Nearly three decades after their original arcade outings, the Raiden Fighters trilogy returns on modern consoles in Raiden Fighters Remix Collection, a celebration of Seibu Kaihatsu’s blisteringly paced vertical shooters that lands somewhere between reverent homage and a touch of frustrating missed potential. On PlayStation 5 this collection brings Raiden Fighters, Raiden Fighters 2, and Raiden Fighters Jet together – each in both Japanese and international variants – alongside a suite of quality-of-life features and a remixed soundtrack intended to modernize the experience without drowning out its arcade DNA.
From the moment you boot it up, it’s clear the premise is built on dual aspirations: preserve what made the originals electrifying while making them approachable for a new generation. The core shooting mechanics remain sharp and responsive, and high-risk, high-reward scoring systems still lie at the heart of every run. Veteran players will immediately recognise the frantic pacing and tightly tuned ship handling that defined these games on the arcade floor; dodging waves of bullets and wading deep into boss gauntlets feels just as intense now as it did in the ’90s. That said, for all the effort put into accessibility options like practice mode, retry functionality, and customizable settings, the basic gameplay can feel stubbornly unaccommodating – a trait faithful to the originals but one that also limits the game’s appeal to more casual audiences.
One of the most notable inclusions here is the remixed soundtrack, crafted by veteran composers such as Soshi Hosoi, Yuki Arai, and Kazushi Tsurukubo. These new arrangements inject fresh energy into each stage, punchier and more aggressive than their arcade counterparts, and the ability to assign tracks per stage is a thoughtful touch that encourages experimentation. However, if hard-hitting techno isn’t your thing, the audio balance can sometimes work against the gameplay – with explosions and sound effects occasionally struggling to cut through the denser musical layers.
Visually, Remix Collection wears its heritage proudly. The sprites and effects have been preserved – if not universally enhanced – and presentation options like CRT filters, TATE vertical display support, and customizable borders cultivate a strong sense of arcade authenticity. It’s evocative and comparatively faithful, though limited brightness and shader options may disappoint players looking for deeper visual tuning. The baseline experience on PS5 feels stable and smooth, but the locked 60 Hz frame rate introduces a subtle speed increase compared to original arcade hardware, pushing everything slightly faster than intended and complicating precision play.
In the realm of controls and balance, the collection delivers generally responsive schemes and sensible layouts, but the challenge curve remains steep. Even with accessibility features enabled, enemy bullet patterns retain their ferocity, and newcomers may find themselves overwhelmed quickly – a problem exacerbated by the accelerated pacing. The overall package feels authentic, yet not entirely refined in ways that modern players might expect from a contemporary re-release.
It’s here that the divide between intention and execution becomes most apparent. On one hand, Raiden Fighters Remix Collection stands as a definitive compilation of some of the most exhilarating vertical shooters ever made: it’s deep, rewarding at high skill levels, and full of that old-school arcade thrill. On the other hand, the technical presentation and option set occasionally feel underdeveloped for a modern release.
Ultimately, this collection offers a potent mixture of nostalgia and high-octane action that more often than not succeeds at reminding players why these games matter. The remixes, leaderboards, and accessibility features add genuine value, and for shmup devotees this anthology will reward repeated revisits and intense play sessions. For others, particularly those unprepared for ferocious difficulty spikes or minor technical quirks, it may be a bittersweet trip down memory lane rather than a fully realized modernization.
Score: 7.2/10
Press Play Media 