G-Darius HD

I'll be honest, G-Darius HD is a remake of one of those games that flew under the radar for me. The original 1997 release has been heralded as one of the greatest shoot-em-up games. Still, it was something that never occurred to me as a masterstroke of gaming brilliance. But the game certainly has its following, and an HD revamp of the game is an exciting prospect for many.

G-Darius HD is a game deriving from its namesake series if you're like me and have little to no understanding of the title. The game is a horizontal-scrolling shooter that follows a story about humans and aliens locked in a battle of eternal warfare. As the player, you will have to blast everything clean to survive. There's been an entire franchise based on this concept, so it must be somewhat entertaining. Let's jump into G-Darius HD as a complete series newbie!

Hitting that G-Spot

Those that are already familiar with G-Darius HDs original form would be more interested in the nuances of the reissue rather than what the game entails. So yes, the core focus of this article will be what the new version offers. The player controls a spaceship known as the Silver Hawk. Like a classic arcade game, you'll be battling enemies, bosses, and hurdling obstacles.

Now that we have that out of the way, we can get to the more important stuff. What is G-Darius HD going to offer fans over the original? One of the most significant offerings is that the game brings five different versions of G-Darius HD into one package. Console versions, arcade ports, emulations, the works.

Why does that matter? Each version has been brought back to life with higher frame rates and a more vibrant color palette bringing your space warfare to life. Also, each variation of the game features additional game modes, challenges, mechanics, and more. There is a pack-load of things that might appeal to existing game fans, but what about new players like myself?

It's safe to say that G-Darius HD holds up even today. The gameplay was enjoyable, and there were clear improvements in visuals and mechanics. Even the story was a little gripping. However, if you are looking for something that will be more explosive than the standard game, you won't find much.

Shooter, Thy Name is Darius

There doesn't appear to be any interest in bringing a new audience into G-Darius HD. It feels like the entire purpose was to bank on fans' nostalgia and give them one game to play all the collected emulations and different versions released over the years. However, you can provide them with the fact that the game looks good and plays well on modern screens even after all this time.

Round-Up - Pros & Cons

Pros:

• The gameplay is still exciting and holds up as a great shoot-em-up
• The HD makeover makes the graphics stand out
• There are many different versions of the game featuring other mechanics and challenges.

Cons:

• It's an HD version that might be a bit too niche for new players
• It makes no effort to introduce a new audience
• Some of the versions of the game are esoteric