DAM - Rogues Gallery - Hard Bosses - Titanic Lance (Darius Gaiden)

By Taito Arcade &
Sega Saturn 1995

Darius Gaiden - Stage 'M' Boss - 'Titanic Lance'

I remember it as though it was yesterday.. playing through a newly
aquired copy of Darius Gaiden for my then-new Saturn console, being amazed
at the quality of the graphical effects and beautifully drawn screen-filling bosses in an all-new Darius experience. The most impressive baddie was yet to come however - casually entering zone 'M' on the stage select screen I was happily engaged in pulverizing a few wimpy-looking bad guys with my powered-up laser-cannons when.. WHOOSH! .. Eeek!.. Help!... Enter 'Titanic Lance' - The biggest, baddest, nastiest 2D Darius boss of them all. All I can say is - avoid zone 'M' unless you wish to die... lots.. Large-scale 'Titanic Lance' mock-up

After an awe-inducing flypast from this monster boss you are forced to run the gauntlet of an array
of varied and deadly weaponry along its flank before making it to the weak-point at the creatures' head. .
First up, homing metallic tentacles reach for you, followed by an arsenal of nasty laser beams and missiles

Half-way along the monsters' flank and its shell suddenly splits open to release scores of homing enemy critters
- at the same time as trying to squash you in an enormous vice-like contraption - you can run but you can't hide..

Getting closer to your goal - you will have died once or twice at least by now - still unrelenting in its attacks
Titanic Lance flings various marine life your way - ammonites and a few parasitic fish hove towards your ship
If you still have any smart-bombs remaining now is the time to get busy..

Made it this far huh? The slippery beast has one more trick up its sleeve, as you draw close in for
the kill it suddenly sheds the remainder of its shell coating to reveal a gargantuan rocket engine..
Get caught anywhere near that exhaust wash and you will die painfully. Yet AGAIN..

Pleased to meet you at last! This shot gives an idea
of the size of this beastie - nearly 5 screens long -
thats twice as long as the R-Type mothership!
Click here for a large scale mock-up of the whole ship

The Final Assault - destroy that orange headpiece thing! Banzai!! Aha.. the bosses Achilles Heel
shows itself..Concentrate all attacks on those..erm..well they look like its brain I guess..
Take 'em out! Kill! (Top-right) Wahheeyy!! Goodnight Seattle!