Raiden II Player's Guide
                  written by DragonKnight Zero
                  e-mail: [email protected]
                   Version 2.1 complete: 4-15-03

Contents

  - Introduction
  - Legal jazz
  - Whats New
  - Game description
  - Scoring and mechanics
  - Scoring Table
  - Power up
  - Enemies
  - General hints
  - Level data
  - Did you know?
  - Mysteries
  - Challenges
  - Version Differences
  - Credits
  - This guide's future

- Introduction

    This game's been out for five years and I haven't found any game
information on it.  So I decided to share what I know about this very
challenging game.  Thos guide was writen with the hard version in mind.
The PSx port and PC ports are the hard version.  The easy machine will
be covered in greater detail in the Version Differences section.

- Legal jazz

    Copyright 2000-2003 by Erwin Lin.  This guide is freeware but it's
not public domain.  This is my intellectual property and if anyone is going
to profit from this, it had better be me.

Terms of usage
Website usage: It is not necessary to ask my permission to put it on
a website so long as the contents of this guide are unaltered and the
site is freely accessible to anyone with a working internet connection
and compatible browser.  In simpler terms, I should be able to access
my guide on your site without inputting passwords, paying membership
fees, or any other means intended to exclude certain users.  This guide
may be converted to HTML format.  If you wish to use the guide under
conditions other than those stated above, you must recieve explicit
written consent from me first.  The latest version of this FAQ can be
found at GameFAQs.  For other sites, it is the site's responsibility to
have the latest version.
Personal usage: This guide or parts of it may be freely used for
personal and private usage.  Do not sell or publish without explicit
written consent from me.  That also means no compiling this guide or any
part of it with anything that will be sold for profit.
FAQ writers: If you wish to use a part of this guide in your own works,
give credit where it is due.

If unsure, ask.

Raiden 2 is property of Seibu Kaihatsu c. 1993-1994

I have recieved a lot of e-mail asking where to find a copy of the
game.  Be aware that I will provide no assistance in finding, burning,
downloading, copying, stealing, or otherwise obtaining any illegal
copies of Raiden 2 or any other game.  The PC version can be found at
computer stores.  Most likely, it will be in the bargain bin or
equivalant.

- What's New

4/15/03 v2.1: Finally have boss strategy for level 8, added method of
obtaining the 1-up in level 6, rewrote some confusing parts, removed
some outdated bits and pieces, added powerup pattern info, another
viewpoint on the crystal mystery, added a new mystery

2/25/00 v2.0: Finished enemy listing, added info on levels 6-8,
corrected a mistake in the Did you know section, added info on how to
find the PC version, added new scoring tidbit, added a new challenge.

7/17/00 v1.9: New E-mail, added location of 1-up in level 6, added
another strategy for the level 2 boss.  More legal jazz; see above

4/5/00 v1.8: Added more to Enemies section, added something to Did You
Know, made some minor changes.

2/27/00 v1.6: Added a Did You Know section, fixed an error in Powerup
data, removed tracking bug mystery, started Enemies section, fixed an
error in Version Differences, more minor changes.

10/13/99 v1.5: Added the locations of two 1-ups; added the version
differences and unofficial soundtrack titles section; added boss hints
for levels 4, 6, and 7; covered the level 2 boss in greater detail;
added a little info on level 7; added "super secret" in General hints;
Credits section expanded; (naturally) made a few other minor and
cosmetic changes.

10/5/99  v1.0: The beginning

- Game description

   Story?  What story?  Fly your Raiden Supersonic Attack Fighter
across the eight levels and destroy anything that moves or shoots back.
Controls are simple.  One button fires guns, a second drops bombs, and
the joystick moves the fighter.  This is a simple vertical shooter;
you don't have to worry about crashing into the terrain.  Overall,
Raiden II is a test of reflexes.  You never see who flies the planes.
For all anyone knows the pilots could be women, androids, moogles, etc.

- Scoring and mechanics

    At the start, your ship is armed with a single shot vulcan and 3
bombs, which is not enough.  Grab weapons and missiles to increase your
firepower (detailed in the next section).  Bombs cancel out enemy shots
within their effect area.  Anytime you shoot something or grab a
power-up, points are gained.  When you die, the shrapnel from the
exploding ship can damage enemies.  Also, several power-ups may come
out, you lose all your weaponry, and your next ship starts with the
peashooter and 3 bombs (regardless of how many you had when you died).
Lose all three lives (four on some machines) and the continue screen
comes up.  If you continue in solo-player mode, your score and medals
reset to zero.  Consider yourself good if you score 500000 or higher on
your first 3 lives.  The high score list will keep track of the top ten
scores and the level the player died on.  A =C= on the high score list
means the player continued after attaining that score.
    In two player mode there are twice as many Power Up Carrying
Enemies (PUCEs), the game throws in a few more enemies and missile
bays, and some of the bosses (particularly in Level 2) seem tougher.
Your score and medals carry over if you continue.  There is a separate
high score list probably due to this difference.

