Raiden. No, not the Mortal Kombat character. No, not the Metal Gear Solid character either. Stop that. The venerated shmup Raiden, classic vertical shooter with a pedigree dating all the way back to 1990! Yes, THAT Raiden. There are a whopping 13 games in the extended Raiden series including spin-offs and compilations over the course of 31 years. That’s a pretty healthy franchise, especially as shmups go. And while there wasn’t a lot of fanfare for the 30th Anniverasary of the Raiden series, one title did manage to sneak out, Raiden IV x Mikado Remix from developer MOSS and publisher UFO Interactive. It’s a mouthful of a title, but this is one title that has the chops to back up its nom de plume.
Raiden IV x Mikado Remix has a lot going on. There’s the original Raiden IV arcade game with multiple difficulties. There’s the additional mode which modifies arcade mode with two new stages. But that isn’t enough. On top of that there’s an overkill mode which includes additional missions and an entirely new scoring system where overkilling enemies with extra fire leads to significant bonuses. And if all those aren’t enough, there’s also a score attack mode for each of the previous modes! But wait! Still not enough versions of Raiden IV for you? Beat the game and you unlock an additional boss rush mode as well! Whew! Yeah, there’s legitimately an entire paragraph of game modes tossed into this behemoth of a shmup! Add to that an online ranking system, the ability to save and rewatch replays, and character models for a whopping 81 ships and you’ve got yourself a hell of a 30th anniversary game!
Sure, that’s a lot of information to take in. But what are you really getting with Raiden IV x Mikado Remix? First off, this is one of the best Raiden games out there. The ships, while slower than other vertical shmup ships, manage to hold their own in firepower with the traditional three main options, spread shot, laser, and homing lasers along with missile add-ons. There are three ship options to choose from, each with different bullet patterns and speeds, including a rather odd fairy ship. And there’s a blistering hot soundtrack that’s remixed and utterly and completely spectacular. From metal riffs to electronic synth, the soundtrack for Raiden IV x absolutely rocks, and that’s no exaggeration. It’s honestly a crime that the physical soundtrack only came with the Japanese preorder version of the game because you’re going to want these tunes.
But music alone doesn’t sell a shmup and the meat of the game doesn’t disappoint. Bullet patterns are challenging and almost too fast, and the initial death rate for gameplay is pretty high unless you’re a shmup god. But that being said, Raiden IV x is tough but fair and soon you’ll be reaching the second or third boss regularly, as long as your reflexes aren’t shot. The devs over at MOSS understand that some of us suck though, and they tossed in the option for an easy mode. As you play, you also unlock the ability to start at the last level you died on as well, partly for those that suck and partly to allow for practice of higher stages. The better you do, the more continues, bombs, and lives per continue you unlock as well, allowing you to credit feed your way through the game if you really have to (and many players will) and eventually unlock boss mode, allowing you to practice those wild bullet patterns that come spraying out across the screen at eye-numbing speeds relative to your rather slow ship. Every version of the game also allows for a huge amount of choice in players as well, including playing as player 1 or 2 (ship color options), as well as multiplayer simultaneous and even playing as both player one and two as a single player, mapping one ship to each stick and firing and bombs to the shoulder buttons, a unique and mind-bending experience that honestly has to be tried to be believed.
At this point, you’re probably wondering what else there is to say about Raiden IV x Mikado Remix. You’re not wrong. This is a game that is balanced out for both casual and serious shmup players and while there is legitimate criticism in hardcore circles about the overall caliber of the gameplay, movement, hitboxes, and design of the game, the simple fact of the matter is that this is a hell of a fun game! Thumping music, wild visuals, great level design ranging from planet-based combat to space warfare and excellent background design are everywhere. Bosses are challenging and varied and the sheer number of modes and availability of score-based competitive play make this a must-play shmup across the board. Unless you simply hate vertical games, it’s hard to go wrong here.
From a technical standpoint, Raiden IV x Mikado Remix is solid too. There’s no slowdown, and while load times are a bit slow, they’re not outrageous and don’t throw you off like *cringe* R-Type Final 2. Options are available to adjust pretty much everything, including the screen orientation, a standard for the shmup genere, especially in verts, but the 270 degree option allows for Flip Grip compatibility, so you can even play Raiden IV x in full TATE mode portably, as long as you don’t mind switching to the Joycons. The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is definitely preferable for this one, and while it does suck to play a vert in hori mode , even on a big screen, the trade off in overall control is preferable. Suffice it to say that Raiden IV x gives you options. So. Many. Options.
And it’s that absolute smorgasbord of options that glosses over a few of the more technical complaints of gameplay. Sure, this is a remix of a game that was released arcades in 2007 and domestically on the Xbox 360 in 2009. But it’s a damn good game that has seriously held up over the years and doesn’t feel at all dated. Well, unless you watch the intro cinema. The intro cinema for Raiden IV x is honestly one of the most embarrassingly low-res and painful experiences you can have on the Switch and that’s saying something. UFO really cheaped out here, just dropping a straight port of the original cinema sequence that looks so far beyond dated that it might as well be in 4:3 aspect ratio. It’s hard to say what the hell they were thinking but both the intro and end sequences are absolute abominations that may actually require exorcisms. Aside from those nightmarish horrors however, there’s literally almost nothing not to love here.
The simple fact of the matter is that Raiden IV x Mikado is an absolute gem of a release with significant replay value, a wide variety of modes that cater to most of the skill levels in gaming, and a high fun factor. And at $30, this is a steal of a game. It simply doesn’t get better than this and if you have even a passing affinity for the Raiden series, you simply can’t go wrong with Raiden IV x Mikado Remix. It’s worth every penny and fun as all hell. Don’t even hesitate. If you like shmups, want something fun that’s got both casual and hardcore aspects, and you can get together with a couple friends and play, Raiden IV x Mikado Remix is that game. Buy it. You won’t regret it.
This review is based on a digital copy of Raiden IV x Mikado Remix for the Nintendo Switch provided by the publisher. Raiden IV x Mikado Remix is currently a Switch exclusive. All screenshots are of actual gameplay.
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