Raiden Fighters
Raiden Fighters (ライデンファイターズ, Raiden Faitāzu) is a 1996 scrolling shooter arcade game by Seibu Kaihatsu. It is followed by the sequel, Raiden Fighters 2: Operation Hell Dive. This game introduced new game mechanics that separate it from the original Raiden series.
| Raiden Fighters | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Seibu Kaihatsu |
| Publisher(s) | Fabtek (US) The Metrotainment Network (Asia) Tuning Electronic (DE) DotEmu (PC) |
| Series | Raiden |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Microsoft Windows |
| Release | Arcade 1996 Microsoft Windows May 16, 2013 |
| Genre(s) | Vertical scrolling shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player, 2 player Co-op |
| Cabinet | Upright |
| Arcade system | Seibu SPI System |
| Display | Raster, 240 x 320 pixels (Vertical), 6144 colors |
Plot
The opening prologue of Raiden Fighters 2 hints at a plot from this game. The protagonists are at war against an army headed by a dictator. Raiden Fighters 2 indicates that its story takes place four years after the events of this game.[1] The briefings for each mission include a war plan superimposed over a map depicting the countries of China and Japan, indicating this game is set in eastern Asia.
Stages
The game's seven levels are divided into three missions. The first two missions have three levels each, the first two levels being randomly ordered. The final mission takes the player to the enemy's main fortress.
Fighter craft
In Raiden Fighters, there are five available fighter craft, each with a Laser and a Missile weapon. Each fighter craft has different strengths and weaknesses. Depending on a particular machine's settings, ships from the earlier Seibu Kaihatsu titles Raiden II and Viper Phase 1 can be chosen. These two ships (given the names Raiden mk-II and Judge Spear respectively) have different mechanics from the five regular craft, such as different bombs and the ability to use Laser and Missile weapons simultaneously. The Slave plane is playable, inheriting the bomb and movement speed of the fighter craft they normally accompany.
Ports and conversions
Reception
In Japan, Game Machine listed Raiden Fighters on their December 15, 1996 issue as being the third most-successful arcade game of the year.[2]
References
- "4 years pass since the defeat of the Dictator's Army. However, the remnant guerrillas gathering under a Dictator make a new nation and start attacks on our forces...", opening prologue of Raiden Fighters 2
- "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 532. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 December 1996. p. 25.