- Scoring Table

End of level bonus: 1000*bombs*medals (Remember: Medals reset to zero
if you continue in solo-player mode.)
Most weapons: 500
Gold medals: 500
Silver medals: 3000
Miclus (looks like a frog to me): 10000 (doesn't count as a medal)
Fairy: 10000
"Extra" power-ups: 5000
Unnecessary P: 10000
8th bomb that is the same type as the other 7.  The first 7 have to be
of the same type for this bonus: 50000
Mission 1 clear (all 8 levels): 1000000
Mission 2 and up clear: 3000000

- Power up

Guns: These cycle in color from red to blue to purple.  These are
usually carried by PUCEs.  Grab them to increase the power level of the
primary weapon.  Note that changing weapons does not increase the power
level.  Guns are fully powered at level 8 (weapon levels not game
levels).  Here are the weapons.

Vulcan (Red): the basic peashooter.  Powering it up increases its
spread.  Useful but lacks power unless you can get close so most of the
spread will hit.

Laser (Blue): A straight firing laser.  Powering this up will increase
the number and potency of beams.  This is the strongest in terms of
power.

Plasma (Purple): New to Raiden II.  At first, it's a lot like the laser
but firing until it turns into a single beam will enable it to lock on
to what it hits, enabling the player to move freely while still causing
damage.  Its great for beginners and reduces the amount of aiming that
needs to be done but is somewhat unreliable because it doesn't always
go where you want it or need it to go.  This is not a homing gun; you
still need to guide the beam to the enemy which you want to hit.  Plus,
the lock-on beam is weaker than the straight shot.  Despite its weak
points, this is the weapon I recommend for a one-player game.

Missiles: These provide support fire and come from underneath the ship.
Missiles do work on air targets.  You don't start with any.  Grab 4
of the same kind for full power.  Like weapon power-ups, these cycle
between the possible choices.  Fired automatically with guns.  These
are released from Missile Caches.

Nuclear Missiles (Yellow M): These fly straight and are quite powerful.
The slow speed can be useful for taking out enemies coming from one
part of the screen while the player is blasting things in another.
Even at level 1, these are useful.

Homing Missiles (Green H): Guess what these do.  In my opinion, not
nearly as useful unless fully powered because they're weak and
pitifully slow.  When fully powered though, they find their targets
fast.  The preferred missile for levels 3 and 5 due to the many little
ships.

Bombs: Bombs cause damage and cancel out enemy shots within the effect
area.  You can have a maximum of 7 at once; grabbing an 8th will only
give 5000 points.  These are also carried by PUCEs.

Bomb (Red B): A concentrated explosion causes heavy damage to anything
within the effect area.  It takes about two seconds to detonate after
releasing it so it needs to be timed well.

Cluster Bomb (Yellow B): Although not as powerful, this bomb has wider
coverage.  In addition, it also comes out faster and lasts longer
making it the "panic" bomb.  Very useful when you don't know what's
coming.  New to Raiden II.

P: This fully powers up your gun and missiles (if you have any).  These
are rare although if you and/or the other player die a lot, they'll
appear more often.  Just don't forget that you can still be killed by
a single shot.

Fairy: It's worth 10000 points.  When you die, it will drop some extra
power-ups.

1-up: adds one life  These are very well hidden.

- Enemies

Enemies fall into three catagories: land based, air based, and boss.
In general, air based enemies and bosses can kill by direct contact
whereas you can safely fly over land based enemies (but beware the
shots).  I will indicate which levels I remember seeing the enemy in.
The level notation only applies to the hard version.

Air-based enemies:

