When comparing Power Drift vs Darius, the Slant community recommends Power Drift for most people. In the question“What are the best and the most revolutionary games of all time?” Power Drift is ranked 95th while Darius is ranked 104th. The most important reason people chose Power Drift is:
While Power Drift isn't actually 3D, it manages to appear like it has some 3D elements because of the way it uses 2D sprites. It also tilts the screen when steering, and includes a 3D looking fly-by introduction to each track. Together, this made for a 3D-like experience, without actually using any 3D technology.
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Pros
Pro One of the first games to incorporate 3D effects
While Power Drift isn't actually 3D, it manages to appear like it has some 3D elements because of the way it uses 2D sprites. It also tilts the screen when steering, and includes a 3D looking fly-by introduction to each track. Together, this made for a 3D-like experience, without actually using any 3D technology.
Pro widescreen with cinescopes
Darius was the very first arcade machine using 3 cinescopes in a mirror system. This positioned the center screen normally, but the two extra screens were actually projected onto a display making the illusion of a single 3X wide display.
Pro Multiple endings
Because of it's non-linear design, you could choose your own path which could result in different endings. This is a much more immersive game experience, as you feel more invested in the game as your decisions actually matter.
Cons
Con Very touchy controls
The controls in Power Drift are extremely touchy, making controlling your cart very frustrating. Adding in the fact that it's very easy to fall of the track, plus the very fast gameplay makes it extremely difficult to control.