Dariusburst: Another Chronicle EX+ Switch Review

Welcome to a brand new update to the arcade classic! Dariusburst: Another Chronicle EX+ is everything you loved about the original Dariusburst: Another Chronicle with so much more, and the shoot ’em up is made even better with enhanced graphics and an authentic arcade feel. This is a truly magnificent port and upgrade that is made even better by the fact that the Nintendo Switch can be played anywhere and everywhere.

Well, enough with the intro praising, let’s talk about why you need to play Dariusburst: Another Chronicle EX+, because it is pretty awesome!

The Darius series of multi-screen shoot ’em ups has a couple of compilations on the Switch already, and another one, G-Darius HD, is due to release later this year, but DariusBurst: Another Chronicle is a solid entry in the series that will satisfy a majority of fans to the genre.

Dariusburst: Another Chronicle EX+ brings the classic arcade entry to the Switch, and it honestly transfers over wonderfully, albeit with a couple flaws that we will talk about later. First, though, let’s talk about how great the game feels, because this genuinely feels like the arcade experience in so many ways. The enhanced visuals are apparent right out of the gate, and the game has never looked so good.

The multi-screen aspect may take some getting used to, as the high definition across two screens in the arcade does not translate super well on the Switch, especially in handheld mode, but thankfully, the graphics are solid and it is not so confusing about what different things are on screen. However, this means that in default view, two very big black bars will be hogging the screen, and that does make handheld mode a bit of a problem.

There is an attempt for a story here, but it is rather bland, to be honest. Basically, Planet Darius is under attack, and your combat force, the Silver Hawks, are without communication and need to blast their way through CHAOS, the enemy brigade, to save the day and the planet. It is nothing too special and is honestly a bit unnecessary in this type of game and port, but it is there for those who care and helps to bridge some connections in the Darius universe.

As is the case with the entire Darius series, Dariusburst: Another Chronicle EX+ has three branching paths to really mix up the gameplay. As is the tradition, the higher up on the decision tree usually means an easier path while the lower down tends to mean the more difficult. Well, tradition or not, this is absolutely the case here, as the boss fights across the board grow harder and harder with each descension down the tree.

As per the norm in the Darius series, the boss fights are the real champions here for various reasons. For starters, they never disappoint. From the large scale of their presence to the seemingly never ending stream of bullets, this particular collection of bosses is one of the better groupings in the series, in my opinion, and the enhanced graphics only strengthens their image even more. On top of that, each boss has their own theme song, and I honestly cannot tell you which one is my favorite, because they are all bangers. I looked forward to listening to the boss fight more than actually playing it.

There are loads of options from the menu that give the game a ton of value, but access to things is a bit confusing at first. To play the game, you need to hit X once you get to the menu, but if you hit START, you open up the OPTIONS menu which has no gameplay modes. In the OPTIONS menu, you are able to watch replays of your previous attempts, which is pretty fun, and you can take a look at the rankings and leaderboards, which is a bit intimidating. Other than that, it is your standard menu to adjust things.

The gameplay menu presents you with four options: Original Mode that plays very similarly to the arcade version, Original EX Mode that takes all the skills from the Original Mode and takes you down to the final zone, Chronicle Mode that gives you a lot more freedom, and Event Mode that was once exclusive to limited-time events in the arcade and are not made available as EX+ exclusives. Every single one of these modes are lots of fun and provide hours and hours of high-octane and action-packed gameplay, but the best part? Every single mode also supports up to 4-player local co-op, which is an absolute blast! I know these times aren’t the kindest when it comes to inviting people over to play, but if you have some buddies who enjoy a good ol’ shoot ’em up, this is a rockin’ good time.

The default controls I found to be quite interesting, as they tend to feel more like the control scheme of the Super Nintendo than they do of an arcade cabinet, which had my nostalgia senses tingling. B and Y are the firing buttons for missiles and bullets, and the left bumper brings out your optional ship that stays on the screen as long as you are holding it down and blowing stuff up. The right bumper turns your ship around, and this is important, since Darius is fundamentally a game focused on multiple screens, shooting right and left is going to be necessary throughout the game.

You can also press the left trigger which zooms the camera strongly on your ship, filling up the screen and eliminating the black bars, but I absolutely cannot recommend this, as it makes levels so much more challenging since you cannot see [literally] half the screen including seeing the boss during a boss fight.

As much as I absolutely love the game and its port, I did run into a couple problems that hurt my overall experience. One of those things was the depth of field. There were numerous times throughout my many adventures where I thought incoming ships were still in the background and ended up killing me. Obstacles also present themselves strangely at times and can cause accidental deaths by running into them thinking they are also in the background. Although the graphical enhancement looks amazing, it is also a double-edged sword in that it confuses what is genuinely in front of you and what is not, and since the game has some objects in the foreground, mid-ground, and background, it can be especially difficult to decipher what is really an immediate danger. With all that in mind, JUST SHOOT EVERYTHING.

The other issue, as you may guess, has to do with the camera. Both fields of view are not ideal, and you are kind of left with a long, stretched out screen that is hard to see well even on a big screen, lone enough on the Switch’s portable screen, or a zoomed-in view that eliminates a little more than half the playable screen. I would have personally preferred a full-screen adaptation instead of the zoomed-in view that they settled on, which I honestly find a bit strange, as the zoomed-in option is not helpful in the slightest.

Dariusburst: Another Chronicle EX+ is honestly a solid port with tons of content and options. If you ever played the original arcade version, this is not only a lovely upgrade in many ways, but it also has found a wonderful home on the Nintendo Switch. Although the depth and camera issues are present, this is still a jam-packed experience that is fun for one or up to four!

If you are a fan of the Darius series, this is an absolute must-buy, and if you are a shoot ’em up fan in general, this is a solid addition to anyone’s library. It may have its flaws, but this is an arcade port done right and includes well more than enough content to justify its price. Get out there, buy this one, and take out CHAOS today!

Dariusburst: Another Chronicle EX+ Review provided by Nintendo Link
Publisher: ININ Games
Developer: Taito Corporation, Pyramid Inc.
Release Date: July 27, 2021
Price: $39.99, £34.99, €39,99
Game Size: 2.2GB