This is my second favorite arcade game of all time (after Robotron 2084). FYI anyone in the Chicago area should stop by Galloping Ghost Arcade, they have a fully-functioning Darius cabinet (and cabinets of a couple sequels as well)
So few people in the Chicago area are aware that the largest classic arcade in the world by far is in their area (they have ~1000 cabinets)
The game can be completed on a single quarter if you're good (I admittedly never reached this milestone) and the game has a perfect balance of enemy waves and powerups. The musical score is definitely a masterpiece of early custom hardware fm synthesis compositions.
I went fishing to find out why it was named Darius. (Nothing. It's the name of a planet targeted by a galactic empire in the game. lol) It piqued my interest since Japan also has a company named Mazda (both being ancient Persia themes). (Mazda's website says the name pick was a deliberate reference.)
Yeah, Japanese creatives have always (well, for decades) loved naming things random western words they don't really understand. Be glad when you get "Darius" instead of "Bravely Default."
If you read history the answer is yes. So is Babylon, as a matter of fact. "West" is an offshoot of the Egyptian-Greek-Persian-Jewish cultural matrix, with themselves built on generous helping of Mesopotamian civilization.
So few people in the Chicago area are aware that the largest classic arcade in the world by far is in their area (they have ~1000 cabinets)
The game can be completed on a single quarter if you're good (I admittedly never reached this milestone) and the game has a perfect balance of enemy waves and powerups. The musical score is definitely a masterpiece of early custom hardware fm synthesis compositions.