A brilliant return for Darius via Burst, a curving laser of rare visual beauty. Twenty-four zones and the giant aquatic Taito bosses make Dariusburst a horizontal shooter cut for connoisseurs.
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Category
Shooter1 player7+
Description
Horizontal shooter from the Darius series featuring the Burst system, a devastating curved laser new to this entry. Published by Taito, released in Japan in December 2009. Twenty-four interconnected Chronicle mode zones, giant mechanical aquatic bosses, fully re-orchestrated Zuntata soundtrack. Available in Japanese and English versions.
Dariusburst review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Organic ships inspired by sea creatures, cosmic backdrops and outsized bosses: Taito's shoot'em up composes a strange, fascinating universe. The fluidity of the scrolling and the biomechanical design overflow with inventiveness. This visual direction, original and polished, stands as a benchmark of the genre.
Signed by the Zuntata studio, the music unfurls a layered, hypnotic electro, blending atmospheric pads and nervy beats. Each wave of enemies comes with a sonic crescendo of rare intensity. This singular electronic identity, cult among shoot'em up fans, elevates the action from end to end.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
A rebirth of Taito's Darius shoot'em up on PSP, praised for its gigantic fish-ships, Burst weapon and spellbinding soundtrack, kept exclusive to Japan in this form. Its appeal lies in this regional exclusivity and milestone status in the genre, sought by shmup fans wanting the origin of a sub-series turned reference. An import target for Taito enthusiasts.
Is Dariusburst still worth playing in 2026?
Dariusburst is Darius's brilliant return with the Burst, a curved laser of rare visual beauty. Twenty-four branching-route zones and Taito's giant aquatic bosses make Dariusburst a horizontal shooter tailored for enthusiasts. The PSP technical work impresses, Shouhei Tsuchiya's score sticks and difficulty climbs with appreciable precision. A portable peak to absolutely recommend to genre fans.
