The path of least distance in Darius Force leads you to Zone L, set
in a cave. After some downwards scrolling (without Mode 7, I think) like in Sagaia, the obligatory message flashes and an honest-to-God mechanized pleiosaurus throws down the gauntlet at you.
NOTE: I am Zandick son of Zandick. PPrepare to die.
Tips: Thr whole battle takes place in a backwards-scrolling underground lake, with the roof of the cave often hampering your fire.His atttacking leitmotif is to lob a mortar which explodes into a few nasty bullets; this he will keep up in-between his other, more dramatic attacks. He will snap his neck up and breathe fire at you which isn't a drag unless the roof pins you. But that will typically be taken care of in the next attack.
Zandick II will rear up and smash rocks from above or below and of course, they can harm you. Did Taito recycle this for Great Thing Mk.II? Meh... This can be useful as the roof of the 'lake' can often hinder your lasers. His last attack in his attack pattern is a fountain-like burst of lasers from his body. Well, never thought I'd see anything like that in one of the SNES Dariuses...
At last, after much scrolling and waiting to get yer shot in, Zandick II succumbs to your laser. Thus ends the less-than-optimal and shortest paths of Darius Force.The ending's middling (I can't think of a better word to use) but in the same tone as the others. The battle rages on amidst hope, what?
Rating:
Colour Scheme:
82%
Design:
63%
Attacks:
61%
Name:
85% (Z and X in boss names need encouragement)
Real-Life Inspiration: A pleiosaurus, a monstrous aquatic dinosaur. As almost all little boys do, I was fascinated by dinosaurs at an early age and loved a group 'aquatic critters' pic in a book by Usborne on dinosaurs. There was a pleiosaur, an icthyosaur and some other alligator-like dinosaur. I also used to snicker over information about fossilised dinosaur shit. Ah, childhood...
