A Classic Moss Shooter Returns: A Raiden IV x MIKADO remix Review

By Manuel

Player(s): 1-2
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, XBox One, XBox Series X/S, PC (Via Steam)

​Raiden IV x MIKADO remix is the latest version of Moss' classic shooter (or "shmup") Raiden IV, which originally released in arcades and on several consoles, starting with the XBox 360. The new "x MIKADO remix" debuted on the Nintendo Switch a while back and is now available on all major current consoles and PC. It's the latter PC version, released on Steam by way of NIS, that we're going to look at today.

I have some personal history with Raiden IV as I owned the XBox 360 port mentioned above, which I believe was the game's first official release in the US, and have fond memories playing it with friends. This review has even come somewhat full circle as I used one of my XBox 360 controllers to play through this modern re-release. Since this game is drawing out all these feelings of nostalgia it probably comes as no surprise that Raiden IV saw its original release all the way back in 2007. This means that it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of modern shooters, or even contemporary "bullet hell" titles, but it isn't without its own charm.

Raiden IV does have something of a story involving a returning invading army, but we can skip all that since even the game barely bothers with it. Gameplay is where it's at here, and all you need to know is that you're a lone fighter pilot against an entire army. You have various weapons at your disposal, and they upgrade to stronger versions as you would expect. Somewhat different from other shooters, all these weapons exist within a single set of branching paths that you can only switch between when you grab a different colored power-up. Basically you're given several weapon options but can only use any one at any given time. These weapons can also be augmented by sub-weapons, with these firing alongside your main one once acquired. In short, that single button press can pack a lot of destructive power behind it. There are also bombs that can inflict wide damage, and can save you from tight spots if used correctly. The types of bombs, and weapons for that matter, are determined by which of the game's three ships you choose to tackle the game with. Other than that you're one goal in Raiden IV is to stay alive, and clear a set number of stages while maybe attempting to set a new high score along the way.

This probably explains the weapons better than I could.

Basically destroy a bunch of these things and all its friends.

As you might imagine there aren't really characters to speak of here. There are three ships though and they do offer pretty varied gameplay styles that one has to get used to. First of all, there are two different ships and a pixie; yes a pixie. The two ships are fairly similar in terms of their weapons and control, at least to an outsider like me, but they do have a big difference when it comes to their bombs. The default ship has a fast-acting, screen-clearing bomb, and the second ship has a slower-to-detonate, more concentrated explosion that does more damage. They both clear enemy bullets within their range but naturally the second ship has a bigger risk/reward mechanic as to when you choose to activate it. The pixie throws everything out the window as it has different weapons compared the ships, including bubbles which can travel in waves determined by player movement, and an arguably more effective bomb. The trade off with the pixie is that she is quite weak compared to the ships, and can be very floaty when it comes to control. I originally was going to say that the pixie is perfect for shooter newbies, but I found the many deaths due to either losing my character on screen, or just simply finding it hard to actually control the pixie in tight situations, quite frustrating.

Enemy types might not seem too noteworthy as I have little to say about them beyond that there are a lot of them, and they can all spell doom if you're not giving the game your full attention. They all fire bullets of various sizes at you: small pellets you can shoot down on lower difficulties, bigger pellets that can quickly fill the screen, and longer streak shots that can be fairly difficult to dodge. Sometimes enemies leave behind point bonus items, power-ups, or other weapon upgrades. The latter two items will change color/letters the longer you leave them on-screen in case you're looking for a specific weapon, but it can be hard to wait for your favorite item to come up in the heat of battle. Boss enemies are where it's at though and each one has several forms that really get you moving as they often fill the screen with bullets with every attack. The game's final boss is quite the challenge too, and you'll most likely get a big sense of accomplishment when you clear all the game's enemies. Speaking of enemies, all their models can be viewed in a gallery as they're defeated and this offers a bit of a collect-a-thon element to the game as well.

The plasma weapon is powerful but very focused.

The more standard shot is my favorite though.

