G-Darius HD Worth It?

[Rastan78]

@sniffles, You can turn off that gadget individually for your slot machine gambling pleasure.

A few things I noticed besides the obvious additions of new versions, training mode etc:

There's a new screen option that looks like an old school Egret 29 cab

An audio option that mimics the background noise of playing in Taito Hey arcade

A pause screen level map that compares all the powerups you can get by taking the upper or lower routes of each stage at a glance

Extra achievements for ver. 2

It's funny even the description when you select ver. 2 says contains multiple adjustments to reduce play times. It's funny bc I had always thought that was the idea behind the rebalancing. Taito selling out to arcade ops with get these fuckers off my cabinet pronto edition. Now there's pretty much official confirmation on a Taito branded port lol

Also is it just me or is there some dithering effect here and there that wasn't present before? Like on the arm shield for example. I only had a few minutes to check it out in handheld mode so could totally be my imagination. Could also be they dialed things in to more accurately show that PS1 style dithering?

[Bassa-Bassa]

Wow!

[BIL]

Just arrived home to find the PS4 ver (NTSCJ) has updated, now that's service.

[FunktionJCB]

Really happy with the PC version.

From what I played, it's pretty much flawless.
Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade was 99% "perfect". The emulation was really great, but for some reason, like a few other M2 retro titles on Steam (say, the Castlevania Advance Collection), the game always launched on Windowed mode, and I had to hit alt+ENTER to switch to full screen on every launch. It was a minor annoyance, that strangely was never fixed.
I'm happy that M2 fixed this for their release of G-Darius HD, and thankfully once you switch to full screen for the first time, it saves your settings, and it remains in future game sessions.

I'm hoping a Steam release of Darius Cozmic Collection Console is in the cards.

[BloodHawk]

Really happy with the PC version.

From what I played, it's pretty much flawless.
Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade was 99% "perfect". The emulation was really great, but for some reason, like a few other M2 retro titles on Steam (say, the Castlevania Advance Collection), the game always launched on Windowed mode, and I had to hit alt+ENTER to switch to full screen on every launch. It was a minor annoyance, that strangely was never fixed.
I'm happy that M2 fixed this for their release of G-Darius HD, and thankfully once you switch to full screen for the first time, it saves your settings, and it remains in future game sessions.

I'm hoping a Steam release of Darius Cozmic Collection Console is in the cards.

I saw some others in the Steam forums stating the same thing regarding the other M2 retro titles where fullscreen never saves for them. I don't know what is special about my setup (win 10, with a RTX 3080) but the Castlevania/Contra bundles, Darius Cozmic, and G-Darius all start in fullscreen for me every time (I only had to do Alt+Enter once for each game).

[FunktionJCB]

I saw some others in the Steam forums stating the same thing regarding the other M2 retro titles where fullscreen never saves for them. I don't know what is special about my setup (win 10, with a RTX 3080) but the Castlevania/Contra bundles, Darius Cozmic, and G-Darius all start in fullscreen for me every time (I only had to do Alt+Enter once for each game).

Weird.
Not sure what is happening either.

I also use Windows 10, and I assume the graphics card has nothing to do with it.
Maybe it's the resolution used? I'm using 1920x1080 as my default desktop resolution.

[BloodHawk]

I saw some others in the Steam forums stating the same thing regarding the other M2 retro titles where fullscreen never saves for them. I don't know what is special about my setup (win 10, with a RTX 3080) but the Castlevania/Contra bundles, Darius Cozmic, and G-Darius all start in fullscreen for me every time (I only had to do Alt+Enter once for each game).

Weird.
Not sure what is happening either.

I also use Windows 10, and I assume the graphics card has nothing to do with it.
Maybe it's the resolution used? I'm using 1920x1080 as my default desktop resolution.

