Raiden Project

ktg · Post by **ktg** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 10:52 pm

I'm thinking of picking up the US version of Raiden Project for PS1 on EBay. Does anybody know how good the ports are of both games compared to the Arcade.

zaphod · Post by **zaphod** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 11:05 pm

Very solid; practically perfect.

I believe the home version has some checkpoints in differetn spots but other then that it shoudl be identical.

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 11:10 pm

US Raiden Project needs a gameshark code to have tate.

and if you're gonna buy a gameshark, you might as well import DX instead. It's the same thing with extra levels (IIRC), better soundtrack, new scoring mechanic which can be ignored if desired.

ktg · Post by **ktg** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 11:58 pm

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll go ahead and pick it up. I haven't got the balls to TATE my TV yet. Nor the cash to start importing. Hopefully in the future.

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:11 am

Neon wrote:... you might as well import DX instead. It's the same thing with extra levels (IIRC),

Huh?

Despite Neon's claim, Raiden DX is not the same thing as The Raiden Project, ktg.

The Raiden Project has near arcade perfect ports of Raiden and Raiden II, with both original and remixed versions of the music for both games (I personally like the remixed versions more). Virtually everything from these two games made it into the PS1 game. Neon's right about needing a Gameshark code for the TATE mode in TRP though

Raiden DX is a strange beast. It has an entirely different scoring system, new levels with the Raiden II bosses at the end of each level (which is why some called it "Raiden II redux"), a choice of new music or old Raiden tunes (can't remember if the tunes are from Raiden or Raiden II at the moment), and a new "training" level that's 15 minutes long to play through.

Neither one is exactly cheap, but if you want more bang for your buck, grab The Raiden Project first, as it has two games on it, ktg.

J-Manic · Post by **J-Manic** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:59 am

I recommend Raiden DX over Raiden Project, because I think Raiden II in DX is a much better port. But that's just me.

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:29 am

But J-Manic, Raiden II isn't in Raiden DX (well, beyond the first five levels in RDX's "Novice" mode anyway). RDX on the PS1 is a port of RDX from the arcade. I apologise for sounding like a nit picky asshole, but I'm just trying to keep things straight for the new guy asking about it.

J-Manic · Post by **J-Manic** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:33 am

Sure it is. The game is a "reworking" of Raiden II.

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 2:00 am

If you played Raiden II and then played Raiden DX right afterwards, you'd find the two are quite different. Sure, there are similarities (namely, that RDX uses RII's bosses), but RDX is different from RII in that the stages are new, the enemies are in new patterns, there are enemy redesigns (and I believe new enemies too), there's a new soundtrack, and a big change in how the scoring works. While it's not quite as big a jump in changes as Raiden II was over Raiden (which weren't that drastic really), there are enough changes that if the bosses were completely new, I don't think anyone would call it a reworking.

FRO · Post by **FRO** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 2:38 am

I've not played Raiden DX, but as the proud owner of Raiden Project I can tell you it's worth every penny. Definitely a must-buy for PSX shmup fans.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 4:18 am

Raiden Project is a must-have even if you have DX in my opinion. The first Raiden is worth the money all by itself. Add in Raiden II and it's a steal.

Limbrooke · Post by **Limbrooke** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 4:32 am

I have USA Raiden Project and it has TATE selectable (aka Horizontal Mode)
Don't ask me why but it's true, unless of course this isn't TATE and I've always been using it.

Otherwise, yes I concur Raiden Project is a good pickup and essentially the only place you'll find near arcade perfect ports of Raiden and Raiden 2.
DX is almost like a whole new game but seperately, that's worth picking up, noprblm.

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 4:44 am

J-Manic wrote:Sure it is. The game is a "reworking" of Raiden II.

By that logic, Raiden II is a "reworking" of Raiden I, as it keeps nearly all of the level structure.

So, Raiden DX is a "reworking" (and by those quotation marks, you imply rehash) of Raiden 1.

