Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX (PC) review

This definitive edition strives to improve on an already renowned shooter, with several supplements aiming to make Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX a standout shoot ‘em up. But the lack of Steam Deck support and display options is about as frustrating as losing two ships on the first stage.

2005’s Raiden III symbolized the well-liked STG reemerging like the mythical phoenix. Seven years earlier, the franchise’s original developer, Seibu Kaihatsu, had released Raiden Fighters Jet. While the coin-op was moderately successful, it didn’t generate enough revenue to keep the Chiyoda-based studio afloat. Over the next few years, Seibu Kaihatsu tragically disbanded.

But the development team wasn’t about to let the property perish. They reunited at MOSS, a small outfit that produced licensed arcade games for other companies. After acquiring the rights to the series, the studio would develop Raiden III, which was MOSS’s inaugural internal effort. Given the nearly decade-long span between the last series entry, Raiden III made some notable changes. When delving into the recent PC release of Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX, these deviations remain conspicuous and might even be a bit contentious. But there should be little disagreement about the new soundtrack.

The First 3D Raiden

The turn of the millennium witnessed a shift from sprite-based visuals to polygonal ones. As anyone who has ever played Xevious 3D/G+ can confirm, the transition was a bit rocky at first. But by 2005, the Taito Type X hardware inside the Raiden III cabinet brought the visual detail in line with bit-mapped shooters. Sure, some of the environmental objects, like tankers, looked a bit clunky. But bosses fluidily spun, rotated, and changed attack forms, recalling the gracefulness of theatrical animation.

Oddly, Raiden III shirks the franchise’s signature weapon: the Bend Plasma. First introduced in Raiden II, this purple-colored weapon would ensnare enemies like a colossal, purple-colored boa. In convulsive fits, the plasma gun could encircle multiple enemies when powered up, quickly eliminating the group. Instead, Raiden III’s near equivalent is the Proton Laser, which gently bends toward a single opponent. While it might have its supporters, it seems inferior to the red Vulcan Cannon (which now begins with triple shots) and the returning blue Ion Laser.

Sub-par PC Performance

As for sub-weapons, Raiden III offers a trio of ordnances. These range from Radar Missiles, which fine-tune their trajectory to target enemies in front of them to the traditional exploding and homing warheads. Given the sharp speed of enemy projectiles on the game’s upper difficulties, Raiden’s bombs tend to lend themselves to defensive use. Early games in the series used to use a playfield that was larger than the screen, gently shifting when players moved left or right. Here, your perspective is fixed, making for a smaller, more intense experience.

Smartly, Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX is quite accommodating. There are Easy and Very Easy difficulties and even a practice mode where opponents don’t shoot. Co-op seems to scale the difficulty even lower, allowing a pair of local players to team up across the game’s selection of seven stages.  Interestingly, there’s weapon interaction between pilots with the lowest ship sending out a different type of shot when firing behind their partner. And yes, just like the PlayStation 2 release, a single player can tackle co-op by themselves, with each analog stick controlling their own ship.

On Steam Deck, this cooperative component could have offered an idyllic first date. But despite arriving three months after the Switch and PlayStation 4 releases, Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX doesn’t work on Valve’s portable at launch (even with different compatibility settings). And while the title can scale the fidelity up to 4K, don’t expect the game’s sprites to look much sharper than the original PlayStation 2 version. Even worse, the game’s options don’t allow for fullscreen or borderless display modes and there’s some unsightly horizontal screen tearing. MIKADO MANIAX  is a great game but it shouldn’t have been launched for PC in its current state.

Options Aplenty

Beyond local and online leaderboards, longevity is also rooted in the game’s unlockables. As you reach specific score plateaus, you’ll unlock different wallpapers and background music tracks. The former is shown when Raiden III is played in landscape mode, but the title also supports tate mode to deliver an authentic arcade experience. The game’s soundtrack is customizable, allowing players to arrange their own custom playlists, selecting tracks for each stage.

Here, players can opt for the original soundtrack, or a remixed version curated by the famed Game Center Mikado. Fortunately, these aren’t amateur tracks reinterpreted by fans. Most feature long-time Raiden composer Go Sato in some capacity, either as part of the Sato Go Band or as part of the Heavy Metal Raiden (alongside Mikado manager Minoru Ikeda). Tracks like “A Labyrinth of Steel” and “Intruder” sizzle when notable composers like Soshi Hosoi and Keishi Yonao contribute their distinctive talents.

Conclusion

Although Raiden III might not be the elite entry in Seibu Kaihatsu/MOSS’s franchise, this definitive package is ideal for dedicated shoot ‘em up supporters. All too often, STG releases can be tragically succinct, with arcade ports that lack the extras that audiences appreciate. But MIKADO MANIAX offers nearly all the essential trimmings, save for interviews with MOSS’ original development team.

Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.