Raiden Project
Raiden Project |
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System: Playstation |
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ReviewRaiden II is a top-notch shooter. I'm not especially thrilled about having Raiden 1 included on the CD, since it pales in comparison, but it's a nice bonus. My review will focus on the sequel, however. Seibu Kaihatsu, in designing the Raiden series, seems to have focused on providing a sense of realism. Not necessarily realistic graphics, just realistic settings, and realistic explosions (in the sense that they are really big, really loud, and send lots of shrapnel flying all over). Enemy ships don't merely flash and disappear, they go down in flames, and if they crash into a forest or a building they knock great holes into it. This attention to detail is a sure sign either of pyromania or great game design. Controls are absolutely flawless. They need to be, because surviving the barrage of bullets the bosses dish out requires very precise maneuvering. Even ordinary enemies can flood the screen at times, so expect to be kept on your toes. With eight stages, the game is decent lengthwise, and difficulty settings ranging from easy to masochistic ensure there's some replay value. The fact that two players can play simultaneously doesn't hurt, either. There are two types of missiles (both rather puny), and two types of smart bombs (both very impressive). I wish there were more weapon types. With only three main weapons, this is the one area in which this game scores lower than other shooters. A couple other areas where the game doesn't shine... The arcade music is unbearable but you can select remixed music, which is passable. Aside from the explosions the sound is merely average. Flying debris from enemy wrecks can sometimes be confused with bullets. The options to scale the screen image are nice, since you can set the image sideways to duplicate the look of an arcade monitor. Most TVs can't be set on their side without color distortions, though, and the image is distorted horizontally when viewed normally. (I have tried the game with a Commodore monitor on its side, and I have to say it's even more enjoyable than usual that way.) I was horrified to see actual slowdown when the action got really intense, but that was more disappointment with my beloved Playstation than with the game. Finally, there isn't an ending per se, so don't play through the game expecting to be rewarded with one. (They should have saved the semi-nifty intro sequence to use as an ending.) Overall, though, the game is so thoroughly enjoyable that no shooter fan can afford to pass it up. My decision is not yet finalized, but I think I may actually like it better than Space Megaforce, my previous favorite shooter.
Codes
Game Shark CodesA neat trick: use the codes for full power on all three main weapons at once. They all fire at the exact same time, and the system doesn't crash even when the screen gets crowded! Raiden Player 1 infinite lives 8012F7F4 0003 Player 1 infinite thermonukes 8012F802 0003 Player 1 max vulcan 8012F7FA 0008 Player 1 max lasers 8012F7FC 0008 Player 1 max nuke missiles 8012F7FE 0004 Player 1 max homing missiles 8012F800 0004 Player 2 infinite lives 8012F824 0003 Player 2 infinite thermonukes 8012F832 0003 Player 2 max vulcan 8012F82A 0008 Player 2 max lasers 8012F82C 0008 Player 2 max nuke missiles 8012F82E 0004 Player 2 max homing missiles 8012F830 0004 Infinite credits 8004D5DA 0003 Raiden II Player 1 infinite lives 800ECF40 0003 Player 1 infinite thermonukes 800ECF38 0101 Player 1 infinite cluster bombs 800ECF38 0202 Player 1 max nuke missiles 800ECF30 0004 Player 1 max homing missiles 800ECF32 0004 Player 1 max vulcan 800ECF28 0008 Player 1 max lasers 800ECF2A 0008 Player 1 max plasma 800ECF2C 0008 Player 2 infinite lives 800ECF80 0003 Player 2 infinite thermonukes 800ECF78 0101 Player 2 infinite cluster bombs 800ECF78 0202 Player 2 max nuke missiles 800ECF70 0004 Player 2 max homing missiles 800ECF72 0004 Player 2 max vulcan 800ECF68 0008 Player 2 max lasers 800ECF6A 0008 Player 2 max plasma 800ECF6C 0008 Infinite credits 800FFC24 0003 |
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