J-Manic · Post by **J-Manic** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 5:49 am

Wow. That just goes to show you how much I know about some shmups. Thanks for the correction The Coop. Now I understand. And I should've known better too, since I also own Raiden Project, but never play it.

vtmobius · Post by **vtmobius** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 5:53 am

Raiden Project is great imo. Got mine for fifty US, mint besides smelling like smoke, (cleaned the case seems fine now) probably overpaid, but I enjoy it.

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:02 am

J-Manic wrote:Wow. That just goes to show you how much I know about some shmups. Thanks for the correction The Coop. Now I understand. And I should've known better too, since I also own Raiden Project, but never play it.

...

Now that right there is crime. For such a deed, 50 hours playing only The Earth Defend on the Genesis

Anyway, hope I didn't get too pushy

J-Manic · Post by **J-Manic** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:12 am

That's a harsh penance man!

Nah, I never really played RP alot, ever since I started playing DX in tate.

Bloodreign · Post by **Bloodreign** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:11 am

I've got two days left on an auction of Raiden Project on Ebay, hope I win as I've got a strange respect for Raiden, and I need to play Raiden 2 with music (PC game I found on Emule has no music), plus a bit more speed (PC version also runs a little slow).

Kaiser · Post by **Kaiser** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 2:38 pm

Raiden project is worth a try!!
Raiden DX is just raiden 2.5 also worth but first get raiden project!

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:24 pm

I do have a USA Bios version of Seibu Kaihatsu/Fabtek Raiden II arcade PCB and the USA Bios version of Seibu Kaihatsu/Fabtek Raiden DX. There is a back-up battery on the Raiden II PCB but it needs to be replaced in order to save the high scores for 'Players 1 & 2'.

I've heard that some shmuppers on this forum have several Raiden II PCBs but they all have some minor or major problems. It is recommended that one get a 100% working with no problems whatsoever Raiden II PCB -- one prefferably with a minty fresh "back-up" battery installed for high score posterity. I've got a Raiden II PCB that is flawless with no problems whatsoever. ^_~

As for my Raiden DX PCB, it works 100% complete -- it's just that some graphical glitches for the background scenery and the main game title. Otherwise, it would be a flawless DX PCB in itself. ^_~

Sure I ended up getting the PSX USA version of Raiden Project at my local Kay-Bee toy store in October 1998 for a mere $19.99 USD brand new. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

PFG 9000 · Post by **PFG 9000** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:37 am

J-Manic wrote:I also own Raiden Project, but never play it.

Any chance I could buy that from you, since you never play it?

Limbrooke wrote:I have USA Raiden Project and it has TATE selectable (aka Horizontal Mode)
Don't ask me why but it's true, unless of course this isn't TATE and I've always been using it.

It's really something like half-TATE. The screen is rotated 90 degrees and all, but the controls are designed so that you play the game with your TV in the normal position. Normal TATE mode is meant to be played on a TV that has been rotated 90 degrees, so that the game is still vertically scrolling, but pressing Left on the controller makes your ship move left (not up) and pressing Right makes it move right (not down).

Does that make any sense? It's sorta tough to explain. If you were to rotate your TV in The Raiden Project's horizontal mode, the controls would be all messed up.

NTSC-J · Post by **NTSC-J** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:35 am

ktg wrote:Thanks for the quick reply. I'll go ahead and pick it up. I haven't got the balls to TATE my TV yet. Nor the cash to start importing. Hopefully in the future.

The import copy is like 20 bucks. JPN PS1's are cheap, but if you don't already have a JPS2 that should be your primary mission. Can't be a shooter fan without a JPS2 or two.

And flip that TV! As long as it hasn't been on for the past half hour, you should be able to flip it without any problems.

