Raiden III announced

[Adrian M]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/08/30/ne...ws_6106063.html

 

I'm skeptical at best. While I have always LOVED Seibu Kaihatsu's Raiden games (Raiden 1, Raiden II, Raiden DX, Raiden Fighters series, and the little seen Viper Phase 1), the news of Raiden III is both reassuring and concerning.

 

Reassuring because this classic series still lives. Concerning because I don't like the direction that the new generation of 2D shmups have been taking with their ridiculous "bullet hell" gameplay as seen in games like Mars Matrix, Gigawing, Esprade, and those god awful Cave shooters. The Raiden series had it right...make the game difficult but fun, and not at the expense of having the screen filled with 300 bullets to weave through.

 

If Raiden III does turn out to be yet another bullet hell game, ah well, at least there's Deimos Rising and Active Lancer on the Mac platform...

[The Eidolon]

I would be happy just to see more 2D shooters of any kind. Raiden 2

was always one of my favorites, so I would be eager to see it they can

come out with a good sequel.

 

--The Eidolon

[+kisrael]

I loved those giant walkers in Raiden 2.

 

The attention to detail in that game is great, I need to find a good home version of it...

[Adrian M]

I loved those giant walkers in Raiden 2.

 

The attention to detail in that game is great, I need to find a good home version of it...

 

There was actually a PC version of it released on CDROM back in 1999. I bought it for like $3.99 at EBGames and as far as I can tell, it's a 100% accurate port/conversion. Only problem is, I can only get it to run in a small window for some unknown reason.

 

And yeah, Raiden II did all the little things just right...the shrapnel from destroyed enemies was unbelievelable (it would cause ripples in the lakes and set fire to shrubbery!!), defeated enemies would crash into houses, the Giant Walkers would leave footprints in the terrain, and so forth! Viper Phase 1 also featured similar levels of destruction.

[SteveW]

I'm sick of modern shooters constantly throwing thousands of bullets at you too. It's as if the programmers are replacing good level design by ratcheting up the difficulty through making you dodge constant gunfire. I've bought modern shooters like Silpheed, R-Type Final, Ikaruga, Mars Matrix, and Mobile Light Force 2, and they all throw loads of weapons fire at you which you have to dodge through, to one extent or another. At least with Ikaruga, you could change your ship's polarity to the same wavelength as the lasers coming at you. In other games, you just end up dying over and over.

[PaulEMoz]

I like both types of 2D shooter, although the bullet hell ones can be a bit much sometimes. The imminent release of Gradius V will keep me happy, and Castle Shikigami 2 (actually the sequel to Mobile Light Force 2) will be released on PS2 and XBox in November, for just $9.99. You can't really go wrong for that price.

[Trip_Cannon]

I'LL SEE YOU IN BULLET HELL!!!

[keilbaca]

Gradius 5 is very good, the 1st 2 levels are easy, the 3rd level is the boss stage, lets just say i haven't been able to get past that yet You see classic bosses with improved weapons... anyone remember Gradius 3, the one boss that shot out the beams, then the cross lasers? Now imagine the beams not straight, moving, with huge balls of energy running through them, lasers shooting up/down, and the cross shot still... of course all that at different times, but the wavy beams are there the whole time. Very fun, difficult, and not the bullet hell type.

[keilbaca]

A few other notes with Gradius 5, R1 has different functions. Like, if you chosoe the classic laser/option type, and if you hold R1, it holds the options in place. another words, you can use the deadly "line up the options and make a destruction ray with lasers" and hold it there. Another one, the formation is back, and if you use that type, R1 adjusts the formation up and down, everything from a full screen spread, to right behind your ship. Also, when you die, you don't start at the beginning, you start where you died (strikers 1945 type) and you can "catch" your options and reattach them to your ship for more use.

[liveinabin]

If Raiden III does turn out to be yet another bullet hell game, ah well, at least there's Deimos Rising and Active Lancer on the Mac platform...

 

heck yeah, I'd forgotten what an awesome game Deimos Rising is! Think I might have a game now..

[Adrian M]

If Raiden III does turn out to be yet another bullet hell game, ah well, at least there's Deimos Rising and Active Lancer on the Mac platform...

 

heck yeah, I'd forgotten what an awesome game Deimos Rising is! Think I might have a game now..

 

Good!

Don't forget the prequel (Mars Rising).

Other great Mac 2D shooters that I love are Bullet EX (Kajibato software), Active Lancer, and KaiJin. Give them a try as well.

[Mr.FoodMonster]

The bullet hell is just another type of 2D shooter. They existed back then, but they are more common now. I dont really like them all that much...

[+kisrael]

dang, looks like MAME doesn't handle Raiden 2 :-/

[Adrian M]

dang, looks like MAME doesn't handle Raiden 2 :-/

 

It can't yet handle any of Seibu's SP-1 games...Viper Phase 1 included in that list.

 

As I stated before, Raiden II was released on PC CDROM back in 1999. Some EB stores may still have it. I bought my copy for like $3.00 and it's pretty much an exact port.

[Raijin Z]

Raiden II PC is SHIT.

 

Get Raiden Project for PSX. It came in one of the gigantic Sega CD-style PSX cases, not the earlier black cases or the later jewel cases.

[Adrian M]

Raiden II PC is SHIT.

 

Get Raiden Project for PSX. It came in one of the gigantic Sega CD-style PSX cases, not the earlier black cases or the later jewel cases.

 

Far as I can tell, all of the arcade's nuances are in the PC edition. Play the arcade version and then play the PC version again. Graphics, sound, gameplay are 100% spot on.

[+kisrael]

dang, looks like MAME doesn't handle Raiden 2 :-/

 

It can't yet handle any of Seibu's SP-1 games...Viper Phase 1 included in that list.

 

As I stated before, Raiden II was released on PC CDROM back in 1999. Some EB stores may still have it. I bought my copy for like $3.00 and it's pretty much an exact port.

 

Does it let you put in infinite quarters?

 

I mostly just want to see everything once...

 

How is Raiden Project for PSX?

[Raijin Z]

Raiden Project is literally a perfect translation.... but no infinite credits to my knowledge. Ah well, there's always Game Cheating Device.

[Raijin Z]

Oh, for anyone not in the know, Raiden Project is Raiden and Raiden 2, and you can even set the game to run in true vertical mode, but be careful about rotating your TV. This will throw it out of its regular alignment with the earth's magnetic field lines, and give you fucked up rainbows. Easily fixed with a degaussing coil (or if your TV degausses itself, do that), or putting the TV back in its original position.

[The Eidolon]

Raiden DX also came out as a Japan PSX release, and has some neat

extras that might make it worth a look for Raiden 2 fans. It has

a fun "training mode" that is quite hard, and an extra level. It plays

almost identically to Raiden II.

 

I would love to play Viper Phase I again--I remember playing it in the

arcades when I lived in Japan, but as far as I know it's not available

on emulator or as a console release. Is there any way to play this

game besides buying an arcade board?

 

--The Eidolon

[Adrian M]

 

I would love to play Viper Phase I again--I remember playing it in the  

arcades when I lived in Japan, but as far as I know it's not available  

on emulator or as a console release.  Is there any way to play this  

game besides buying an arcade board?

 

--The Eidolon

 

Sadly, no.

The arcade board (more like cart and SP-1 board setup) is the only way to go at the moment.

There were rumors of an XBOX Raiden Fighters collection back in the early days of the XBOX, but sadly, the company that announced it died.