Raiden Fighters 2
Encyclopedia
is a 1997
scrolling shooter arcade game
by Seibu Kaihatsu
. It is the direct sequel
to Raiden Fighters
, which is part of the Raiden
scrolling shooter game legacy. This game shares the same intense gameplay as its predecessor, as well as expanding on the concepts that defined it. It is followed by Raiden Fighters Jet
, the third and final game so far in the series.
The later Raiden Fighters 2 - 2000 Operation Hell Dive clone runs on cheaper hardware and features notoriously inferior sound than the original. A newer single-board version was released for the US market. This version of Raiden Fighters 2 is a stand-alone version that has all fighters available immediately.
groups gather under a dictator
. Together, this rogue group forms a new nation and launches a salvo of attacks on the protagonist fighting forces. In response to these surprise attacks, the government recalls the previous troops into action once again, outfitted with retooled ordinances.
genre, Raiden Fighters 2 has simplistic controls. A Fire button shoots the player craft's weaponry. A Bomb button unleashes an attack that deals massive damage to all enemy targets caught in its blast, as well as nullify enemy firepower. Bombing is most often used as a panic attack to save the player from death.
A new feature introduced in Raiden Fighters 2 is the Hybrid Attack, available only during a two-player game. This attack is initiated by both players unleashing their charged special attacks near simultaneously while within very close proximity within each other.
Scoring has been given a significant upgrade from the first game. Medals, bonus items that increase player score, appear far more frequently in Raiden Fighters 2.
s, beach
es, and high in the sky on a strafing run against very large bomber
s. Each of the first two Missions ends in a long boss encounter. The first two stages in these Missions are randomly ordered. The final Mission pits the player against an attack base and an experimental attack aircraft as bosses.
incarnations. Some craft had their secondary weapons switched around, while others had theirs revamped. The rest are new to this game, complete with new weaponry.
There are even more secret fighters available in the game. This game makes use of a time-release feature that makes more fighters available for play depending how long the arcade machine had been running since initial boot-up. Several newer single-PCB versions of the game eliminate the time-release feature outright and make all the fighters available for selection immediately. Secret ships include the Miclus (a collectible score item) and the second-player colored variation of the Raiden mk-II
and Judge Spear
, each with different weaponry and attributes than their counterparts.
All but two of the hidden craft in this game reappear in the sequel Raiden Fighters Jet
.
style with some instances of drum and bass
(the theme of the boss stages). The soundtrack was composed by Go Satoh. His past works include the soundtracks of Raiden II
, parts of Raiden DX
, Viper Phase 1
, Senkyu
(Battle Balls in the USA), and the first Raiden Fighters
.
1997 in video gaming
-Events:*October 4 — Gunpei Yokoi dies after a double car accident.*November – Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association launched.*3rd annual E3...
scrolling shooter arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
by Seibu Kaihatsu
Seibu Kaihatsu
is a Japanese manufacturer of arcade games. They are best known for the Raiden series of games. The company was once called Seibu Denshi.-Games by Seibu-Kaihatsu:* Stinger * Kung-Fu Taikun * Knuckle Joe...
. It is the direct sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Raiden Fighters
Raiden Fighters
is a 1996 scrolling shooter arcade game by Seibu Kaihatsu. It is followed by the sequel, Raiden Fighters 2: Operation Hell Dive. It introduced unique gameplay elements that are a departure from the original Raiden series.-Plot:...
, which is part of the Raiden
Raiden (arcade game)
is a scrolling shooter arcade game that was developed by Seibu Kaihatsu. It was the first game in the popular Raiden series of scrolling shooter arcade games.Raiden first made its debut in September 1990...
scrolling shooter game legacy. This game shares the same intense gameplay as its predecessor, as well as expanding on the concepts that defined it. It is followed by Raiden Fighters Jet
Raiden Fighters Jet
is the third and last game in the Raiden Fighters series. This game retains the same intensity and manic gameplay as its predecessors, while introducing several new mechanics.-Gameplay:The Hybrid Attack from Raiden Fighters 2 returns in this game...
, the third and final game so far in the series.
The later Raiden Fighters 2 - 2000 Operation Hell Dive clone runs on cheaper hardware and features notoriously inferior sound than the original. A newer single-board version was released for the US market. This version of Raiden Fighters 2 is a stand-alone version that has all fighters available immediately.
