The Raiden Project was a launch title for the original PlayStation console. Included in this release were two arcade games, Raiden I and II. It is worth noting this is still the only home release for the sequel in this series of arcade shooters. To play the second game correctly required a bit of work on the part of fans.

Vertical scrolling arcade action

The Raiden franchise is one of the few successful vertical scrolling success stories. For some reason, the fan base for vertical scrolling shooters is nothing compared to that of horizontal ones.

If you have never played a Raiden game, particularly the early ones, then you are in for a treat. Well, if you can get over the graphics not being 4K 60+ frames per second, and all that.

The challenge level here is high and unforgiving. There are no life bars and one hit will end your life. You do get a few lives per go but haphazard gaming will run through those quickly.

Bringing arcade games home

Probably a jab at Sega, Raiden Project proved one thing clear. The PlayStation could recreate arcade games quite well. Sure, the original Raiden was dated by this time, it was also an extremely popular home port on other platforms. One being the Atari Jaguar, others being the Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Turbo Grafx-16, etc.

Allowing The Raiden Project to be a launch title allowed some stores to set up “side by side” displays in their stores. Electronics Boutique (EB) did this against the Atari Jaguar version but not the 16-bit ones. The PlayStation version easily bested the Jaguar version though upon closer inspection. It also probably helped that you got two games on the PlayStation disc.

Still, the point was made, PlayStation could do 2D and do arcade to home ports quite well. Street Fighter The Movie and Ridge Racer were also arcade to home port launch titles.

Unfortunately, Raiden II requires you to turn your television on its side if you want to play correctly. There is an horizontal mode available but man, that has to be weird to play.

Raiden Project was an anomaly

It was clear that Sony intended the PlayStation console to be 3D powerhouse. They even went out of their way to leave 2D games in Japan as often as possible. That is why The Raiden Project is an anomaly in the launch title selection.

Other launch titles were all 3D of some sort. Only two other launch titles would be 2D in nature (Street Fighter The Movie and Rayman). The other six launch titles were decidedly 3D in gameplay and probably better showcased the direction Sony intended to go. Still, early on, fans were given a bit of false hope that 2D would be heavily supported on the Sony PlayStation.

While 2D releases would occur, for the most part they were not by Sony themselves. These releases also featured something to show off the PlayStation hardware – animated intros, CD audio, etc.

Want to own the only home conversion of Raiden II available? Check eBay or Amazon out and secure your copy today.

Carl Williams

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