Beige Scoutcraft (Area 1): These just come down about 3/4 of the
screen, shoot occasionally, and fly back up the way they came.  Not a
big threat except in large groups.  One shot kills them.
Satellite (all areas): carry powerups and have a triple gun.  Takes
about 16 bullets worth of damage.
Alpha Warplane (Area 1): Travels straight down firing twin streams
of five shots each.  If not killed on the first pass, they will return
from the bottom and fire a scatter shot if you fly below them.  These
take about 12-16 bullets worth of damage but are still not very
dangerous as they don't fire frequently.
Vulture (Area 2): I call them Vultures because these little ships
circle above a bit before swooping in on you.  Once they dive in for
the kill, they will fire at a fairly rapid clip that is hard to slip
through.  Try to stay low as they can leave you very vulnerable if they
pass below you.  They won't fire when they first appear so that's the
best time to nail them.  One shot will take these down.
Reconnaisance Craft (Areas 2, 4, and 7)  When it first appears, it
won't fire at you until you destroy one of its boosters which will
reveal a gun that shoots straight down.  For a quicker kill, aim for
the center of the craft.  You can destroy the shots of the one in Area
2 but not in the other levels.
Hornet Missile (Area 2): Attacks in droves just before the boss.  The
boss also launches these six at a time in its first firing pattern.
Attacks by ramming.  They don't shoot at all and only take one shot to
kill.
Beige Attack Craft (Area 3 and 8) Looks similar to the Beige Scoutcraft
of Area 1 but are more aggressive.  They pause even closer to the bottom
of the screen before trying to ram you.  Even though they take only one
shot to kill, they are quite dangerous if you didn't nail them right
away.  Because they hover so low, it's hard to shoot them without homing
missiles.
Mosquito (Areas 3 and 6): Large ship that looks like one.  See Area 3
section for details.
kamikaze plane (Area 4): They descend from the top of the screen and
shoot pairs of shots.  In the easy version, they don't fire as often
but will try to ram you.  In the hard version, they stick to their
vertical line of descent.  Easily killed, three bullets is enough.
Formation V (Area 4): It's the group of 5 large planes near the end of
the level.  They take quite a lot of punishment to destroy.  Shoots
infrequently.
Brown Attack Craft (Area 5): Even more persistant than the Beige
Attack Craft of level 3, these guys will hound you until killed.
They will back up for another assualt if their initial attacks fail to
nail you.  This actually makes them easier as you'll have more room to
maneuver under them.
space debris (Areas 6-8): If it crashes into you, you die.  It doesn't
attack.  Comes in several sizes with the bigger rocks taking more
damage.
Sweeper (Area 6): I call the little ships of Area 6 by this name
because I usually wind up in a corner trying to avoid them and their
shots and get shot in the back like a rat.  These guys are really fast
and always approach from the opposite side of the screen you're on.
When playing solo, it is impossible to hit these things with a forward
firing weapon; they never stay on the same vertical plane as your ship.
Sentry (Areas 7 and 8): When they first appear, they do nothing.  After
a few seconds, they fire straight down.  If they're still alive, these
ships will alternate between firing straight down and at 45 degree
angles.  They also gain limited horizontal movement when this pattern
starts.  If destroyed quickly, these ships won't pose any threat.
However, they take a lot of damage and tend to come in numbers.
Phantom Fighter (Area 7): They fly straight down from where they appear
and shoot the whole way.  The good news is that they die with one hit.
The bad news is that they come at least two at time and sometimes groups
of two or four attack in quick succession.
Nuclear rocket (Area 7): A few seconds after it appears, it will turn on
its side and spin.  If killed while spinning, shots fly in eight
directions with one aimed directly at you.
Pod Rocket (Area 7): A large red pod that does nothing for a while.  If
not killed, the top will blow a release a bunch of mini-rockets.  The
mini-rockets float in place and fire directly at the player when shot.
The Crystal (Area 8): From the middle of level until the end, it floats
back and forth on the top of screen.  It doesn't attack.  However, it
takes a lot of damage.  I've never killed it when playing alone.  If
you're really good, you may make it cough up a 1-up.  Try having two
players with one pounding the crystal with the guided plasma beam while
the other uses laser to take out the Sentry ships.

Ground based enemies:

Tank (Areas 1-6): Run-of-the-mill tank that drives on its preprogrammed
path and shoots occasionally.  Takes 3-4 bullets to kill.
Turret (Areas 1-3): Stationary gunpod
Tri-Cannon Tank (Areas 1-5): A little tougher than a regular tank and
fires a tight cluster of three shots instead of one.  Otherwise not
really different.
Laser Tank: (Areas 2-4, and 8): Same as a regular tank except it fires
larger white shots.
Amphibious Tank (Area 2): See Area 2 section for strategy.
Disc Turret: (Area 2): Same as a turret except for firing destroyable
shots and two or three at once rather than one.
Fireball Turret; (Areas 2, 5,6. and 8): Same old turret, different
looking shot.
Mobile Flak Cannon: (Areas 3 and 5): The two at the start of Area 3
are immobile.  It periodically fires twin sets of four at a small
angle.  You are safe from its fire if you are vertically alligned with
it.  It can fire to the side as well so watch out.
War Barge (Area 3): Consists of a turret on top and two tanks, one of
them under a hatch.  Except for the first two, they also have flak
cannons just like the Mobile Flak Cannons though these only fire
forward.  In easy, they shoot direct single shots instead.  These are
indestructable.  The turret shoots direct shots in threes.  The turret
is the target.  Taking it out also destroys any tanks on it that are
still alive and yields a medal (except for the first two).
Gunboat (Area 3): A boat with a gun on top.  Pretty much a tank that
can swim.
Boat Hanger (Area 3): The core is flanked by three Fireball turrets.
Destroy the core for a medal.  The core itself doesn't attack.
Docked Destroyer (Area 3): That gunboat-like thing near the end of the
level just before two War Barges.  Doesn't move and shoots in threes.
Shadow Hatch (Area 3 and 7): Opens, fires two shots, and closes.  Can
only be damaged when open.  The ones in level 7 only fire one white
shot each time they open.
Post (Area 4 and 8): Just sits there in the path of your shots.  A few
hits will blast it out of your way.  It cannot hurt you.  In level 8,
they give medals.
Statue (Area 4): It takes a decent amount of punishment and leaves a
medal when destroyed.  Other than that, they are like posts and are
dealt with in a similar manner.
Cannon Tower (Area 4): They sit in one place and fire their salvos at
set times.  The first salvo is a sparse five shot spread; the second
has four shots.  Both are fired in fixed directions.  From a frontal
position, dodge to the side slightly to avoid the first salvo and move
back to avoid the second.
Railroad Car (Area 5): It fires in bursts of three.  They take more
damage than tanks but are dealt with in a like manner.  As the name
suggests, they patrol the rails in level 5.
Watcher Cannon (Area 6): A blinking light rotates around the structure.
If it faces you, the Watcher Cannon will fire like a Mobile Flak
Cannon.  The light resumes its path after firing.  This enemy is
immobile.
Flak Trap (Area 6 and 8): When the turret spins, it sprays shots every
which way.  The firing pattern is not aimed so it's a matter of being
in the right place at the right time.
Defense Installation (Area 6): The core is surrounded by a pop-up gun
at each corner.  Like the Boat Hangers, destroy the core to disable it
completely.
Concealed Cannon (Area 7): They're not concealed really well; you can
spot where one will appear by its pattern on the ground.  The timing of
their emergence is fixed although it can throw the player off.  After
appearing, the first salvo always goes straight down.  After that, the
cannon will aim at you directly.  Treat it like any other stationary gun
but don't be in front of it when it emerges; the shots are fast.
Rail Battery (Area 7): There are two of them and they have different
firing patterns.  They don't fire often but be ready to move at any time.
They take a lot of damage too.
Disc Hatch (Area 7): It only stays up a second at a time to fires three
discs in a line.
Battery Tank (Area 8): A huge tank that fires many shots at once.  The
firing frequency is low so they're not difficult to deal with.
Laser Cannon Tower (Area 8): Although their firing pattern crisscrosses
more, they're not much more dangerous than their relatives in level 4.
The real danger is the little ships that also show up.


