Developer: Taito Publisher: Taito Released: 1991 Genre: Shooter
Darius never particularly wowed me, even with its impressive triple screen playing field. That isn’t to say I thought it was bad; it simply didn’t stand out during the peak of the genre. But I did think its multiple screen setup was cool. One could even say it helped mask its average gameplay. Darius II, or Sagaia did a lot to make the series distinct. It introduced many features that would become staples of the series and is an all-around solid game to boot.
For the most part Sagaia does a good job replicating its arcade big brother. The wide screen format of has been sacrificed, resulting in a zoomed out view and smaller sprites. The color palette is noticeably darker and in a side by side comparison the loss of detail is apparent. But the game otherwise matches up pretty well. Sagaia was not an exceptionally stunning game to begin with, getting by on the sheer quantity of content it contains rather than technical prowess.
Sagaia’s biggest innovation is its branching world map. At the end of every level you are presented with a choice between two stages in a lettered map that covers the entire alphabet. In total there are 28 levels however a single play through only has seven stages. Unlike certain titles in the series (Darius Twin) these aren’t simply palette swapped stages giving the illusion of choice. There are a few but for the most part every level is distinct, with its own setting and enemies.
This gives huge incentive to replay the game multiple times, more so than almost any other shooter. Not only are there different end game bosses at the end of each path but multiple endings as well. Some of these are comical while others are outright dark and depressing. The branching system is one of the best features in the genre and one that I wish more games would copy.
To see all the game has to offer you will have to work for it. Sagaia’s weapon system is relatively light next to its contemporaries. Instead of specific enemies there are designated waves that spawn red, blue, and green crests. Each of these upgrades your main cannon, bombs, and shield if you have one. New to this game is the yellow crest, which adds lasers to your main cannon that fire in multiple directions. The rainbow crest upgrades everything but is exceedingly rare. There are multiple levels of power for each weapon although most will never reach that point.
The weapons in most of the Darius games have always felt inadequate and Sagaia is no different. You will have to collect multiple crest before any of your weapons are worth a damn and if you die the process starts over. My main problem is the game’s distribution of items. Waves only appear a few times per level and in most cases you will only upgrade one weapon. The stingy item drops mean you will have to carry over items across multiple levels before the game actually feels like it should. Not that the game needs to be Gradius or Twinbee in its generosity but Sagaia could have been a little more helpful to the player. It is especially bad if you die mid-level; you might as well start over.
Depending on the path you take your experience with Sagaia will vary. On average the game is median in its difficulty. Enemy waves are predictable and it is the terrain that will get you. While I have my issues with the weapon system the game is still manageable even at the base level. It will be difficult but it is doable. Certain zones are an absolute nightmare no matter how powered up you are; specifically Zone H and R. The bosses, while large and featuring multiple phases, never feel overwhelming. The game can still be vicious; more so than in most shooters losing your power-ups here is soul crushing considering how long they take to collect. At least you aren’t sent back to a checkpoint. As I said before you will have to work to see all of the game’s content but at least it is worth it.
In Closing
I like Sagaia. Sagaia isn’t flashy like other Genesis shooters but still entertains due to its well-paced action and content. As a port it is good; as a game it is solid. It is not the first shooter I would reach for but worth playing nonetheless.
