Raiden Fighters Jet
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| Raiden Fighters Jet | |
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| Developer(s) | SEIBU KAIHATSU INC. |
| Publisher(s) | Fabtek (US) Tuning Electronic (DE) The Metrotainment Network (Asia) |
| Release date | 1998 |
| Genre(s) | Vertical scrolling shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player, 2 player Co-op |
| Input methods | 8-way Joystick, 2 Buttons |
| Cabinet | Upright |
| Arcade system | Seibu SPI System |
| Display | Raster, 240 x 320 pixels (Vertical), 6144 colors |
Raiden Fighters Jet (ライデンファイターズJET Raiden Faitāzu Jetto?) 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 gameplay mechanics.
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[edit] Gameplay
The game's biggest difference from the previous two Raiden Fighters games is the non-linear stage progression. Depending on how well players perform in a given stage, their stage progressions would differ. Consistent poor performance will result in an easy stage path, with the game ending early. The most advanced stages in the game, Phase 1 and Phase 2, can only be accessed by performing extremely well and not continuing. Phase 2 has two bosses; the second true final boss (called the XTB-1) can be reached by not dying in Phase 1.
The Hybrid Attack from Raiden Fighters 2 returns in this game. This special attack has been given a graphical facelift, but otherwise remains the same functionally.
[edit] Scoring System
The scoring system has been given an overhaul in Raiden Fighters Jet. Most notable are the Chain Bonuses. Bonuses can be chained together as long as one bonus message (i.e. "DESTROYED AT A TIME!", "DISCOVERED THE MICLUS!") remains on-screen. Chained bonuses are multiplied incrementally up to a factor of 9.
The medal system has been changed as well. In the beginning, the medals that appear resemble badges. Their point value is increased by combining the base medals into those of ever-increasing size. Airborne medals will follow the player's Slave plane. This behavior can be used to combine medals both in the air and on the ground. Medals can be combined into a giant medal worth 2,048,000 points. After collecting this medal, when nine base medals appear on-screen simultaneously, they will all explode. At that point, the classic Raiden Fighters gold medals begin to appear. Their point value is increased in the same manner as in the past two games. Dropping one medal resets future medals to 10,000 points, and this penalty is even less forgiving in Raiden Fighters Jet. Players cannot recover point values of the gold medals even when a higher-valued medal remains on-screen.
[edit] Fighter Craft
- See also: Raiden Fighters 2#Fighter Craft
The array of fighter craft in Raiden Fighters Jet consists of most of the craft in Raiden Fighters 2, including the cameo ships. The only fighter craft from RF2 not included in RFJ are the Aegis II-c and the Dark Sword. Players are now given the option of choosing a color for any of the standard craft by pressing one of the two buttons to select their craft.
There is only one new craft in Raiden Fighters Jet, the Ixion. The physical appearance of the Ixion is best described as an aircraft with a forward-swept wing configuration. This design is similar to the Grumman X-29 and the Sukhoi Su-47.
It has a fast movement speed. It has a missile weapon that is similar to the Dark Sword's from RF2, but the Ixion shoots out a swarm of these fully powered up. The Ixion's Laser is a rapid fire version of Beast Arrow/Eraser's straight-firing Laser Beam. The Charged Laser special consists of the Ixion generating four energy spheres each firing powerful laser beams. A very important capability of the Ixion is that both its charged specials take a very short time to charge. The Ixion can participate in the Hybrid Attack with the seven standard aircraft and the Hell Diver. After the Slave and Judge Spear, the Ixion is the highest-tier plane in the game.
The Ixion is immediately available in the selection screen on some machines via software settings. Another indirect method of acquiring the Ixion is to reach Phase 1 with any of the standard (non-cameo) fighter craft. Upon reaching Phase 1, the player's craft will be replaced by the Ixion. However, this Ixion inherits the secondary weaponry of the player's initial craft, while retaining the main vulcan gun and the speed of the Ixion itself.
[edit] Music
The previous two Raiden Fighters games' soundtracks were composed by Go Satoh. Raiden Fighters Jet's soundtrack was composed by Yasuhiro Hashimoto. There is notable difference in style between both composers' works, even though both composers wrote the soundtrack in techno style.
[edit] Cultural References
- In Greek mythology, Ixion was king of the Lapiths, the most ancient tribe of Thessaly, and a son of Ares or Antion or the notorious evildoer Phlegyas.
- Another more famous usage of Ixion is in the video games Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 as the aeon of lightning. He appears as a large black unicorn with a curved horn. Ixion also makes an appearance in Final Fantasy XII as an optional hunt the player can undertake.
- Raiden Fighters Jet pays homage to a boss from Raiden II and recycles several bosses from previous games in the series.
- Level 01's boss is a machine that resembles the twin walkers bosses in Stage 1 of Raiden II. The Raiden Fighters Jet machine has four legs as well, but are completely immobile and act as struts for swiveling treads that provide the machine locomotion.
- Level 10's boss is the colossal flying boat in the Train Yard stage of the original Raiden Fighters.
- Level 20's boss is similar to the forest stage giant tank boss from the first Raiden fighters.
- Hummingbird XB-3, the boss of the Bomber Squadron stage in Raiden Fighters 2, makes an appearance in Level 35 as a mid-boss.
- Level 35's final boss is the gigantic flying fortress from the end of Mission 2 in the original Raiden Fighters.
- Level 50's first mid-boss in the giant hover tank from the second stage of Raiden fighters 2.
- Level 50's second mid-boss is the giant tank boss from the Forest Stage of the first Raiden Fighters.
- Level 50's final boss is Red Eye, the true final boss from Raiden Fighters 2.
- Phase 1's boss is based on the helicopter boss from the first Raiden Fighters with a more difficult attack pattern.
[edit] Ports and conversions
On November 21, 2007, Japanese video game magazine Famitsu reported the development of a compilation of all three Raiden Fighters games for the Xbox 360.[1] This compilation is titled Raiden Fighters Aces, published by Japanese software company Success Corporation and released on March 27, 2008.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Famitsu Weekly; November 21, 2007; magazine scan (http://www.gamersyde.com/gallery_7060_en.html)
- ^ Raiden Fighters Aces Xbox 360 GameFAQs.com game page. GameFAQs.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-27.
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