Raiden III

Raiden III is a good shmup. Its solid looking, has good bullet patterns/enemies, and the levels are set at just the right level in terms of fun and difficulty (there are also multiple difficulty options available from the start).

The only shame is that, when you finally manage to master the game with a single credit (and we're getting close), the only person around to show off in front of is probably a bewildered friend who's just popped round for a friendly game of Pro Evo.

The most interesting feature though, has to be the inclusion of the "Double Play" mode where it's possible to play a 2P game whilst controlling both ships - a technique made famous by a skillful Japanese Ikaruga player, and now here it is entering the mainstream as a proper play mode. [JPN Import]

Enjoyable as it can be in spurts, Raiden III doesn't do anything unique to stand out from other modern shoot-'em-ups, and that it isn't priced at a flat-out budget rate is a bit disquieting.

If shootem'ups are your thing, than you can't go wrong with Raiden III. If not, save your money for the arcade.

There, however, is one thing that sets Raiden III apart from the shooter pack: it's single-player mode enables you to control both warplanes at once, essentially playing co-op with yourself. It's simple, really - the left analog stick and shoulder buttons control one ship, and the right analog stick and shoulder buttons control the other.

A purebred '80s throwback, Raiden III hasn't a chance of competing with exciting modern shooters - or even the classics of yesteryear. Look elsewhere for your shoot-'em-up thrills. [Oct 2006, p.104]