Arcade Archives: Raiden (PlayStation 4|5- Nintendo Switch)

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Sturmvogel Prime
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Arcade Archives: Raiden (PlayStation 4|5- Nintendo Switch)

Post by Sturmvogel Prime »

Alright!, Stop playing whatever shmup you're playing right now.
Hamster has brought something very, very special for all the shmup community.






Something that we've been waiting for 31 years.






Hope everyone here is ready for this...







Be prepared to be blown through the back of your room.







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Ditch the SNES port of Raiden Trad right now.

That's right, your eyes are not fooling you, and this is not a Rickroll or some sort of sick joke. Arcade Archives latest entry of "coin-up classics at home" is no other than the legendary shooter Raiden.

This one is really a surprise, since any fan of this game probably thought MOSS would be bringing a re-release of this game in a compilation sometime in the future, then comes Hamster Corporation and brings the original Raiden to our PS4 and PS5 and the Switch, making this an excellent addition to their catalogue of arcade shmups.

Now you can say "Goodbye" to the SNES port of Raiden Trad and put the console back to the closet with the Genesis and its Raiden Trad cartridge.
The same goes for the Atari Jaguar version.


For a deeper analysis of Raiden's gameplay, check Raiden's review
BONUS: Raiden - The Console Ports in One Review



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The Future Rides On This Flight.

As part of the Arcade Archives series, the game has four modes: Original Mode Japanese Version, Original Mode International Version, Hi-Score Mode and Caravan Mode. Unlike later shmups where the difference between Japan and American/European/Korean releases are the language and sometimes different names (Example: Sonic Wings 2/Aero Fighters 2), in Raiden's case, it is on a difficulty element, and that's the checkpoint after losing a life, which is present on the Japanese version, and adds an extra of difficulty for those who are looking for a even more difficult challenge from this game as if the continue checkpoint wasn't already difficult enough, while the International version removes that for a more "One Player Friendly" challenge, but keeping the continue checkpoint after losing all your lives and continuing the game. This is the version that Fabtek, Tuning and Metrotainment brought outside of Japan. I think Hamster should at least kept the Fabtek logo on the startup next to Seibu Kaihatsu's logo and in the International version, since Fabtek was with the Raiden franchise all the time prior to the MOSS era that started with Raiden III. You can call that a bit of "Raiden History" if you want.

Being a direct port of the arcade game means only one thing: The true, genuine arcade gameplay, and all of the original arcade graphics and sound are present in this game, and that's a prayer that most oldschoolers got answered in this port of Raiden. ¿Remember the disappointment you had with Electro Brain's Raiden Trad when you're a kid or how the PS1 port in The Raiden Project failed to have the original arcade music? Problem solved. The real arcade game is now at home, and for the sake of vintage arcade nostalgia, you are given the option of add scanlines to replicate the old arcade monitors.

A well known feature of this PlayStation 4/5 and Switch releases is the inclusion of Trophies/Achievements, but unlike the XBOX One's ACA Neogeo games which exploits the categories (probably to justify the 1000 points requirement), the PS4 only features 6 Trohpies while an XB1 ACA Neogeo game like Blazing Star has 12 taking advantage of the Modes, this lack of trophies also affect the PS4 ports of ACA Neogeo games ¿Why not adding more trophies to the PS4 ports?, that question really demands an answer.



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Three ships, no continues.
Like those afterschool Fridays on the arcade when you only had one coin and you decide to gave it a shot.


If you're familiar with the Arcade Archives and its ACA Neogeo series, you'll probably know what's up with Hi-Score and Caravan Modes. For those who're new into these arcade release series, Hi-Score Mode is a 3 lives, no continues mode where the objective is to reach the highest score possible, pretty much like a Survival Mode or if you're a Raiden fan "Competition Mode" as if it was called in the FM Towns Marty port of Raiden Trad. Unlike the previous Arcade Archives and ACA Neogeo entries, you are now allowed to select if you want to play it on the Japanese or the International version.



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With enough luck, you'll pass the first half of Stage 2 before time runs out.

Caravan Mode is also a three ships, no continues mode. But the objective here is to reach the highest score possible within five minutes and see how far you can get in the game before the time runs out, just like in Starship Hector's timed modes. Like in the other Arcade Archives/ACA Neogeo games, the timer keeps runnin in the stage result screen, taking precious time away. Like in Hi Score Mode, you can select if you want to play the Japanese or International version.


CURIOSITY ARCHIVES: RAIDEN
- After decades, Seibu Kaihatsu releases a Raiden title by themselves instead of giving the task to MOSS, even if its a re-release of the arcade game.



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Watch your PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch take off as Raiden flies to the final showdown.

After all the Raiden Trad's and Super Raiden, it is time to finally retire all those ports for FM Towns Marty, the Genesis, Atari Jaguar, Lynx, DOS, PC/CD Engine and the SNES.
It took 31 years, both PlayStations 4 and 5 and the Nintendo Switch, but we finally have the definitive home version of Raiden that we've all been waiting for.

¿Do I need to ask you if I recommend this?, It's Raiden! That game is a yes in your shmup AND arcade collection.

If only Seibu Kaihatsu decides to bring Raiden II and Raiden DX to the Arcade Archives we can finally retire The Raiden Project and the PlayStation port of DX.

Good Luck, Have Fun, and remember: Shoot'em before they shoot you.
Also, try to play the game while hearing Stratovarius' song "Millennium", which is a very Raiden reminiscent song.



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Looks like the "Lea Scale" took off with Raiden too.
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