Darius Cozmic Collection: Console Edition

Still, it's all about the games, and they're still good fun. In fact, Darius Cozmic Collection Console is a marginally easier recommendation than the arcade one; there are five distinct titles here rather than three, and they're all worth playing – even if none of them quite reach the glorious heights of Darius Gaiden.

This is not a bad collection; the games are a lot of fun and play well, but like its Arcade counterpart I can’t recommend it at this price, especially when I feel this is the weaker of the two collections. M2 does great work and it’s on display here, but I think these two collections should have been bundled together and sold at full price, not in two separate collections bundled at full price each.

As a piece of gaming history the Darius Collections are spot on, recreating classic arcade and console games on modern hardware, but they are massively overpriced considering the content. Some games in the Arcade collection are either minor tweaks or ports of a previous versions, so you would have to be a die hard Darius fan to even consider purchasing both collections. The Console collection is by far the better choice due to the single screen design, but aficionados will then miss the classic arcade versions.

Darius Cozmic Collection Console provides a unique look into the series' ports and unique entries on 8-bit and 16-bit consoles. These games follow the series' stylized legacy while providing competent entertaining takes on the shoot-'em-up genre despite being

The Darius Cozmic Collection: Console edition is a collection of great games yet sadly lacks presentation and substance. If you’re a fan of the genre and/or the franchise then you’ll love the games on offer and the multiple bonus modes. However, if you’re not invested in the series though any form of nostalgia or fond memories, I don’t believe there’s enough here to justify the recommended retail price. I personally think they should have doubled up the Arcade and Console collections to create a single content-rich package, rather than two diluted experiences. Technically, the games are great, but I can’t really recommend the overall ‘collection’ to anyone but the biggest of Darius fans.

What is here is a nice, if expensive, collection of good shmups made for replayability for a niche selection of fans, the curious newcomers or people wanting a trip down memory lane of their childhood video game playing.

With its flawless emulation and wealth of content, Darius Cozmic Collection Console is a robust offering and an excellent introduction to Taito’s long-running shoot ’em up series. However, I’m not sure it does quite enough to justify the $60 asking price when you consider you’re more or less getting nine slightly different variations of four decades-old games. Still, if money is no object and you feel the need to blast intergalactic fish to bits, this collection will surely scratch that itch.

Overall, if you are a fan of retro gaming, especially if you were a fan of Darius then this may well be just the right fix you have been looking for.

Other than the original Darius and Sagaia, these games are a great way to play a series of seriously challenging arcade shmups from the past where arcades ruled.

The Darius Cozmic Collection Console feels like a piece of history every retro enthusiast must own, and every gamer who wants to understand the legacy of the industry has to try for themselves. At least once.