Super Nova, originally released in Japan as Darius Force, is a challenging horizontal scrolling shooter developed by Taito for the SNES in 1993. As part of the classic Darius series, this single-player installment tasks you with piloting the Silver Hawk through side-scrolling zones to battle the robotic, aquatic-themed armada of the Belsar. A key feature unique to this entry is the ability to choose from three different variations of the Silver Hawk ship at the start, each offering a distinct weapon system and playstyle.
How to Play
Your objective is to survive each stage and defeat the massive mechanical sea-life bosses waiting at the end of the zones. Unlike its predecessor Darius Twin, losing a ship here sends you back to a checkpoint and resets your power-ups, making survival crucial. Collect colored orbs dropped by specific enemy formations to upgrade your primary shot, bombs, and shields. The SNES controls include the D-pad for movement and A/B/X/Y for firing weapons. In your browser, these are typically mapped to your keyboard’s arrow keys along with Z, X, A, and S.
Tips
- Prioritize collecting the green power-up orbs to build your shieldโit allows your ship to absorb multiple hits before being destroyed.
- Experiment with the three different Silver Hawk ships; their unique weapon trajectories, such as wave lasers or twin shots, cater to different strategies.
- Play cautiously and memorize enemy spawn patterns, as the checkpoint system means a single death can leave you severely underpowered for tough sections.
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