I first played this game on an arcade machine at a local recreational centre and was immediately captivated by the non-stop action and player involvement which adds to the formula of one of the most addictive fly-overhead games of the nineties: Raiden 1. Unlike most fly-overhead games, Raiden 1 confronts the player with, for its time, stunning visuals, game-play and enemy AI. Not to mention the fast-paced soundtrack that complements the pace of game-play. With a vast array of upgrade-able weapons, great graphics and the ability play co-operatively, Raiden 1 was at the peak of its genre in the nineties, and sets the foundation for fly-overhead games to come.
I first played this game on an arcade machine at a local recreational centre and was immediately captivated by the non-stop action and player involvement which adds to the formula of one of the most addictive fly-overhead games of the nineties: Raiden 1. Unlike most fly-overhead games, Raiden 1 confronts the player with, for its time, stunning visuals, game-play and enemy AI. Not to mention the fast-paced soundtrack that complements the pace of game-play. With a vast array of upgrade-able weapons, great graphics and the ability play co-operatively, Raiden 1 was at the peak of its genre in the nineties, and sets the foundation for fly-overhead games to come.
In terms of graphics and visuals, Siebu has successfully delivered yet another stunning title. For its time, Raiden 1 displays
bright and detailed objects, enemies and buildings, enhancing the game-play experience by bringing the players environment to life. The graphics do comply however with similar games of the early nineties. Importantly, the air enemies in Raiden 1 fail to show any shadows on the ground below, making it difficult for the player to define from ground and air targets. The objects, buildings and enemies appear sometimes jagged when comparing to similar games of today’s expectations. Looking at games like Raiden Fighters and Strikers 1945 both released in later years, we can see the differences in graphics of flying-shooters and really appreciate the visuals of Raiden 1 for its debut in the early nineties. However these minor details are often neglected during the compelling action of the game.
Raiden 1 puts you in the pilot’s seat of a state-of-the-art fighter jet equipped with an arsenal of powerful and upgrade-able weapons ranging from pulsing lasers to a spread shot volcano cannon. The game starts off with you the pilot facing waves and waves of alien enemies in the form of fighters, bombers and battle-tanks. The game-play is fairly fluent, with little time to rest between battles. Player interaction is limited but satisfactory for its time; however this is one of the major elements of fly-overhead shooters, with one button for primary fire and a secondary to release a devastating bomb attack wreaking havoc on enemies in its vicinity. In terms of storyline and plot, if you play Raiden 1 or any similar platform in an arcade, the story line is difficult to determine, as such it is not the focus of the game. Attention to detail in Raiden 1 is fairly on par with similar games of its time, with fragments of the player’s ship exploding and destroying enemies in its wake. Explosions are not with-held in an action-packed game such as Raiden 1, with players being rewarded with stunning visuals as bosses are destroyed. The limit to playability is fairly conventional with high-scores being the main objective. When playing Raiden 1 using the MAME emulator, difficulty levels can be adjusted to extend the playability.
All in all, Raiden 1 is considerably one of the classic arcade games of the nineties, with 2 sequels following this winning formula, Raiden 1 sets the benchmark for fly-overhead games of its era.