I listed my graphics card in case it was a nvidia or AMD thing. I primarily run 19020x1080 as well. The only other thing I can think of possibly impacting a fullscreen startup would be the scaling setting within the nvidia control panel which I have turned off. I do use G-Sync but I am not sure if that would make a difference. Although, I have seen vsync settings impacting other games in weird ways.

[John4300]

I saw some others in the Steam forums stating the same thing regarding the other M2 retro titles where fullscreen never saves for them. I don't know what is special about my setup (win 10, with a RTX 3080) but the Castlevania/Contra bundles, Darius Cozmic, and G-Darius all start in fullscreen for me every time (I only had to do Alt+Enter once for each game).

Weird.
Not sure what is happening either.

I also use Windows 10, and I assume the graphics card has nothing to do with it.
Maybe it's the resolution used? I'm using 1920x1080 as my default desktop resolution.

I listed my graphics card in case it was a nvidia or AMD thing. I primarily run 19020x1080 as well. The only other thing I can think of possibly impacting a fullscreen startup would be the scaling setting within the nvidia control panel which I have turned off. I do use G-Sync but I am not sure if that would make a difference. Although, I have seen vsync settings impacting other games in weird ways.

I have the same problem that the Cozmic Collection boots in windowed every time, but I feel like it's because I have two monitors.

[tomwhite2004]

If the full screen setting doesn't stick go into the games appdata folder. Inside there is a config file where you can make sure the full screen option is set to 1, that fixed it for me.

[John4300]

If the full screen setting doesn't stick go into the games appdata folder. Inside there is a config file where you can make sure the full screen option is set to 1, that fixed it for me.

As a matter of fact, I don't see any kind of a config file inside the game's appdata folder, just the .bin format save files (Which are well, binary files). I wonder if the config is split somehow, I don't see my replays in that folder either (Unless they are the binary file, but they are also rather small).

Edit: The folder I checked was "AppData\Roaming\Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade"

[Spacemonkey]

Tried to read the whole thread so apologies if I missed it, but the physical Inin release does not get the update?

[Klatrymadon]

Tried to read the whole thread so apologies if I missed it, but the physical Inin release does not get the update?

My PS4 Inin copy did update to "2.01" yesterday, but that seemingly wasn't the major update - I still only had the HD and SD ver. 1 on the main menu.

I hope they do update it soon, because the Steam version brings this release about up to par with the ShotTriggers line. It's a really lovingly-produced package, with a raft of new 'gadgets' showing useful game information (boss HP, which enemy you've captured and their HP, command notation for the Captains' special moves, etc), a beautiful zone map on the pause screen (again with helpful item and boss information), and the shedloads of toggleable bells and whistles you'd expect, the most novel of which is "arcade background noise" recorded in an Akihabara arcade. It emulates the idiosyncrasies of both versions of the game really accurately as far as I can tell (be aware that ver. 2 has completely different peaks and valleys in terms of performance than ver. 1, even on the PCB), and there's an option to disable the slowdown entirely, as in the Taito Legends 2 port, which is clearly communicated as making the game run faster than it would on an arcade board. This feature has presumably been missed by the various Steam reviewers who assume any slowdown in a game must be a mistake.

The practice tools could stand to be slightly more robust, I suppose, but otherwise it's everything you could want from a G-Darius port.

(The only issue I've noticed in the Steam version is a slight audio skip when the game is transitioning from a boss' death to the route selection screen, right when the autosave happens. Hopefully this can be patched out.)

[BIL]

It's funny even the description when you select ver. 2 says contains multiple adjustments to reduce play times. It's funny bc I had always thought that was the idea behind the rebalancing. Taito selling out to arcade ops with get these fuckers off my cabinet pronto edition. Now there's pretty much official confirmation on a Taito branded port lol

Loving that honesty OI! CANT! GIT OFFA MOI CAAAAAAAB

What a strange and wonderful time it's been for home releases of arcade STGs. And arcade stuff in general tbh. I remember when Taito Memories Gekan's blurry, brutally fast v.1 seemed like a minor miracle.