Bosses

See level sections for strategy.

Area 1: Death Walkers
Area 2: Ichneumon
Area 3: Shadow Submarine
Area 4: Fort Cyclops
Area 5: Dread Bomber
Area 6: Manticore
Area 7: Whisper
Area 8: Cranasian Headquarters

- General Hints

 Most enemies shoot directly at you.  Therefore, as long as you are
moving and not moving towards a gun, you will usually not be hit.
 Most enemies come out from the same place.  Memorizing the positions
will help. (easier said than done)
 Don't be afraid of using bombs, especially if you are a beginner.
Your stock is reset to 3 regardless of how many you had.  I've died
with 7 once: very annoying.  Conversely, you'll need to become somewhat
comfortable dodging through small spaces if you wish to become better.
 Don't worry about medals much.  Worry about staying alive.  It's
especially true if you can't even pass the level without continuing.
 When the continue screen is up, the screen KEEPS SCROLLING.  At
times, it may be to your advantage to let it count down before pressing
the start button to come back.  At bosses however, it's best to come
back ASAP if you plan on continuing.
 With plasma, sometimes it is better to use the straight shot instead
of the beam because straight firing actually does more damage if you
can keep on the target.
 Nuclear missiles do a lot of damage if you're close to the enemy due
to them firing more frequently.  Specific places are the bosses in
levels 1 and 2.
 Try not to change weapons too often unless you're already fully
powered.  Changing weapons does not increase the power level.  Very
little is more annoying than grabbing 7 power ups and finding yourself
with the starting peashooter.
 If a P appears, the ideal tactic is to have some kind of missile
before taking it so they'll be powered up as well.  Taking a missile
after the P will result in weak level 1 missiles.
 Power-ups will drift off the screen after a certain amount of time
passes (my estimate is 30-50 seconds) so don't wait forever.
 Balanced weapon combinations are stronger.  Vulcan's wide range but
poor power should be augmented by the destructive power of nuclear
missiles.  Laser should be supported by homing missiles to reach those
enemies not in front of you.  Purple works fine with either type of
missile.
 In two-player games, I recommend the players use different weapons.
Two people using plasma is not that powerful.  My power combo involves
the better player using laser and homing.  The other player should use
vulcan or plasma with whatever missile.
 Also in two player games: share the power-ups.
 Never insult another player's performance, no matter how much he or
she may suck.  Even if the other player is bad, the game is usually
more fun with them than without.

"super secret": Player 1 begins each life with three regular bombs.
Player 2 however, begins with cluster bombs each time.  You guessed it.
Play on player 2's side when playing solo and you'll probably do
better.

- Level data
    Because the game relies so much on reflexes, I'm not going to try
to write a walkthrough on each level.  There are some patterns that are
helpful to know which I will include.  I will also include my weapon
recommendations for solo players, # of PUCEs (multiply by 2 if there
are two players), and Missile Caches

Level 1:
Recommended weapons: plasma and nuclear missiles
5 PUCEs
2 Missile Caches (4 in two player)
 Consider this a warm-up level.  The fairy is easy to find; just shoot
the tree it's in while dodging shots.  The Death Walkers are fairly
trivial.  Most of the time, they will fire shots at the diagonals.
That's the time to get close and hose it with missiles.  When the
turret starts turning, it will fire several shots straight at you when
your ship is in it's line of fire.  Two spreads of bullets will come
out a split second before on each side to make it tricky to dodge.  The
easy way is to drop a bomb a bit before it fires to cancel the shots.
Otherwise, back up and slip through.  Watch out for small tanks and
Beige Scoutcraft.  They come at fixed times.  The second Death Walker
will do the spread and turret combo continuously when it's nearly dead.

