Nine classic shmups on one tiny cartridge
Taito’s intergalactic space shooterDarius, first launched in 1986, set a benchmark for the shmup genre with its amazing, fast-paced action. Next year, fans will have a chance to relieve the arcade classic and its many sequels with a new compendium, coming to Nintendo Switch.
TheDarius Cozmic Collection(another “s” as a “z”!) will launch in Japan in two editions. The standard release will be priced at ¥5,200 (or around $47 USD) and will containDarius, Darius II, Saigaiaand the awesomeDarius Gaiden.
The Special Edition includes the above games, but also adds a selection of home ports. These include SNES titlesDarius TwinandForce,the Sega Genesis version ofDarius II, the Master System port ofSaigaiaand, arguably the centrepiece of the entire collection, the ultra-rareDarius Alphafor the PC Engine, which still commands big bucks today.
Speaking of big bucks, said Special Edition, which also includes a booklet and soundtrack CD, is priced at a cool ¥16,800, or roughly $150 USD. That’s a chunk of change for a collection of retro releases, but shmup enthusiasts are a hardcore breed, and will likely have no problem dropping the dollar for this piece of arcade gaming history.
Darius Cozmic Collectionlaunches in Japan on Nintendo Switch June 19, 2025.