Plot
Raiden Fighters 2 takes place four years after the events of the first game. In the aftermath, a few surviving guerrillaGuerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
groups gather under a dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
. Together, this rogue group forms a new nation and launches a salvo of attacks on the protagonist fighting forces. In response to these surprise attacks, the government recalls the previous troops into action once again, outfitted with retooled ordinances.
Gameplay
Like most games in the shoot 'em upShoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
genre, Raiden Fighters 2 has simplistic controls. A Fire button shoots the player craft's weaponry. A Bomb button unleashes an attack that deals massive damage to all enemy targets caught in its blast, as well as nullify enemy firepower. Bombing is most often used as a panic attack to save the player from death.
A new feature introduced in Raiden Fighters 2 is the Hybrid Attack, available only during a two-player game. This attack is initiated by both players unleashing their charged special attacks near simultaneously while within very close proximity within each other.
Scoring has been given a significant upgrade from the first game. Medals, bonus items that increase player score, appear far more frequently in Raiden Fighters 2.
Stages
There are a total of seven stages, divided into three Missions. Stage environments include swampSwamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s, beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es, and high in the sky on a strafing run against very large bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
s. Each of the first two Missions ends in a long boss encounter. The first two stages in these Missions are randomly ordered. The final Mission pits the player against an attack base and an experimental attack aircraft as bosses.
Fighter Craft
The seven standard aircraft in this game are mostly overhauls of their original Raiden FightersRaiden Fighters
is a 1996 scrolling shooter arcade game by Seibu Kaihatsu. It is followed by the sequel, Raiden Fighters 2: Operation Hell Dive. It introduced unique gameplay elements that are a departure from the original Raiden series.-Plot:...
incarnations. Some craft had their secondary weapons switched around, while others had theirs revamped. The rest are new to this game, complete with new weaponry.
There are even more secret fighters available in the game. This game makes use of a time-release feature that makes more fighters available for play depending how long the arcade machine had been running since initial boot-up. Several newer single-PCB versions of the game eliminate the time-release feature outright and make all the fighters available for selection immediately. Secret ships include the Miclus (a collectible score item) and the second-player colored variation of the Raiden mk-II
Raiden II
is a vertical scrolling shooter arcade game that was developed by Seibu Kaihatsu. It was the second game in the popular Raiden series of vertical scrolling shooter arcade games that started with Raiden.-Plot:...
and Judge Spear
Viper Phase 1
is a 1995 scrolling shooter arcade game by Seibu Kaihatsu, and is the spin-off in the Raiden series. This game is often referred to as "Raiden in space".-Story:...
, each with different weaponry and attributes than their counterparts.
All but two of the hidden craft in this game reappear in the sequel Raiden Fighters Jet
Raiden Fighters Jet
is the third and last game in the Raiden Fighters series. This game retains the same intensity and manic gameplay as its predecessors, while introducing several new mechanics.-Gameplay:The Hybrid Attack from Raiden Fighters 2 returns in this game...
.
Music
The music of Raiden Fighters 2 is composed in the technoTechno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
style with some instances of drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
(the theme of the boss stages). The soundtrack was composed by Go Satoh. His past works include the soundtracks of Raiden II
Raiden II
is a vertical scrolling shooter arcade game that was developed by Seibu Kaihatsu. It was the second game in the popular Raiden series of vertical scrolling shooter arcade games that started with Raiden.-Plot:...
, parts of Raiden DX
Raiden DX
is the third installment in the Raiden series of arcade games developed by Seibu Kaihatsu.-Gameplay:The gameplay of Raiden DX is similar to that of its predecessor Raiden II in ways of weapons, levels, and bosses; however its expert stage mode branches slightly from the formula.-Alpha Stage:A...
, Viper Phase 1
Viper Phase 1
is a 1995 scrolling shooter arcade game by Seibu Kaihatsu, and is the spin-off in the Raiden series. This game is often referred to as "Raiden in space".-Story:...
, Senkyu
Senkyu
Senkyu, known as Battle Balls in English, is an arcade puzzle game created by Seibu Kaihatsu and released in 1995. A version for the Sony PlayStation was later released in limited quantities for the Japanese market and is now extremely rare...
(Battle Balls in the USA), and the first Raiden Fighters
Raiden Fighters
is a 1996 scrolling shooter arcade game by Seibu Kaihatsu. It is followed by the sequel, Raiden Fighters 2: Operation Hell Dive. It introduced unique gameplay elements that are a departure from the original Raiden series.-Plot:...
.