Level 2:
Recommended weapons: plasma and nuclear
6 PUCEs
3 Missile Caches
 Somewhat more difficult, though manageable.  There are some enemies
worth noting.  The large plane is trivial if you have vulcan or plasma
because its shots can be destroyed.  Just don't be hit by the tanks.
The two Amphibious Tanks later on serve as a sort of mid-boss.  They
have two firing patterns.  In the first, the side cannons try to box
you in and the gun holes shoot directly at you periodically.  It's not
too hard to dodge.  The second firing pattern is a wide spread that
locks on to your location then fires based on where you were a split
second ago.  It's almost impossible to go around unless there are two
players.  If your firepower is weak, it may be better to not do too
much damage so they stay in their first firing pattern since you do not
have to kill  them.  Near the end of the level, a car will speed from
the right.  It is worth 10000 points if you nail it.  Plasma or vulcan
level 3 or higher is good at the boss.  There are three firing
patterns.  The first is trivial; the wingtips and the twin gun in front
will fire five shots at a time straight down.  Destroy these so you'll
only have to worry about the Hornet Missiles the boss spits out six at
a time.  After taking enough damage or when enough time passes, the
boss will use its second and third firing patterns.  The second pattern
is not too hard to dodge.  I usually use a bomb to escape the third
firing pattern as it closes it though.  The boss will alternate between
the two patterns until it is killed.  With plasma, the third pattern
can be avoided by flying to the side of the boss while still being able
to hit it.  Ethan Larson's Raiden FAQ has bullet diagrams for its level
2 boss that may be helpful here.

Solo player strategy (George Montemayor)
"You can kill the level 2 boss without having to dodge the 2nd attack
wave after all little fighters have been exhausted where the bottom
guns slowly spread bullets, and without having to use a bomb.

This assumes that you have maximum firepower in both weapons, and you
have the nuclear weapons.  I recommend to be using the vulcan laser for
this.  You may have noticed that if you severly damage the boss to
quickly, it will release all of its little fighters.  The trick is to
damage it somewhat, but not severly, until it has 3 batch of fighters
left.  At that  point, it will not release all of them no matter how
severly you have damaged it.  I suggest you fly right close to it at
that point.  Stay as close to it as possible even at the start of the
2nd attack wave."
hint: The boss has 14 batches of fighters.

Level 3:
Recommended: Plasma and homing
5 PUCEs
3 Missile Caches
Extra power-up: Destroy the stationary gunboat-like enemy near the end
of the level just before two War Barges.
1-up: As you leave the large superstructure which opens the level,
there will be a hanger on the left which two tanks will come from and
an off-colored box with a medallion.  Kill the first tank but don't
kill the second one or the medallion cache.  If you're using homing or
high-level red: you'll need to stop shooting, go to the right side of
the screen, and use a bomb or two to burn away shots and the little
ships unless you're really good.  When the tank hits the cache, it will
explode and the 1-up will appear.  Takes practice to do, especially
without bombs.  I don't think it's worth the trouble with two players.
By the way, you can't die in the process.  Besides it being pointless,
the shrapnel from your ship is likely to destroy the medallion cache.
DragonKnight Zero recommends plasma and nuclear so you can still shoot
other enemies.  The 1-up will not be revealed if the continue screen
scrolls past this point.
This level is HARD.  90-95% of the time, I go game over here.  This
is the level to beat.  If you are still fully powered with plasma and
nuclear, switch to homing straight away (unless you're going for the
1-up).  It will help immensely versus the flood of little ships that
will assault you through most of the level.  By the way, they are more
aggressive that the little guys in Level 1.  With enough firepower,
the large mosquito planes can be killed before they fire.  Their wings
flicker really quickly before firing so if they're not dead, slip
through a hole.  Their spread isn't aimed at you so it's not difficult
to dodge.  Be wary of gunboats and little ships though.  When gunboats
start coming from behind, it becomes really hairy.  I usually drop a
bomb shortly after the 3rd PUCE appears and the two gunboats are coming
from behind.  If you survived the first water section, prepare for a
welcoming committee of a lot of tanks and ships.  The land section
before the next water section often kills me because the shots are hard
to see at times.  The second water section is also insane so don't be
afraid to use a bomb if you're feeling overwhelmed.  I use a bomb at
the end where the two War Barges are docked if I don't have plasma.
 Still haven't died?  OK, switch to nuclear missiles for the boss.
Full homing is good for the little ships if you're not using red though.
It is a big boat with a LOT of pop-up guns.  Your primary target is the
main cannon.  The pop-up guns on the side of the main gun will aim for
you, the guns in front only fire forward (and their shots can be
destroyed).  There are some more, but they are not a threat.  Other
dangers are the Shadow Hatches on the docks and the Beige Attack Craft
that will harass you throughout the battle.  It's not too difficult
until the cover on the main gun is blown off.  Once that happens, there
will be the main gun's spread to worry about.  It wouldn't be so hard
except for those pop-up triple guns in the back, the little guys, and
maybe some Shadow Hatches if you were fast.  Use your bombs as needed.
I have passed this boss without dying only about 3-4 times when playing
solo. In a two player game if one has a fully powered laser, it is
certainly possible to kill the boss before the screen would stop scrolling
until it's killed.

