History VideoGame / Raiden

* ArrangeMode: ''Raiden IV Overkill'' has the "Overkill" mode, where attacking a medium-size or bigger enemy after it's been destroyed allows you to fill its "[[SurplusDamageBonus Overkill]]" meter, which, depending on the level of the Overkill meter filled, gives you score medals. In addition, Silver and Gold Score rings appear when you kill enemies quickly as they appear.

* NintendoHard: Bullets move very fast, it takes many stages' worth of powerups to get your ship into a reasonably powerful state, losing a life knocks all of those powerups out of your ship making recovery nightmarishly difficult, and there's a sheer drought of extra lives; these games often only give one extra life in the entire game. The Seibu-produced games also don't give [[InvulnerableAttack invincibility when firing a bomb]], so it's quite difficult to whisk yourself of imminent death.

* NintendoHard: The older games in the series show that just because only a few enemies do BulletHell doesn't mean it's any easier. Bullets move very fast, and there's a sheer drought of extra lives; these games often only give one extra life in the entire game.

* AstralFinale: After completing stage 5 (of 8) in either of the first two games, you land back on the AirborneAircraftCarrier and take off into space for the final three stages.

* NintendoHard: The older games in the series show that just because only a few enemies do BulletHell doesn't mean it's any easier.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The very first game only has two weapon types (the red SpreadShot and the blue laser) while all later games have at least three, and the Japanese version of it in particular has checkpoints whereas the export versions and all subsequent games do not. It is also the only installment with point-based [[OneUp extends]].

* DifficultySpike: Usually occurs around the second or third stage.

* EasierThanEasy: The "Practice" difficulty level. Even bosses don't [[BulletHell throw bullets]] at you in this level.

* EasyModeMockery: Clear ''Raiden IV''[='=]s Light mode and you're treated to an ending cutscene where the AirborneAircraftCarrier you took off from gets attacked ([[SoundtrackDissonance to the tune of the happy ending theme]]). Then you're told to try Original mode and the game ends without going to the second loop.

A spinoff of the ''Raiden'' series, taking place exclusively in outer space and featuring some different gameplay in the form of temporary secondary weapons. This is the game that the Judge Spear and Blue Javelin ship comes from. Developed on the Seibu SPI arcade hardware, which the ''Raiden Fighters'' series also uses.

* ''Raiden IV × Mikado Remix'' (2021, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch): Another rerelease featuring all of the content from ''Overkill'' and a new arranged soundtrack sponsored by the Mikado arcade chain. Versions for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/PlayStation5, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS, and UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} are [[https://realotakugamer.com/raiden-iv-x-mikado-remix-for-ps5ps4-xbox-one-xbox-series-pc-coming-west-in-2023/83709/?fbclid=IwAR3bkf9A1Z5hZOMKZP-_GdpfeIOYWMDHciQWX3KrgJHb_Ii8BlhvhXKSL4k set for a release in 2023]].

* ''Raiden IV x Mikado Remix'' (2021, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch): Another rerelease featuring all of the content from ''Overkill'' and a new arranged soundtrack sponsored by the Mikado arcade chain.

* EverythingsBetterWithCows: Every game's first stage sends you flying over a farm with some cows. Cows that have ''animated sprites.''

* AntiFrustrationFeaturs: The ''Arcade Archives'' version of ''Raiden'' allows the player to start a game from the 2nd player side as well as to adjust the starting [[DynamicDifficulty rank]], as in the original version of the game starting rank is determined by what stage the AttractMode is showing when you insert your coins, [[GuideDangIt which isn't hinted at]] in the original arcade release.

* MercyMode: In all games except ''V'', if you lose all your lives, a 'P' item drops from your ship. If you continue, you can claim it and power your weapons up to maximum.

* GuideDangIt: ''Raiden I'' had [[https://twitter.com/Plasmo_STG/status/1410705815233781767 convoluted rules]] for how it handled its DynamicDifficulty. Player 2 starts at a lower rank and the Laser and Missile powerups raise rank while Wide and Homing lowers it. Most unusual however, is that the rank changes depending on which cycle the AttractMode was at when inserting a coin (something that the e-manual for the Arcade Archives versions only vaguely aludes to by stating that inserting credits at different time affects the game's difficulty), with default rank being when the Stage 7 demo is running.

* GuideDangIt: ''Raiden I'' had [[https://twitter.com/Plasmo_STG/status/1410705815233781767 convoluted rules]] for how it handled its DynamicDifficulty. Player 2 starts at a lower rank and the Laser and Missile powerups raise rank while Wide and Homing lowers it. On top of that there's a vague note in the [=PS4=] port's manual that states even inserting credits affects the game's difficulty (it doesn't explain if it's just a random roll upon a new game or if inserting coins at ''any'' point changes the difficulty).

* ''Raiden IV x Mikado Remix'' (2021, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch)

* LightningGun: Come on! Don't fool us with the laser-beam shape, Plasma! We know you to actually be lightning!
* LightningLash :The lightning whip is one of the best power-ups available for players, accessible by collecting two purple power cells, which turns the titular plane's machine-guns into an electrified whip that slaps around the screen, taking every enemy that gets into it's way. By collecting three or more purple cells, and the electrified whip becomes as thick as the player himself and electrocutes enemies en masse, and deals serious damage to bosses. It looks as awesome as it sounds◊.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The very first game only has two weapon types (the red SpreadShot and the blue laser) while all later games have at least three, and the Japanese version of it in particular has checkpoints whereas the export versions and all subsequent games do not.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The very first game lacks the series' signature Bend Plasma weapon, and the Japanese version of it in particular has checkpoints whereas the export versions and all subsequent games do not.

* CheckPoint: The Japanese version of ''Raiden'' has these.
** DifficultyByRegion: Other versions do not, and cause the player to respawn in place if killed.

The first game in the series developed by MOSS after Seibu Kaihatsu disbanded in 1998; also released for the Playstation 2 and the PC. It replaces the Bend Plasma with the green Proton Laser. The Windows PC versions were initially exclusive to Japanese computers before rereleased internationally on Steam eight years later.

* ''Raiden IV: Overkill'' (2014, PlayStation 3): An UpdatedRerelease of ''IV'' with a new game mode. Later released on PC/Steam.

* ''Raiden V: Director's Cut'' (2018): An UpdatedRerelease that adds co-op play and bonus stages. First released on the Playstation 4 and on PC/Steam, then released on the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch in 2019.

* ''The Raiden Project'' (1996): Released on the PlayStation, it includes the first two games.

Considered a standalone game despite being an UpdatedRerelease of ''Raiden II'', it looks like the base game at first glance, but [[MissionPackSequel it has a lot of new content]], such as a more elaborate scoring system, three different game modes, and the addition of music from the first ''Raiden'' to the soundtrack. The console port was [[NoExportForYou released only in Japan]] for the PlayStation in 1995.

* GainaxEnding: ''Raiden III'''s ending. [[spoiler: Your ship flies into the crashed remains of a fighter shown before the first boss battle in the original game, then it transforms into a fairy and flies away. Was your ship a fairy the whole time?]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/86d3b4bf0e561a228ef7417e47fed27a.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The flyer for the first game.]]