Limbrooke · Post by **Limbrooke** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:34 pm

PFG 9000 wrote:I have USA Raiden Project and it has TATE selectable (aka Horizontal Mode)
Don't ask me why but it's true, unless of course this isn't TATE and I've always been using it.
It's really something like half-TATE. The screen is rotated 90 degrees and all, but the controls are designed so that you play the game with your TV in the normal position. Normal TATE mode is meant to be played on a TV that has been rotated 90 degrees, so that the game is still vertically scrolling, but pressing Left on the controller makes your ship move left (not up) and pressing Right makes it move right (not down).

Does that make any sense? It's sorta tough to explain. If you were to rotate your TV in The Raiden Project's horizontal mode, the controls would be all messed up.

Yeah actually you're right. I wonder why they messed it up.
Ah well, at least you can rotate the controller to suit your needs.
BTW, I am selling Raiden Project-J so if you're interested drop me one.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:29 pm

NTSC-J wrote:
ktg wrote:Thanks for the quick reply. I'll go ahead and pick it up. I haven't got the balls to TATE my TV yet. Nor the cash to start importing. Hopefully in the future.
The import copy is like 20 bucks. JPN PS1's are cheap, but if you don't already have a JPS2 that should be your primary mission. Can't be a shooter fan without a JPS2 or two.

And flip that TV! As long as it hasn't been on for the past half hour, you should be able to flip it without any problems.

Good points all around. The Japanese version is priced nicely and Raiden must be played in tate format.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:53 pm

IIRC there's a Gameshark-type code you can put into the US Raiden Project which allows you to play in true tate mode, it's in a thread around here someplace. Also, of course, speaking of Gamesharks and whatnot, if you don't want to buy an import PS1 there are boot discs and such that work pretty well (not perfectly, but for most games they do fine). Of course, as was mentioned, the best option in most cases is a good ol' JPS2.

doctorx0079 · Post by **doctorx0079** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 4:38 pm

NTSC-J wrote:
ktg wrote:Thanks for the quick reply. I'll go ahead and pick it up. I haven't got the balls to TATE my TV yet. Nor the cash to start importing. Hopefully in the future.
The import copy is like 20 bucks. JPN PS1's are cheap, but if you don't already have a JPS2 that should be your primary mission. Can't be a shooter fan without a JPS2 or two.

And flip that TV! As long as it hasn't been on for the past half hour, you should be able to flip it without any problems.

Unplug it first, then turn it, then plug it back in, and then turn it on. Hopefully nothing will break and you will be okay. You might want to use a cheap or old TV.

Egad, I finally found the old thread :
http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... e++xchange

RP actually has a secret fourth display mode which is true Tate. It was covered up for the US release but this code forces the game into the fourth mode.

MovingTarget · Post by **MovingTarget** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:08 pm

I own the pal version, and when I switch it to tate, an option appears asking if I want to rotate the controls too. I always pick the wrong one!

Daigohji · Post by **Daigohji** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 10:07 pm

MovingTarget wrote:I own the pal version, and when I switch it to tate, an option appears asking if I want to rotate the controls too. I always pick the wrong one!

How's the speed on the PAL version, and does it have the dreaded 50Hz screen squish? I'm trying to decide whether to go for the domestic PAL version or import the US one.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:00 pm

Daigohji wrote:
MovingTarget wrote:I own the pal version, and when I switch it to tate, an option appears asking if I want to rotate the controls too. I always pick the wrong one!
How's the speed on the PAL version, and does it have the dreaded 50Hz screen squish? I'm trying to decide whether to go for the domestic PAL version or import the US one.

all PAL PSOne games are stuck to 50hz, sorry. However, PAL version has true tate (ie adjusted controls for tate) and in-stage checkpoints for Raiden, something lacking in the JPN rev.

Zach Keene · Post by **Zach Keene** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:39 pm

So, in summary, you're hosed no matter which version you get:

Japan: forced checkpoints in Raiden I
US: screwy tate controls unless you have a Gameshark.
Europe: 50hz

Raiden Project

Raiden Project

There're original PCB versions of Raiden/II/DX to own...