NIS America had some good news for shooter-lovers in its NISA 2022 Showcase last night. It announced the release date and details about Raiden IV x Mikado Remix, an enhanced remaster of the 2007 vertical shmup. Made compatible with modern consoles, the game arrives on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and PC via Steam on January 31, 2023 in North America, and in the first half of February in Europe and Australia/New Zealand. The game previously released for the Nintendo Switch in May 2021.
Check out the trailer below.
Raiden IV x Mikado Remix revives the Xbox 360/PS3-era scrolling shooter Raiden IV. Part of the venerable Raiden series, it first debuted in arcades, first as a 2D pixel-based game and now as a 3D title. As with shmups of the era, players pilot a fighter aircraft through clouds of foes, aiming to defeat the malevolent crystals in their invasion of Earth. Raiden IV contains a “Flash Shot” mechanic, which increases the player’s score the more quickly they defeat enemies that appear on-screen. The “Double Play” feature allows a player to control both the Player One and Player Two ships with one controller. The game supports local 2-player co-op.
Gameplay-wise, Raiden IV x Mikado Remix adds some new modes, including Light and Original difficulty settings, Additional Mode with remixed enemy positioning, Score Attack, Boss Rush, and Overkill Mode, which includes two new stages and revamped scoring.
The “Mikado Remix” part of the title refers to a partnership with Mikado Game Center, an institution in Japan’s retro arcade and shmup subculture. Mikado Game Center branches in Takadanobaba and Ikebukuro specialize in retro titles and shmups, and hold regular community events. Minoru “IkedaMinoRock” Ikeda, the manager of Mikado Game Center, even plays in the official Raiden series band, Heavy Metal Raiden. As such, Raiden IV x Mikado Remix features a soundtrack from Mikado Game Center. The remixed soundtrack features pieces from artists like the Go Sato Band, O.T.K., Keishi Yonao, Fantom Iris, Daisuke Matusmoto, Hirokazu Koshio, and Soshi Hosoi, as well as Heavy Metal Raiden itself. Players can choose the remixed music or the original soundtrack as they please.
Raiden IV x Mikado Remix launches on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and PC. It arrives on January 31, 2023 in North America, February 3, 2023 in Europe, and February 10, 2023 in Australia and New Zealand. It’s currently available on Nintendo Switch. Special and Deluxe physical editions for consoles include soundtracks and posters.
