Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Darwin 4081 for MD


Image: MobyGames

Darwin 4081

On the Origin of Spaceships


Genre: shooter - vertical

Publisher: Data East

Year: 1990

System: MD


Gameplay Score: 1

Gameplay Notes:

Uses the laser plus bomb mechanic from Xevious, but you use the bomb so rarely that I forgot it was there half the time. Holding two buttons is never fun. Huge hitbox. Bizarre powerup system where pickups all look the same and grant random abilities. Unpredictable and annoying.


Level Design Score: 2

Level Design Notes:


Theme Score: 1

Theme Notes:

No idea what the theme is. You collect DNA from lizards you bomb and this somehow evolved your ship. Maybe? But you're a 1950s-ish space rocket. Such a weird non-theme theme.


Art Style Score: 1

Art Style Notes:

Terrible visual language. Impossible to differentiate enemies from pickups and bullets from background tiles, especially since they move at the same speed. Ugly sprites and boring backgrounds too.


Audio Score: 1

Audio Notes:

Bad music and worse sound effects. The instrumentation is the worst aspect of the sound design. It's tinny and shrill.


Overall Score: 25

Review ID: 6016



No comments:

Post a Comment