Level 4:
Recommended: plasma and nuclear OR laser and homing
4 PUCEs
2 Missile Caches (3 with two players)
Extra power-up: Destroy both cannon towers near the end.  There is also
a missile power-up between them.
 There's a hidden fairy in this level.  About the time when the first
mobile platform shows up, there will be eight targets arranged in a
circle on the left side of the playfield.  Destroy all of them and then
destroy the bush that appears to make the fairy appear.  It really
helps to have two players for this.  Don't bother if you're playing
solo, you're on your last life, and you don't plan on continuing.
Anyway, I find this level to be a bit easier than the last one.  Don't
let the peaceful BGM lull you into thinking this will be easy.  Switch
off red as soon as you can; it will be too weak.  There are several
dangers of note.  For starters, the large plane from level 2 is back.
This time, its shots are not destroyable.  Tri-cannon Tanks will also
come out from under the woods.  A bomb is highly recommended if the
second plane appears before the first is destroyed though it isn't
always necessary.  Other dangerous enemies are the mobile platforms.
At first they appear to be part of the ground but they'll move out and
attack.  Beware: they don't show while the continue screen is up but if
someone continues, they'll pursue from behind.  You'll almost certainly
need a bomb or two to survive the section near the end with the third
mobile platform and 17-18 kamikaze planes bearing down almost all at
once.  Also, the formation of 5 planes right after will come back from
behind if not destroyed on the first pass.
 OK, the level may be slightly easier than the last one but the boss
is much harder.  The first enemy you see isn't actually the real boss
but it must be killed before you can shoot the boss effectively since
it will park right in front of it.  Both parts can make turrets pop out
of places on the ground.  More pup-up triple guns here.  Take out the
first part, then go for the triple guns flanking the core.  Take out
the mobile tanks on the sides only after the triple guns are gone
because destroying them will automatically expose the core, freeing it
to attack and create turrets.  If enough time passes, the cover on the
core will blow off on its own so don't dwadle.  In the easy version,
the side tanks will shoot directly at you so be more aggresive about
taking them out.

Level 5
Recommended: plasma and homing
7 PUCEs
2 Missile Caches
 If you haven't noticed already, the enemy shots have been increasing
in speed throughout the levels.  Anyway, homing missiles are a must for
this level.  The aggressive little guys are back and they're more
tenacious than they were in level 3.  The tanks also seem to have
multiplied; they are everywhere, especially on the end stretch.  No new
enemies other than the railroad cars and the fighter near the end.  I
have made it to the boss without dying with the recommended weapon
combination, and it is one of the hardest things I've survived.
 The boss is a three parter.  The first part is relatively easy.  Stay
at the very back and center of the screen and make small movements to
dodge shots.  If you're afraid of dying it may be worthwhile to use a
bomb right away to quiet some of the guns and the thrusters but don't
use them otherwise.  You can fly through the thruster flames without
dying.  Part two is a little tougher.  It will come out automatically
after a set amount of time.  Stay vertically aligned with its center at
the back of the screen and make small movements to dodge its volleys.
The wingtip cannons are not a worry if you're centered.  When it sprays
shots seemingly everywhere, you really only need to make small
movements.  Some players may need bombs but for me, it just throws off
my timing and I die.  Part three is a nasty one.  Again back of screen,
vertically aligned is the best position for dodging. Once you have a
feel for its pattern, it's not really that hard.  All these fights are
one on one so no other enemies will harass you.  Laser is the best
weapon if you happen to have it.
 Survived?  Congratulations.  It only gets worse from here on out.

Level 6:
Recommended: full vulcan and nuclear missiles
7 PUCEs
2 Missile Caches
1-up: Early in the level, there's a structure with the infamous crystal
icon on it.  Shooting it enough will make the crystal fly straight up.
Destroying the crystal as it flies away will cough up the 1-up.  I
highly recommend a regular bomb here.
 There is a sequence before the level begins where your fighter(s) is
launched into space.  Once the music changes, it's time to get back to
action.  Space debris all around here.  Full red is actually better
than plasma because of the numerous, fast, little ships.  If your gun
isn't powered enough then use plasma.  Otherwise, it will be near
impossible to hit any of the little ships and their constant firing
will almost surely overwhelm you.  Tanks also like to approach from
inconveniant angles (often behind) so avoid staying on the bottom of
the screen.  Near the end, if your next bomb is the nuclear bomb, drop
it on the core of the first Defense Installation to knock it out quick.