Now let's talk game modes. Arcade, oddly placed in the middle, is the basic version of the game that features a "Flash Shot" mechanic where you gain a score multiplier that builds the faster you destroy enemies. Additional Mode is the same gameplay style as arcade, but with two new stages and enemies. It was this version that was originally released on the XBox 360, so I have a bit more experience with it than the others. Overkill Mode was originally added for the PlayStation 3 release and this mode has a different score mechanic where you can keep firing at downed enemies to get a big point bonus/multiplier. Rounding out the gameplay modes are Score Attack and Boss Rush which are pretty self-explanatory. All the main gameplay modes offer similar gameplay so it's more a matter of preference as to which one you'll want to play. That, or maybe you'll find that you can score better in one over another and set your sights on that one. Score is a factor of course as all the gameplay modes have their own leaderboards and achievements.

Earlier I talked about the player being a lone wolf against the invading enemy army, but the game is actually multiplayer. Now you can play co-operatively in all the main game modes, but I wouldn't specifically bring it us if it weren't something special. What really makes Raiden IV unique is its "Dual Mode" setting which lets you take control of two ships at once using a special control scheme. This isn't a simple double mechanic like the ship steal trick in the original Galaga but a mode that see you piloting both ships with alternating analog sticks and firing each ship's weapons with alternating shoulder buttons. This probably sounds like it would be overly complicated, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't take a bit of getting used to, but once mastered Dual Mode can make much of the game extremely simple, even on higher difficulty levels. I can't think of many other games that let you control two ships on one controller, beyond the aforementioned Galaga I guess, so this is yet another point in Raiden IV's favor.

Get ready to see this screen a lot.

I still think these graphics hold up well today.

The music in Raiden IV is amazing pure and simple and the MIKADO remix version features remixes (go figure!) of these tracks and they all stand up well compared to the originals. You even get to see details on the tracks when each level begins in case you want to look it up later when things aren't so intense. It is a little disappointing though that the soundtrack is presented only in the remixed version and there is no way to select the original soundtrack as far as I was able to find. Thankfully there isn't a bad track in this release or this might've been a bigger issue.

A single playthrough of the game will only take you about an hour or so to complete so we really have to talk a bit re-playability. There's a lot to do here and no two runs of the game are ever really the same. Besides the aforementioned game modes, there's also something of a scaling difficulty as you unlock more credits per game, and starting level points, as you progress and/or get a Game Over. This means that if things are going pretty badly early on you can just accept the game over and try again with more continues at your disposal, perhaps even at the level that gave you the most trouble. There are also several difficulty settings, with the easiest of them allowing you to actually shoot some of the enemy’s bullets. You can also tweak the number of lives and bombs within the options, allowing you to customize just about every aspect of difficulty. With all that said, the normal difficulty really isn't too bad and I managed to beat it several times even though I'm anything but a shooter veteran. What this amounts to is a game that not only can be replayed just to experience the various modes and settings, but also so that you can simply get better at it.

The boss of the first stage.

That pixie though...

Overall Raiden IV x MIKADO remix is a great game that will satisfy anyone who is looking for a classic shooter that doesn't throw a lot of gimmicks at players. The only real reason why you might not want to pick this one up is if you already own one of the earlier console releases, though this one adds enough that it might be worth a look anyway. I was surprised with how much I liked this game even though I was skeptical as to how well a game like this would age. All nostalgia aside though, Raiden IV x MIKADO remix definitely doesn't disappoint, and is available at a decent price on just about every platform imaginable. So what's keeping you from going out and checking this one out now?

For More Information on Raiden IV x MIKADO remix:
https://nisamerica.com/games/raiden4

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​Gameplay: A
Graphics: A
Sound: A+
Value: B

OVERALL: A

Pros:
+ An excellent, if somewhat basic, example of the classic shooter genre.
+ The simplicity of the gameplay, and the various difficulty options, make this perfect for beginners. Alternately, you can crank all settings up if you're looking for a challenge.
+ The remixed music is perfect. That's it, that's the point.
+ Raiden IV has aged relatively well considering that this game saw its first release fifteen years ago.
+ The Dual Mode is actually very unique and not something often seen in the genre.
+ Priced well considering this is a pretty definitive edition.

Cons:
- If you've played, or own, this game on any other console then it might not be worth picking up this version.
- Fans of the more "bullet hell" variant of shooters might be disappointed by this one.
- Leaderboards for the dual mode, and options to switch to the original version of the soundtrack, would've made this release all but perfect.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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That's all, folks!