Play Kidou Soukou Dion Online

Summary

Imperium (known in Japan as Mobile Armoured Dion) stands out from typical vertical shooters by swapping the usual high‑score tally for an experience‑point system. Every enemy you blast adds to a visible XP counter, and once you hit certain thresholds you unlock new weapons and power‑ups, while a five‑hit life bar lets you survive a few mistakes before the game ends. If you get hit, the weapon you were using drops one level, but you can claw it back by racking up more experience, and a speed‑change button lets you toggle between five movement speeds on the fly.

The US version stripped away the layered background art that gave level two its striking construction‑beam‑over‑beach look, and the original large fireball “Wave” weapon was replaced with a smaller version. Critics praised the novel upgrade mechanic but called the graphics bland, and a 1993 Super Famicom Magazine poll placed Imperium at #304 with a 16.32/30 score. The game also limits continues to four, forcing you to master each stage after a single death.

Storyline

In Kidou Soukou Dion (known as Imperium in the US), the story unfolds in the year 2027 when Earth is suddenly assaulted by the planetoid space fortress Zektron. The alien stronghold razes numerous cities and occupies the planet, putting humanity on the brink of extinction. An underground military squadron and secret laboratory respond by building a compact but powerful mecha called Dion aboard the mothership Leinoa. This machine is designed to channel massive firepower despite its small size. The human plan is to drive Dion/Imperium into Zektron’s core and destroy the fortress, but only after the occupying forces on Earth have been cleared away.