Darius II

About

Darius II is a vertically scrolling arcade shooter launched in 1989 that refines its predecessor’s chaotic energy. You steer a ship through densely packed waves of enemies, using twin-stick controls to dodge and fire. Weapon upgrades and power levels grow your arsenal, but the real challenge comes from relentless enemy patterns and shifting terrain. The game’s tight controls and escalating difficulty keep tension high, especially as you navigate narrow corridors and avoid explosive hazards. The Mega Drive/Genesis version added a boss rush mode (via cheat code) and swapped some final-stage bosses, while the Master System port trimmed content for lower hardware. Despite platform differences, core mechanics stayed sharp, with Proco Jr. and Tiat Young offering slight playstyle variations, Tiat starts with boosted weapons. Though largely overshadowed by later shooters, it retains a cult following for its punishing but fair design. With no online scores or modern updates, it’s a relic best approached on retro hardware or emulators.

Storyline

The planet Darius, which formerly boasted a very advanced civilization, has been destroyed. Proco and Tiat escaped from Darius in search of a new world. They started a new civilization on the planet Olga. The descendants of Proco and Tiat happened to pick strange radio waves being emitted from the Milky way galaxy. The strange radio waves were an SOS from the planet Darius where their ancestors used to live. Having discovered the source of the strange radio waves, the immediately boarded the Silver Hawk, whose power had been greatly increased, and took off for the Milky Way. A fierce battle ensued on the planets of the Milky Way and in outer space in order to save the inhabitants of Darius from destruction.