Switch "Darius Cosmic Collection" to be released on February 28, 2019! Special edition including the phantom PC Engine version of "Darius Alpha" also available!

Taito announced that "Darius Cosmic Collection," a port of the previous "Darius" series titles for the Switch, will be released on February 28, 2019.

The "Darius" series of side-scrolling shooters first appeared as arcade games in 1986, and were known for their innovative design at the time, including a large chassis with three interconnected screens and a sound system with bass speakers built into the bench seat. The boss characters in the game, which were based on the motif of aquatic creatures such as coelacanths and sperm whales, are still popular today as synonymous with the "Darius" franchise.

The "DARIUS Cosmic Collection," which will be released this time, contains selected titles from the "DARIUS" series that have been released up to now. There will be two editions: a standard edition containing four arcade titles, and a limited special edition containing five titles released as home video games in addition to the standard edition titles.

The standard edition will include the first "DARIUS," which was the talk of the town with its innovative large three-screen cabinet; "DARIUS II," which has never been fully ported; "SAGAIA," the overseas version of "DARIUS II" and the first port; and the single-screen cabinet "DARIUS Gaiden", which is also a masterpiece in the series, on a single screen.

In addition to the four titles in the standard edition, the limited special edition includes "DARIUS TWIN" for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), the first original home video game in the series, and "DARIUS FORCE" for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), an original title with a unique theme. Among the ports, "Darius II" for the Mega Drive, "SAGAIA" (!) for the Sega Master System, which has not been released in Japan, and "Darius Force" for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, which was not for sale. and the PC Engine version of "DARIUS ALPHA" (!?!), a fantastic title that was not for sale in Japan. The collection includes nine titles in total, including the PC Engine version of "Darius Alpha" (!?), which is a rare title that was not for sale!　In addition, a Darius Arrange CD, a collection of official Darius materials, and a miniature acrylic marquee will also be included in the package.

There are also plans for a Famitsu DX pack exclusive to the e-commerce site "Ebiten" and a Square Enix e-STORE limited edition, so stay tuned for more information.