Boss Strategy (Hisamatsu Iuchi):
 "Manticore (the oversized tank at the end of stage six) spends most
 of its time trying to blast you with its energy cannon, although
 continually weaving around will get you past the dangerous part.  The
 main problems are the two hatches shooting flak waves, and the
 advanced attacks which rain projectiles over the front of Manticore.
 A bomb is usually needed for the first version (both versions are
 telegraphed by the armor at the base of the energy cannon glowing
 white).  If you move quickly, you can just find a hole in the second
 version and sit there while the fireballs fall (unless some other
 weapon finds you, in which case you'd better have a cluster bomb
 ready)."

Level 7:
Recommended: plasma and any missile
5 PUCEs
3 Missile Caches
 More outer space madness.  Lots of space debris around.  Move after
destroying a spinning Nuclear Rocket because one of the shots will head
towards your ship's position.  If you didn't kill the Pod Rockets quick
and they launched their mini-rockets, it may be to your advantage to
stop firing momentarily to avoid having a retaliatory shot coming at you
if you're cornered.  Plasma works well because of all the space debris;
you'll usually hit something.

Boss Stretegy (Hisamatsu Iuchi):
 "Stage seven's boss, Whisper, starts off (after taking off from the
 battleship) by launching Rail Cannons from the Hangars on its sides,
 and shooting bursts of flak from its front engines.  When a Hangar is
 destroyed, it launches one last Rail Cannon in retaliation.  Things
 heat up when the Booster Rockets are disengaged (you can speed this
 up by shooting the Rockets)--the cockpit unleashes a pair of cannons
 which shoot discs straight down, and fire waves at YOU.  It's
 actually pretty easy once the Hangars and forward flak cannons are
 destroyed (the latter can only be shot when they're firing)."

Level 8:
Recommended: plasma and homing missiles
4 PUCEs
3 Missile Caches
1-up: At some point midway through the level, a crystal will drift
around the top part of the screen.  If you manage to destroy it late
as it is leaving the screen, a 1-up will appear.  Pretty much requires
mid to high level plasma to do.  I haven't verified this personally but
it's here for the record.
 An interesting thing happened here the first time I played this
level.  I was waiting for the continue screen to hit 1 and the screen
filled up with so many ships that it stopped scrolling.  I'm guessing
the game hit a limit.  The weapon combination isn't really ideal but
seems to be easiest.  Homing missiles are for the large number of
little ships while I chose plasma because you'll constantly be on the
move and plasma doesn't require staying in front of the target.  It's
also ideal for the crystal.  My big moment of glory was when I survived
the level (not the boss) on one life.  The other player continued a lot.

Boss Stretegy:
 There are three phases for this battle.  Take care not to get blasted
by the tanks that routinely appear from the structure during all three
phases.  For the first part, the central bunker is the primary target.
It will fire a five-way shot every so often that's not difficult to dodge
though will catch the unaware.  There are also six turrets which can be
destroyed which will periodically fire at the player.  Keep moving and
firing and it won't be too difficult.
 Once the bunker is blasted, the controlling crystal appears.  Its
protective shield must be blasted before it can be damaged.  Seven small
crystals will appear to lay cover fire.  Three on the left, three on the
right, and one right below the boss.  The crystals regenerate if destroyed
so the only one worth bothering with is the one below the boss since it's
in the way.  The best firing position is centered at the bottom of the
screen, vertically aligned with the lower crystal.  It would be very easy
if it weren't for the tanks.
 Blowing away the shield brings on the third phase.  The small crystals
will no longer regenerate.  The boss creates seven more small crystals
above it.  These things fire simultaneously at the ship.  Dodge far to the
left or right to avoid this attack.  The main crystal will also attack
with two tricky patterns.  When it starts spinning fast, be ready to dodge
or bomb.  Inflict enough damage to the boss crystal to win.

 Once you complete the 8th level, the game will award you a million
points and will restart with the enemy shots being faster (as if they
weren't fast enough already).  No real ending; that's the worst thing
about this game.

- Did You Know?

 You cannot earn extra lives through points in this game.  The only
way is by finding the rare 1-up.
 Every 28th powerup is a P.  This include powerups released by killed
players and fairies.  Missiles are not counted in this pattern.  The
pattern goes something like this.  Three weapon powers with the 4th
being a bomb.  This pattern repeats five times counting the first time.
Powerups 21 through 27 are bombs.  Number 28 will be a P.  The loop of
28 than repeats.  Dying during the string of bombs is a very bad thing.
 I can't prove this but it seems explosions from large enemies
blowing up and the follow-up if they crash on the ground can take out
smaller enemies.
 There is a medal hidden at the end of every level.  Shoot around to
find it.  Although the location changes, if you follow the same flight
pattern, you'll probably find it consistantly.  There's about a 1-2
second time interval to uncover and grab the medal before the area
clear screen.

- Mysteries

Does the game ever stop looping back to the beginning after the 8th
level?  On the PSX version, I've used mission select to start on the
third time through and the game goes to a mission 4.  Anyone with the
home version or their own arcade machine willing to find this out?
Whoever solves this mystery as well as any others will be given credit.

When bosses are defeated, a crystal flies out.  What's it's purpose?

Robby Morrow suggested that the crystal contains the enemy
intelligence, which is put in certain large enemies to halt your
progress.  Makes sense; where else do those bosses' unlimited supply
of firepower come from?

