting in.

My standard edition came in about a week ago and I went straight to Darius II since I'm familiar with the MD game. Thanks to the info on this site I was ready for a gigantic increase in difficulty, and suffice to say I wasn't disappointed. Whereas the MD version is one of the easiest shooters on the console, the real deal is hellish indeed.

Neither have I messed around with Sagaia, so it's gonna be fun tinkering with them too.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by Knightmare »

Darius II is totally brutal and honestly I don't think I have it in me to beat it but there's something morbidly appealing about just how monstrous it is. It's this big, 2-screen (or 3-screen!) monolith that has no qualms against beating you down and taking your money. It's unabashedly arcade oriented, even more than other games, and it kinda reminds me of Gradius II and III. That said, I do wish it were more manageable.

Out of curiosity, what control method are you all using? I have an adapter to use my arcade stick but it requires using the dock. I play my Switch in tabletop mode 99% of the time so I've been using my pro controller which is...less than ideal.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

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Knightmare wrote:Darius II is totally brutal and honestly I don't think I have it in me to beat it but there's something morbidly appealing about just how monstrous it is. It's this big, 2-screen (or 3-screen!) monolith that has no qualms against beating you down and taking your money. It's unabashedly arcade oriented, even more than other games, and it kinda reminds me of Gradius II and III. That said, I do wish it were more manageable.
Yeah, I doubt I'll clear it myself. If you have the Special Edition (or an actual MD or emulator) playing the MD Darius II gives a good impression of a fairer, more balanced experience wrung out of the original's basic structure. You power up faster and ship movement is zippier, so it's possible to recover after a death even on harder difficulties. Not to mention the actual pattern design is greatly toned down. Still, the arcade version is a different breed altogether. Comparable, as you say, to Gradius III, and a similar situation with that game's home port too.
Knightmare wrote:Out of curiosity, what control method are you all using? I have an adapter to use my arcade stick but it requires using the dock. I play my Switch in tabletop mode 99% of the time so I've been using my pro controller which is...less than ideal.
Pro Controller here as well, which is alright for Darius II I suppose.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by EmperorIng »

When playing docked, I'm using the Hori Pro controller, which has a pretty good d-pad (comparable to their Fighting Commander). The catch is that it's wired only with no rumble, but that's not needed for Darius. It's a good shmup controller and pretty cheap.

When I play handheld, I picked up the Hori d-pad joycon. Also cheap, and can only work when connected directly to the Switch (so no FlipGrip support, sadly). It has a pretty good d-pad for navigating these games.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by Klatrymadon »

I have one of the Hori d-pad joycons, too. It definitely makes things more comfortable and enjoyable when playing in handheld mode. I haven't settled on a solution for playing on the TV yet, but I'm thinking about getting an 8bitdo Saturn/Mega Drive pad, since I play most home ports of shooters with a Saturn pad anyway. Will let you know if they're any good!
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by Knightmare »

I would like to get the Hori wired controller or the Hori d-pad joycon but playing in tabletop mode means I can't use either one. =_=
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by Klatrymadon »

Sadly I've only had one ten-minute go on this collection so far, but has anyone else noticed any issues with Gaiden? There was hefty slowdown during Neon Light Illusion's opening salvo in zone H, which is not present in the arcade or Saturn versions, and the black hole bomb button was unresponsive at this point, too (I had 4 in stock). I'm aware that M2 are releasing a patch for Gaiden, but I thought this was to address some graphical issues. Is it known to have deeper problems?
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

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I haven't put any real time into Gaiden yet. Mathu would definitely be the one to rate it's accuracy.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

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Yeah, I noticed my inputs being eaten sometimes when going for a black hole bomb too, seems to occur when the screen is busy.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by GSK »

Gaiden has a lot of small issues beyond the graphical ones, but they've pledged a patch so I except them to be fixed.

I know the bosses' attacks don't always correspond correctly to rank, for one.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by Klatrymadon »

Cheers, all. Come to think of it that's another one I noticed in the short time I had - Deadly Crescent seemingly not bothering to use attacks it normally would at the same rank and shot level, and with the same damage dealt, etc. I'm playing Gaiden on Saturn and in MAME too, mostly focusing on the same route but casually messing around in several others, so its nuances are fresh in my memory at the moment. Here's hoping this patch is pretty comprehensive, then!

