Arcade 2d Shoot ‘em Up Perfection
I’ve been a fan of the Raiden series ever since seeing them in-person at the height of the 2d arcade days. Unfortunately due to its rarity in my local arcades I never had the chance to play them very often. So this compilation of the three Fighters series games for $20 is probably one of the best deals ever for fans of Shoot ‘em Ups. It’s an absolute steal for the price.

Each game in the Fighters series would be very approachable for intermediate and above skill levels. It’s a great introduction for those who want a more action packed Shoot ‘em Up experience without dipping into bullet hell territory. With only a casual commitment they are still difficult games to play proficiently, but the enemy and bullet patterns are (mostly) fair and avoidable on the standard or below difficulty levels. Average players could enjoy any Fighters game without having to posses reflexes that are beyond those of mere mortals. If lightning reflexes and quick thinking aren’t in short supply however, then there is a lot of depth to enjoy… Like any great Shoot ‘em Up they can be very complex or shallow experiences depending on the individual and dedication put forth. Regardless, a little extra shot of caffeine before playing might help add a few more points to the high score.

There are only two potential drawbacks… One might be some visual overload because there are just tons of objects moving fast on-screen at any given time. Still to this very day all three Raiden Fighters are impressive for 2d sprite games. There’s not much in the way of a slow difficulty ramp-up such as a game like Galaga. Pick your fighter, hit start and prepare to dive-in head first! Depending on personal preferences the second drawback could be the soundtrack. It will be either great or annoying depending on how appealing someone finds Drum & Bass / Breakbeat music. Regardless, it does add to the experience of the adrenaline packed play and was an appropriate soundtrack style for each game.

So on top of the great classic game play and 2d graphics, Raiden Fighters Aces probably has one of the best arcade to console ports ever. For those who care there are well designed menus, filter options galore, a rotate screen function, saturation adjustments, even add arcade monitor style scan lines and control their intensity. It makes all other arcade compilations and ports with the standard blur/scale filter just seem that much more pathetic. New functionality like saving and viewing game replays, new boss rush modes and having an online score scoreboard with LIVE are just icing on the cake.

Maybe someone can correct me, but as far as I know MAME still doesn’t emulate this series well due to the encryption of the original boards and ROMs used. So this maybe the only chance for awhile to play the Fighters series properly outside of owning the original arcade hardware. If there is any remote interest in the game please get a copy now before this becomes a lost gem and goes for 2-3x’s the price!

Now all I need is some mega PSiKYO compilation of this caliber and I can die at anytime knowing my life is complete.

TLDR: Like Arcade Shoot ‘em Ups? BUY IT NOW!