Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX: The mi gift from heaven

2023-06-10 22:18:51

After the release of Raiden IV Mikado Remix, we had to wait many months… the wait was endless!

Let’s move on immediately to the ship story… uh ship of Raiden III: a new race of extraterrestrials, the Crystals, land and want to enslave the Earth with a massive broadcast of “Hands off my post” and listening to Tony Parker’s rap album. A good excuse to get on your spaceship and kill aliens in packs of 12.

A boat story

Originally released in Arcade in 2005 then initially on PS2, here it is all gleaming on our consoles in its Mikado version. But what would Mikado say to me? Nothing to do with cookies in the shape of a chocolate stick. Mikado is one of the best arcades in Tokyo and has produced a high quality musical rearrangement on the game.

the Mikado Hall (source: dokodemo.fr)

Old Gen vs Mikado Version

I have a special relationship with the Raiden series. As a child, my first memories of shoot’em up are Space invaders and Life Force Salamander on NES. But what a slap, when in the cafe smoky with the smell of Gitanes Maïs (the only cigarette that, once in your mouth, allows you to continue speaking normally because it is stuck to your lip and gives you a breath close to nutria) , I discovered Raiden in 1990. I remember it like it was yesterday, a bit like my first ole ole film: Australian Fascination on Canal. And the fascination was there, not Australian but Japanese. Once my 2 1-franc coins are introduced into the terminal, an anthology shoot with vertical scrolling. Fire !!! Me, I was used to the video game going from left to right. Here it was new, with devastating mega bomb impacts on the ground. But yes, remember, you too were a child! You have this kind of memories that leave an impression on you and that give you that Proust madeleine side when you touch a bit of carefree time with your finger. Nostalgia

The joy of destruction, level clear and impacts on the ground

Raiden is a very basic shooter: 1 fire button and 1 Mega bomb button that destroys enemies and screen shots. But it reveals an incomparable richness and challenge. If finishing it in practice or in very easy will not pose any problem for you, the higher levels of difficulty will offer you a real challenge, as the cascade of dumplings seems uninterrupted. Throughout the 7 levels punctuated by a boss, you will dodge and snipe your enemies with 3 shots and 3 types of missiles, each with their own properties: the vulcan, the laser, the Proton which is steerable and in classic missiles, homing and rockets . An arsenal of choice that allows many combinations, alone or in pairs.

Work in 2, serious work

The Mikado Maniax version therefore offers a small graphic enhancement in order to adapt to our modern screens, a choice between classic and rearranged music, a mode where you control the 2 ships by being alone using the 2 joysticks, full small wallpapers to customize your game screen because if you’re a beggar like me, you can’t switch your TV to TATE mode, i.e. turn your screen 90°, you’ll be playing with a screen amputated by bands lateral.

Mikado sound additions

I think I made a dumpling

To summarize, Raiden III is the very essence of shoot’em up in its purest version. The Mikado version gives it shine and flamboyance. If you’re a fan, you already bought it when it was released. You will just regret that it is so short… we want more and more. I’m ready like in the carnivals, to give thumbs up to get more and more. But like any arcade game, despite its short lifespan, we always come back to it, like a Crazy Taxi for example. Isn’t that the hallmark of great games! YES, Raiden III x Mikado Maniax, I love you with love, the love of an old gamer who likes to rediscover the time of Club Dorothée, the wonders of the world and where Jingoro was still Seb.