G-Darius (1997). Play online

Summary

The PlayStation entry titled G Darius surprised me with its blend of classic side‑scrolling shooter vibes and fully polygonal 3‑D graphics—a first for the Darius line. You pilot the Silver Hawk, tossing forward‑firing missiles, bombs and a charge‑up force field, while grabbing foes with a "capture ball" that later becomes an orbiting turret or a disposable bomb. The most thrilling gimmick is the beam‑duel: capture an enemy, unleash a short‑range laser, and then mash the fire button to outpace the boss’s own beam, potentially multiplying your weapon’s power four times. The game’s branching zone system lets you pick any of fifteen Greek‑letter stages, but you only need to clear five in sequence for one of five different endings, with two sub‑paths part‑way through each level. Versions like G‑Darius Ver. 2 add a beginner mode and the 2021 PS4 HD re‑release brings the same branching challenge to modern screens, complete with both the original and HD visuals.

Storyline

The Green Globe – Amnelia, the Green Mother Planet – tells of a civilization that rose, fell, and was saved by a man named Amnelia. Generations of Amnelian royalty wielded the soil‑derived energy “Kaju,” which eventually ran out, prompting King Brezza, the 21st ruler and scientist, to invent a limitless source in year 547. With the crisis solved, humanity migrated to the satellite Blazar and enjoyed fifty years of peace. Yet the story hints that the same mistake of draining a planet’s life‑force may return.

G‑Darius serves as a prequel, focusing on the war between the humanoids of Amelia and the cyborg‑chimera Thiima, awakened by Amelia’s use of the weapon A.N. (All‑Nothing) to destroy the world Blazer in a dispute over moon Mahsah. The Thiima, programmed to guard the universe from such threats, swarmed Amelia, forcing its scientists to repurpose A.N. and reverse‑engineered Thiiman tech into Silver Hawk fighters. Pilots Sameluck Raida and Lutia Feen lead a decisive strike on the Thiima stronghold Kazumn, a satellite of planet Darius.