Edit: just had the best one yet! Zone B Captain just up and disappeared after being captured. :lol:
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by Rupert H »

I’m mainly using this collection to 1cc the 8-bit ports that I’d never done. Sagaia Game Boy went down easy but damn I’m struggling with Sagaia Master System. The frame rate and sprite flicker make for a rough experience and it seems like enemies are bullet sponges in a way that they never were on other ports.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

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For me I felt Sagaia SMS was very difficult at the beginning before you are decently powered up, but easier than arcade versions from about halfway on. Ive been really blown away by how true it is to the arcade original given the hardware. Yamato in particular was amazingly well realized.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

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I found the music in Sagaia SMS to be amazing. Nice recreations of the AC tunes and some of the best PSG on the system. I have been playing that one via Everdrive on Mega SG and more of Darius II JP, the latter of which I have on cart.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by stryc9 »

If Taito do decide to grace us with a re-release of G-Darius some time, I could handle some tastefully re-textured 3D in the vein of Radiant Silvergun 360 - up res the assets, clean up the PSX hardware jittery polys, 60 fps, add a few new lighting FX and particles and so on.

Obviously the ideal scenario would be to have M2 handle the project :o A stand-alone release with their usual assortment of screen gadgets - and perhaps even a thoughtful arrange mode - to immortalize this classic game in a definitive package would be amazing. And in hindsight, maybe a better option than a straight port on Darius Cozmic Collection would have been.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by Jonpachi »

Finally started playing Sagaia version 2 this morning... and WOW! I've really been missing out! I was mostly messing around with Darius Extra and Gaiden thus far, but I think this one might be my favorite in the collection. #tunasashimi
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

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Knightmare wrote:Out of curiosity, what control method are you all using? I have an adapter to use my arcade stick but it requires using the dock. I play my Switch in tabletop mode 99% of the time so I've been using my pro controller which is...less than ideal.
I don't have a good stick yet, but for shmups, I've been using the 8bitdo SF30 Pro pad. It's Bluetooth, so you can use it undocked. I've found it to be pretty responsive, and it has a solid D-pad.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

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FRO wrote:
Knightmare wrote:Out of curiosity, what control method are you all using? I have an adapter to use my arcade stick but it requires using the dock. I play my Switch in tabletop mode 99% of the time so I've been using my pro controller which is...less than ideal.
I don't have a good stick yet, but for shmups, I've been using the 8bitdo SF30 Pro pad. It's Bluetooth, so you can use it undocked. I've found it to be pretty responsive, and it has a solid D-pad.
Oh nice, I'll have to check out that controller. The d-pad on the Pro is so bad. Luckily I have an HRAP V, but I don't always feel like breaking it out.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by FRO »

Jonpachi wrote:
FRO wrote:
Knightmare wrote:Out of curiosity, what control method are you all using? I have an adapter to use my arcade stick but it requires using the dock. I play my Switch in tabletop mode 99% of the time so I've been using my pro controller which is...less than ideal.
I don't have a good stick yet, but for shmups, I've been using the 8bitdo SF30 Pro pad. It's Bluetooth, so you can use it undocked. I've found it to be pretty responsive, and it has a solid D-pad.
Oh nice, I'll have to check out that controller. The d-pad on the Pro is so bad. Luckily I have an HRAP V, but I don't always feel like breaking it out.
Is your Switch Pro controller an older one, or more recent? Mine is older, and I know there's a "fix" where you can open it up, and essentially put a thin strip of tape across the bottom 1/3 or 1/4 of the contact, so that directional inputs are a bit less sensitive, and there's less chance of accidentally pushing up when you try to press right, etc. I haven't done this on mine yet, but I plan to, because I otherwise like the Pro controller.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by Jonpachi »

Oh LOL I actually sold it because I disliked it so much. I swapped it out for one of those Power A wireless controllers, which is better but still not great. It's ok for platformers, but kinda falls apart with too many diagonal movements.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by CecilMcW00t »

Sorry for the necro bump! But, I have been searching around to try to find out if there is a resource or website which details the differences between each release of Darius I and II on this collection. I love reading or watching videos about differences between games like this. The differences between Sagaia I and II are obvious, but would still love something in-depth.

Edit: I'm a moron. I don't know how I missed the Darius wiki in my searches.
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by ACSeraph »

For Darius II, Sagaia, and V2 the differences are so major that all three are like different games running in the same engine. The more technical differences can be found comparing Darius II 2-screen and Darius II 3-screen (Sadly missing from this collection). There are some odd differences there, for example powerups float up rather than down, and obviously the screen size increases the significance of the shot limit.

As for Darius 1 I actually made a thread about the differences earlier this year. Many of those are less obvious.

Darius Version Differences Analysis
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Re: Darius Cozmic Collection for Switch

Post by CecilMcW00t »

Thank you so much, this is exactly what I was looking for!
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