Darius (1987). Play online

Summary

Darius stunned arcade‑goers with its three‑screen cabinet that stretched the playfield to three times a normal width, turning a side‑scroll shooter into a surprisingly cinematic experience. Mirrored monitors fused into a seamless panel that still looks impressive today.
You pilot the sleek Silver Hawk, wielding forward missiles, drop bombs and a shield that upgrade via colored orb power‑ups. Enemies are vivid sea creatures—giant fish, crabs and the like—culminating in massive, screen‑filling bosses. When a zone ends, a branching map appears; out of 28 zones you’ll traverse only seven per run, reshaping the route each time. Every choice creates a fresh tactical mix and a new final showdown.
Zuntata’s FM‑synth soundtrack enhances the undersea vibe, while the original arcade even had a ‘body‑sonic’ speaker system beneath the player’s seat. The 2019 Mega Drive Mini port squeezes the classic onto one screen, keeping the legacy alive for modern collectors.

Storyline

In the arcade shooter Darius (often called Darius on Arcade), the peaceful Darius system is suddenly besieged by the ruthless Belsar armada. The alien fleet wipes out the planet’s entire defense force in a single strike, leaving the colonies vulnerable to relentless satellite bombardments. Despair hangs heavy as the inhabitants of the colonized world, originally Earth refugees fleeing pollution and resource depletion, watch their hopes crumble. Just when all seems lost, a lone beacon pierces the dark clouds—a Silver Hawk fighter, its bird‑shaped silhouette a symbol of the last stand.

The Silver Hawk series are single‑pilot craft built for deep‑space travel, capable of wielding multiple weapons at once. Two of the fleet’s ace pilots, Proco and Tiat, are tasked with defending Darius against the Belser (also called Belsar) forces. Their mission is to break through the enemy’s overwhelming firepower and protect the remaining colonies. The battle becomes a desperate fight for survival, with each wave of enemy ships testing the pilots’ skill and resolve.