Gaiden adds several new features to the core concepts of its predecessors, including screen-clearing black hole bombs and the ability to capture mid-level bosses.

Created by producer Hidehiro Fujiwara, Darius Gaiden was designed to show off the technological capabilities of Taito's then-new F3 System, an arcade board that utilized interchangeable cartridges.

The development team worked to retain many of the franchise's core elements while also focusing on creating a new and engaging experience.

The home console conversions were also well received, with critics applauding its gameplay, attractive visuals, and responsive controls.

The player controls a starship named the Silver Hawk in its mission to obliterate the Belsar empire, which is plotting to destroy what is left of the human race and their new home of planet Darius.

In these levels, the Silver Hawk must destroy constantly moving formations of enemies while avoiding their projectiles, as well as dodging obstacles.

[1] Collecting additional emblems upgrades the player's weapons, such as a stronger shield or missiles that move forwards and backwards.

Its development was headed by producer Hidehiro Fujiwara, who was alongside designer and artist Hirokazu Kato, and programmer Akira Kurabayashi.

[5] Taito wanted big-name franchises to appear on its new board to increase awareness and attract attention, so Fujiwara proposed the idea of a Darius game as the series was well known in Japan.

Returning ideas include a similar stage structure, formidable opponents such as King Fossil and Vermilion Coronatus, and a proper storyline.

[4] The game's presentation was also a focal point; the programmers worked to add a number of flashy effects that showed off the F3 System's technological capabilities, though this also complicated the process of making sprites.

[9] In an interview, he said: "If you were looking at something and it changed in front of your eyes, and you suddenly realized that everything you thought was an indisputable truth a second ago wasn't true at all, that would be a considerable shock to you.

[7] For the final stages, the music was made to change in tone when the boss shows up, creating an intense and ominous atmosphere.

It also provides minor alterations to the gameplay, such as increasing the rate of fire and removing the cap on the number of black hole bombs that can be carried.

Extra Edition also has a gameplay mode that converts the branching stage paths into one long, singular run through every level.

A PlayStation version was released exclusively in Japan on December 13, 1996, which adds a new opening cutscene with 3D pre-rendered models.

The four reviewers for Electronic Gaming Monthly were impressed by the visuals for their 3D effect and detail,[14] as were Famitsu staff and GamePro's Air Hendrix.

[20] GameFan staff argued that the Sega Saturn version was better than its arcade counterpart for its lack of slowdown and impressive graphical effects.

[8] Famitsu was less enthusiastic about the PlayStation conversion due to its slowdown problems, jerky scrolling, and unimpressive opening cutscenes.

[16] PC Gamer's Daniel Erickson, who reviewed the Windows version argued that the game wasn't as impressive as it used to be, but that the gameplay and responsive controls made it a worthy pickup for fans of the genre.

Higham believes that Gaiden helped take the Darius franchise into a different direction, away from its focus on gimmicks such as the three-screen design and towards innovation and presentation.