Darius Cozmic Collection Reviews
Fans of Darius or bullet hell games will likely appreciate everything Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade has to offer. It's crazy, flashy, and most importantly fun. It's a shame some of the games, like Darius, are not as accessible but the inclusion of Darius Gaiden helps bridge that game. Add in multiple paths, different experiences and it's easy to get a lot of value out of Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade without even bothering with high scores or online rankings.
There's a lot to take in when reviewing a package like Darius Cozmic Collection and we wish that it had been released in a single version which includes all of the bonus games, but it is safe to say that this release floats somewhere between the barebone lack-of-care ports like the Psikyo ZeroDiv releases and the passionate ocean of love that are M2's ShotTrigger ports.
Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade includes 3 of the most underrated and incredible arcade shooters ever created. Although G-Darius is disappointingly absent, what you get is one super-fun collection that features some truly innovative HUD options.
An extremely well put together love letter to a classic series of shoot 'em ups. Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade reminds us how brutal games used to be whilst allowing newcomers in gently. A tad expensive but polished to a sheen.
M2 provides the necessary context to enjoy the experience without changing the actual game.
A couple of omissions grate and it's hardly cheap, but this is a sumptuous collection for the grandest of shmups.
This bring us to both collections’ biggest issue. Darius as a series must be programmed with some kind of rare metal because they always seem to command a very high price for entry. I noted this back in the day when I reviewed Dariusburst Chronicle Saviours for the Vita. This issue will be the main reason people will avoid a purchase, especially with current circumstances in the world. The other notable issue is that these collections are not complete collections of the Darius series. This is nothing new with retro collections in general, but the oddest omission is that of the first Darius game on the Console Collection. The reason it’s a bit fishy is that this game was released on the Mega Drive Mini which was also developed by M2 and yet is strangely missing from this collection. There are also a variety of other titles and ports missing that enthusiasts of the series may be disappointed not to have. Both the Arcade Collection and Console Collection are brilliant. M2 has once again outdone themselves and proved they’re the best at retro gaming on modern systems. It’s a shame the price is so darn high though, especially since I really couldn’t see owning only one of these collections. If you do take the plunge you have a brilliant collection of one of the best schmup series from ye old days.