1995 - Next Generation #2 on Raiden I and II for PlayStation

[parallaxscroll2]

Next Generation magazine issue #2 - February 1995 article on Raiden and Raiden II for PlayStation.

http://i.imgur.com/fC7ZUxy.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/LBUoVwX.jpg

Naturally of course this is what would be titled The Raiden Project.

[Kollision]

That's awesome, thanks for sharing!

[KAI]

Interesting, thanks.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I've got that particular NG #2 issue in my gaming stash alrighty. It's interesting to learn that since Seibu handled the The Raiden Project game development themselves, there's a bit of slight differences with the PSX port and the PCB -- that's a given. Even the CyberFront produced Win95 port of Raiden II is based off of the PSX Raiden II engine that Seibu created but has the original Raiden II arcade OST being streamed as 44.1kHz Redbook audio (whereas with the PSX port, it's being handled by the PSX's on-board audio chips as Yellowbook audio format). Still impressive nevertheless.

I do recall seeing TRP up for sale on day one when the U.S. Playstation console made it's grand debut. Priced at a MSRP of $59.99 + tax, it was a fine shmup to play back in the day. Fast forward to October of 1997, the American toy retailer, Kaybee Toys, were selling brand new PSX TRP sets with a bargain price listed at $19.99 USD. Snatched one at that attractive pricepoint. It came shipped in one of those traditional Sega long CD jewel boxes that SCEA had bought the remaining unused Sega CD box inventory directly from SOA (hence the real reason why the 1st gen PSX game titles came in those long CD jewel boxes before SCEA made the switch to the standard music CD jewel box format).

As for Raiden II Jamma PCB conversion kits appearing at the local American arcades courtesy of the U.S. based Fabtek arcade distributor, there was a time when it was up & running in no less than four different local arcade hangouts in the greater Modesto, CA area in the mid-1990s (with it first making it's debut back in February of 1994 at The Game Regency Palace arcade with a "New Game" marquee placed on top of it to denote that it was a brand new arcade STG title). The Modesto, CA based Nickel Play arcade joint still had a generic Dynamo upright cab with a Raiden II PCB in place earning nickels to credit up a single credit - it was there until the very end when Nickel Play's doors shut for good in May of 1998. In retrospect, Raiden II was quite a popular arcade STG in the arcades. I recall a small group gathering around to watch me play the 2nd loop of Raiden II at the Camelot Park amusement joint back in the day.

Upon seeing a Raiden II set up in a generic Dynamo cab at the Circus Circus casino's arcade area in Lake Tahoe, NV around the 1996-1997 timeline that saved high scores and high scores initials upon being powered down for the night, that really caught my attention as that was the only time that I can recall encountering such a R-II PCB saving such scores. All the other times I've seen a Raiden II PCB setup at the local arcades, the scores would vanish the next day upon being booted up from a cold start. Still puzzles me as to how that particular Raiden II PCB could save such high scores + high score initials to this very day.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[parallaxscroll2]

I saw Raiden II in arcades a few times in the Chicago area during 1993-95.
There was a unit at the Namco Cyberstation arcade in Golf Mill Shopping Center in Niles, IL.

The Raiden Project was one of the three games I bought for PS1 a few days after launch in Sept '95.
When I wasn't playing Ridge Racer I was playing Raiden II...Battle Arena Toshinden went pretty much ignored

I downloaded the Windows 95 port like 12 or 13 years ago. I suspected the coding was based on The Raiden Project, nice to have some confirmation.

[Domino]

Wow, there were a gaijin working for Sebiu back in the day. Thanks for the scans!

[malchitos]

Yeah it was definitely a launch title because I wrestled between getting it and Battle Arena Toshinden. I ended up getting the fighter(and regretting it from then on!). When I had more cash the next week I couldn't find it and got Ridge Racer instead. From that point on I have never seen it again.

[CIT]

Thanks for posting.

BTW, it's funny how the article refers to Raiden as an "arcade fighter."

[Ganelon]

Nice scan. Before seeing the links, I thought this would be the interview with the US Raiden Project localization team (when the US version was first announced) but it looks like this preview predates the US announcement. In the interview I remember from one of the major US gaming mags, the localizer mentioned that the team was probably going to remove tate mode for the US because Sony didn't want to get into any legal trouble with folks trying to rotate their TVs.

It's nice that they ultimately came up with a compromise instead of scrapping the whole thing. Unfortunately, I'm guilty of completely ignoring The Raiden Project for Battle Arena Toshinden at the time. Ah, and good old magazine cover dates; if the game's release date was Jan., if this is the Feb issue, and if the game is only 70% complete by the time of this writing, then this article was probably written Oct-Nov.

[parallaxscroll2]

Nice scan. Before seeing the links, I thought this would be the interview with the US Raiden Project localization team (when the US version was first announced) but it looks like this preview predates the US announcement. In the interview I remember from one of the major US gaming mags, the localizer mentioned that the team was probably going to remove tate mode for the US because Sony didn't want to get into any legal trouble with folks trying to rotate their TVs.

It's nice that they ultimately came up with a compromise instead of scrapping the whole thing. Unfortunately, I'm guilty of completely ignoring The Raiden Project for Battle Arena Toshinden at the time. Ah, and good old magazine cover dates; if the game's release date was Jan., if this is the Feb issue, and if the game is only 70% complete by the time of this writing, then this article was probably written Oct-Nov.

Yeah, this is indeed the Feb 1995 issue of Next Generation.

I agree the article would most likely have been written in Oct-Nov 1994. I'm guessing it was probably in the Dec or Jan issue of the sister publication, EDGE.

[The Pope]

Am I the only person who has turned both the tv AND the controller sideways to try and get a good tate on this one?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

There's a handy Gameshark code that remedies that sideways held PSX controller issue that plagues the U.S. version of Raiden Project if playing it in tate mode. Works like a charm if you use a Gameshark/Super Game Convertor/Gold Finger cheat device on an older PSX console with a Parallel I/O port on the backside.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[MintyTheCat]

Many thanks! The PS1 dev system photo alone is worth having!

The mag looked very like EDGE, I had no idea that it had another title in the US.

[parallaxscroll2]

Many thanks! The PS1 dev system photo alone is worth having!

The mag looked very like EDGE, I had no idea that it had another title in the US.

No Problem.

Yeah likewise, when Next Generation was new in the U.S., I had no idea it was called EDGE on the other side of the Atlantic.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I recall that the Next Gen mag was sold at the local Toys-R-Us locations back in the mid 1990s. They even started selling the issue with the very 1st and 2nd one. I bought the second issue upon looking at it and mailed in the card to subscribe to it. Ace reading for a back catalog of gaming in the mid-1990s indeed.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~