Overview
SRD: Super Real Darwin is a sci-fi fantasy vertical-scrolling shoot-'em-up developed and released by Data East for arcades in 1987.
The sequel to Darwin 4078, Super Real Darwin improves the graphics and sound while adding a new series of evolution forms. It also introduces new power-ups, such as DNA power-ups that are stored and used to immediately evolve on the next stock.
Like the original, Super Real Darwin is a shoot-'em-up reminiscent of Namco's Xevious series, with players having two attack buttons: one against air targets and one against ground targets. The series is known for its use of evolution (with the name referencing Charles Darwin, originator of the theory of biological evolution), as players can collect special organisms from enemies ("EVOL") to change their ship's appearance and firepower.
It was later ported by Sega to the Sega Mega Drive as Darwin 4081, released exclusively in Japan on April 7, 1990. The "4081" in the name refers either to being released four years after the or to being the fourth release in the Darwin series (after the original, the arcade version of Super Real Darwin, and the spin-off Act-Fancer: Cybernetick Hyper Weapon).
The arcade version of the game later received two ports after Data East's bankruptcy: one for the 2010 Wii compilation Data East Arcade Classics, and a standalone digital release for the Nintendo Switch. The Switch version was released by Flying Tiger Entertainment on February 28, 2019, as part of the Johnny Turbo's Arcade series, and was later included in the compilation Retro Classix Collection #1: Data East on October 1, 2020 (as well as the 4-in-1 Pack with Sly Spy, Shootout, and Wizard Fire).
Evolution
Built on the Evolution system in Darwin 4078, players can evolve their ship by collecting EVOL power-ups, giving them increased firepower. This comes at a cost, however, as more powerful evolutions make the ship a larger target. There are 12 basic forms:
- PISTER
- HODOYODO
- ZWIPI
- DARTER
- SYULBA
- QUILL
- LBOCK
- SWEEP
- DLIME
- ARIDEAME
- SLUGBU
- GYASYALBA
Players start each stock in the "HODOYODO" form, and all DNA power-ups accumulated (when defeating certain ground enemies) are used to immediately evolve the ship (for example, having 10 DNA immediately upgrades to the highest "GYASYALBA" form).
If the ship is not in the "PISTER" or "HODOYODO" forms and the player does not collect any EVOL power-ups over a certain period of time, their ship de-evolves one step lower. Getting hit by an enemy bullet immediately de-evolves the ship down to "PISTER".
There are additional hidden forms earned in special circumstances (such as collecting certain power-ups in certain evolution stages).
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