Spoiler

At last, my searingly hot pink PAL G-Darius disc receives the royal treatment! A stalwartly busted-to-fuck port that served with distinction in its time, and can now rest easy.

I would so love to see M2 do a Ray'z Box. I'd follow them into the gates of hell at this point, but that would be a particularly sweet companion to their phenomenal Darius works.

[Klatrymadon]

My PS1 copy must limp on indefinitely, bloodied and weary - huddling in front of a crappy 14" CRT with a Namco stick is still my favourite way to play.

[BIL]

The proper Taito Ending for PS1 G-Darius: WW3 wipes out humanity. Highly evolved fishmen discover the port in a bomb shelter next to a crate of baked beans. It sparks a renaissance in electronic entertainment, eventually receiving a port to arcades which is well-liked but docked points for running too fast.

[PerishedFraud ឵឵]

The proper Taito Ending for PS1 G-Darius: WW3 wipes out humanity. Highly evolved fishmen discover the port in a bomb shelter next to a crate of baked beans. It sparks a renaissance in electronic entertainment, eventually receiving a port to arcades which is well-liked but docked points for running too fast.

How does this tie into Ninja Warriors?

[BIL]

Well basically, the 4:3 PS1-to-AC port's wallpaper (actually just printscreens of the CG endings 3;) causes burn-in that ruins expensive fishman displays, so Ninja Warriors is slapped together over the weekend and shipped out as a free upgrade kit to avoid ProcoTiat getting fucken sued. This project leads to Darius II, which is still Darius II, it's just that G-Darius is now Darius 1.

[FunktionJCB]

I would so love to see M2 do a Ray'z Box. I'd follow them into the gates of hell at this point, but that would be a particularly sweet companion to their phenomenal Darius works.

Count me in, if they ever do a Ray compilation/series of ports.

Gradius (Konami) as well. M2 already worked with Konami on other compilations.

But, since I'm currently mostly a PC only player at the moment (outside of some mini consoles I have plugged in; the older hardware is in storage), I'm hoping they complete their run of Darius releases on Steam, with future releases of Darius Cozmic Collection Console and Dariusburst: Another Chronicle EX+.

Or maybe they will follow up this one with a "Darius spin-offs" collection, featuring Syvalion and Metal Black.

And I'm still hoping for some re-releases of Night Striker (Taito) and Axelay (Konami).
I've been itching to replay them (in the case of Night Striker, it's just an excuse to hear that awesome Zuntata soundtrack again).

[Rastan78]

Well basically, the 4:3 PS1-to-AC port's wallpaper (actually just printscreens of the CG endings 3;) causes burn-in that ruins expensive fishman displays, so Ninja Warriors is slapped together over the weekend and shipped out as a free upgrade kit to avoid ProcoTiat getting fucken sued. This project leads to Darius II, which is still Darius II, it's just that G-Darius is now Darius 1.

Since G Darius is actually meant to be a prequel to the other games as far as the storyline, this all makes perfect sense.

In sure M2 staff will have the foresight to have their heads cryogenically frozen so that the fishmen can thaw them out a millenium after the fall of civilization, surgically attach them to fish bodies and enslave them to produce new Darius ports ala Planet of the Apes.

[PerishedFraud ឵឵]

...heads cryogenically frozen...surgically attach them to fish bodies and enslave them...

Pictured:

Spoiler

[Spacemonkey]

Tried to read the whole thread so apologies if I missed it, but the physical Inin release does not get the update?

My PS4 Inin copy did update to "2.01" yesterday, but that seemingly wasn't the major update - I still only had the HD and SD ver. 1 on the main menu.

Thanks for letting me know, hopefully it gets updated soon.

[Blinge]

Steam remapping version only shows the fucking xbox buttons.
This is still a problem in 2022 current year argument.

fuck my life.

there isn't even a " press what button you want to do rapid shot etc " function

why are devs so fucking useless?

