Raiden III

About

Raiden III is a vertical scrolling shooter that sticks to the formula of its predecessors. You fly a fixed ship through waves of enemies, firing missiles and dodging attacks. Co-op play lets two players team up, with a new beam attack triggered when one lines up behind the other. The game originally hit arcades in Japan in 2005 before ports to PlayStation 2 and later PC. No ship customization exists, player one is red, player two is blue, and that’s that. The Double Play mode sharpens the challenge by forcing players to share lives and bombs without continues. PlayStation 2’s local co-op even lets both players share a single controller. Though initially limited to Japan, the 2014 Steam release brought it to a wider audience. Its no-frills approach and tight multiplayer design keep it a niche favorite among shooter purists. The lack of modern conveniences like save files or online leaderboards won’t be for everyone but highlights its arcade roots.