Raiden DX

Raiden DX is the version of Raiden II that most people should actually play. Seibu took the 1993 game, added a new opening stage built as a tutorial, adjusted the difficulty curve, and shipped it a year later as a friendlier entry point.

The new stage is the whole point. It is shorter and easier than anything in Raiden II, designed to teach the weapon system and the bullet rhythm before the real campaign begins, and it makes the game substantially more approachable without changing what makes Raiden II good. The three-weapon system carries over intact - Vulcan, blue laser and the purple concentrated beam - as does the nuclear missile secondary and the two-player mode. There is also a bonus course mode on some boards that collects the harder sections for score attack. For a newcomer to the series the recommendation is straightforward: play DX first, then Raiden II for the full difficulty. The screenshots on this page come from the arcade board.

• ▸A new opening stage designed as a difficulty ramp
• ▸The full Raiden II weapon system carried over intact
• ▸A friendlier difficulty curve without losing the density
• ▸Bonus course mode on some boards for score attack