[Blinge]

shot and rapid shot? what's the difference.


what hidden mechanic or rank or thing that all the superplayers know or OMG why don't you know about that, it's an old game!? feature or

holy shit never use rapid shot
or use rapid shot or game is unplayable
~type knowledge do i not know about?


fucking hell i hate shmups

[Klatrymadon]

You definitely want to map a shot button with no autofire enabled so that you can use your alpha beams*. You can map a rapid fire button which seems to be set to 30hz, which again you should definitely do, but you can also set your own autofire rate on a normal shot button too (by pressing X after highlighting the button you want, IIRC), as you could in the Cozmic Collection. Since you either want to be using full autofire, slowly tapping shot to clear projectiles without doing much damage, or holding shot for an alpha beam, I haven't made much use of the custom autofire feature in this game...

*Capture enemy > hold shot until you fully absorb the enemy and turn blue > release and mash or switch to your autofire button. (Alternatively, press the capture button again after capturing to detonate the enemy. This does less damage and is worth far fewer points, though. Even an alpha beam used in a fairly poor spot will be worth more. I usually only detonate enemies in order to capture Captains faster.)

[Blinge]

Cheers mate!

I was going down some weird path of like " why am i even playing this. i don't get shmups anymore. I only enjoy games now when i progress or win. "

then i met queen fossil and was like " holy shit that's awesome " haha

what's the scrubby ez kusoclear route?

[Klatrymadon]

Lambda (all up) is more or less the easiest route, but you can make it harder for yourself with your mid-stage branch choices. I find the 'down' variants of Tripod Sardine and Dual Horns easier, for example, but I haven't cleared this route in the new port either way, yet - I'm out of practice and keep messing around too much with Lightning Coronatus.

The up = easy, down = hard rule of thumb is belied by at least half of the games, tbh! The real nightmare stages like to jump you somewhere around the middle...

[To Far Away Times]

Queen Fossil's epic four part laser counter might just be the best moment in shmup history. I love that fight.

The top route is easiest. When I get to the mid level splits I take the upper route every time except for the second level.

Another popular route is going right through the middle. ARELV. This route is okay, Queen Fossil becomes Fire Fossil and is the second stage boss instead of the forth stage boss, otherwise the fight is mostly similar. As a whole, I find this route a little bit harder. Stages are a little harder, and you have to fight Eight Feet Umbrella, who is a much tougher stage 4 boss than Queen Fossil. The trade off is that the stage 5 boss is probably not quite as difficult as Lightning Coronatus. I've had many otherwise solid attempts end right at the end with Lightning Coronatus smacking me around, so I can get why having a different final boss could tip the scales. Looking at the leaderboards on Switch, this was the second most popular route. After these two routes, there's a significant drop off as the other routes are a good bit harder.

[Blinge]

haha, had a go of that route. met dual horn
Yeah i forget how fucking memo Darius can be. jesus christ.

[John4300]

Queen Fossil's epic four part laser counter might just be the best moment in shmup history. I love that fight.

The top route is easiest. When I get to the mid level splits I take the upper route every time except for the second level.

Another popular route is going right through the middle. ARELV. This route is okay, Queen Fossil becomes Fire Fossil and is the second stage boss instead of the forth stage boss, otherwise the fight is mostly similar. As a whole, I find this route a little bit harder. Stages are a little harder, and you have to fight Eight Feet Umbrella, who is a much tougher stage 4 boss than Queen Fossil. The trade off is that the stage 5 boss is probably not quite as difficult as Lightning Coronatus. I've had many otherwise solid attempts end right at the end with Lightning Coronatus smacking me around, so I can get why having a different final boss could tip the scales. Looking at the leaderboards on Switch, this was the second most popular route. After these two routes, there's a significant drop off as the other routes are a good bit harder.

Doesn't mid route have The Embryon as final boss? That boss looks rather menacing, compared to Lightning Coronatus

[Blinge]

I find myself walking around the house going YOU YOU YOU YOU
with B.T. Dutch in my head

what a fucking banger