When comparing Gradius vs Darius, the Slant community recommends Gradius for most people. In the question“What are the best and the most revolutionary games of all time?” Gradius is ranked 37th while Darius is ranked 104th. The most important reason people chose Gradius is:
Perhaps it’s the first arcade game having secret stages?
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Secret stages
Perhaps it’s the first arcade game having secret stages?
Pro Power-ups chosen during gameplay
The kind of power-up depends on the amount of power-up capsules collected, and the second button allows you to choose the desired one.
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.