G-Darius

G-Darius, a 1998 Taito arcade release, is among the most technically interesting entries in the Darius line. The major change from earlier instalments is the move to polygonal graphics while keeping the horizontally scrolling shooter format intact. The series' signature giant mechanical fish bosses gained rotating, three-dimensional bodies as a result, readable from shifting angles across an encounter.

The defining mechanic is capture. Firing a capture projectile at a suitable enemy converts it into an escort that fights alongside you, absorbing fire and adding firepower. That captured craft can also be detonated to release a heavy beam, and when your beam meets an enemy beam the two lock into a struggle decided by button input and timing. That beam duel has no real equivalent in other shooters of the period and gives boss fights a physical, contested quality.

Structurally it follows series tradition: after each stage you choose which route to take, so a single run only ever shows part of the total zone map. That encourages repeat play and means two sessions can look substantially different from one another.

Played today it is fast, loud and visually distinctive. Late-nineties polygons have aged differently from pixel art, with flat surfaces and simple lighting that read as very much of their moment, but the boss designs are strong enough to carry the presentation regardless.

You can run it directly in the browser here on OldGame.cz, which makes trying the capture system and the beam duels a matter of clicking rather than configuring an emulator.