Havok informs me that the crystals that fly out whenever a boss dies
return to protect the final boss.  There happens to be seven regenerating
crystals during the second phase of the last boss fight.  Coincidence?
I think not.

Just what determines whether a missile powerup is released when someone
dies?

- Challenges

Tests of skill devised by me.  I'm not going to make a record table so
don't ask.

-Training for those with a home version: Complete the first level,
shooting at nothing but the boss and dying no more than twice.  If you
successfully do this, you will be a much better player.
-At the end of level 1, kill the second Death Walker before killing
the first one.  To earn bragging rights, this must be completed on the
first life.
-Gain a level clear bonus of 100000 or more playing solo,  This can be
accomplished on any level of choice (except 1, where it is impossible)
-In level 4, survive the section with the third mobile platform and the
17 kamikaze planes without using bombs.  Heck, survive the boss without
bombs.
Complete the first three levels on one life using the laser and nuclear
missiles.  Submitted by George Montemoyer
And of course . . .
Highest score in solo player on first credit.  My all time best is 9.1
million on stage 3-3 (third loop, third level) on the PC.  This doesn't
really count as the game runs really slow on a P133 which is an unfair
advantage.

If I post a submitted challenge, that person will be credited.

- Version Differences

 There are two different versions of the arcade machine.  They can be
identified by the high score screen.  The easy version has the Raiden
MK-II in color on a black background; the hard version has a sepia shot
of an ascending fighter.  In general, the level layouts are a little
different.  The list which follows and all the enemy names within it
are by Hisamatsu Iuchi unless otherwise indicated.  I have not verified
everything on the list since I have never played past level 4 on the
easy machine but what I've seen is accurate.

General:  NO MICLI IN EASY.  Just normal and special medallions.

 Stage one:

 --In the easy version, after the first Missile Cache, there will be a
 Beige Battery Tank (its outer shell moves from time to time to fire a
 wall or cluster of bullets).  Two more follow just before the ruined
 highway.  In the hard version, Alpha Warplanes appear wherever
 Battery Tanks were in the easy version.

 --Easy:  at the meander, two Alpha Warplanes attack.  Hard:  Alpha
 Warplanes replaced by Tri-cannon Tanks and a swarm of Beige
 Scoutcraft.

 --Easy:  At the edge of the swamp right before the first Death Walker
 boss appears, there's a Subterranean Cannon.  It starts out as a flat
 orange panel with a light cycling around its sides.  If the light
 ever faces you, all four light sections flash, and the Cannon
 emerges.  It isn't present in the hard version (in ANY stage).

 --Easy:  Both Death Walkers have the same sparse flak density when
 using the Fire Bow (rotating turret attack).  Hard:  The second
 Walker's flak density is MUCH greater.

 Stage two:

 --A few of the structures from which Laser Tanks (they have a fat
 cannon that shoots the large, fast laser bullets) emerge in the hard
 version have only the ordinary Tanks in the easy version.

 --In the easy version, when the Amphibious Tanks use their Laser
 Spread, if you stay exactly aligned with a Tank's bow, and only move
 vertically, the Spread will miss.  You don't have that luxury in the
 hard version.  The hard version also has more supporting normal
 Tanks.

DragonKnight Zero says: If playing with two players in hard, the Laser
Spread is more sparse and easier to dodge.  That feature is not in
easy.

 --Easy:  At the entry to the military base, there are some Disk
 Turrets (destroyable shots).  Hard:  Medallion Caches instead.

 --Easy:  Subterranean Cannon, moderate Tank population, and Orange
 Flak Trap after the base.  Hard:  Instead, huge, motley population of
 normal, Laser, and Tri-cannon tanks.

 --The Car in the hard version isn't present in the easy version.

 --It's not important, but once Ichneumon runs out of Hornet Missiles
 at the end of the stage, you can hear it retract the missile racks in
 the hard version, but not the easy version.

DragonKnight Zero says: Actually, the sound of the retracting missile
racks is a signal that the next firing pattern is coming.  It also
seems that the third pattern is easier to dodge in easy.

 Stage three:

 --A few Mobile Flak Cannons are on the first superstructure in the
 hard version.  Not in the easy version, where you get to tangle with
 a few Patrol Boats early on.

 --The Boat Hangars change a bit in nature.  They have three Laser
 Turrets apiece in hard.  In easy, though, there are two Flak Hatches
 (the same things lining the canal with Shadow Submarine at the end of
 the stage) and a Cluster Laser (it shoots a tight group of four laser
 orbs).  Also, when you destroy a Hangar's core, you can't see the
 medallion in easy mode...

 --Easy mode doesn't have the HUGE tank population from hard when you
 reach the beaches (or any Tri-cannon Tanks)--just three or four
 before the Satellite (PUCE) appears.

 --The side cannons on the vertical War Barges change in nature a
 little.  In hard, they have a fixed pattern of periodically shooting
 down and diagonally.  In easy, they shoot single bullets right at
 you.

 --During the open sea after the beaches, easy pits you against Beta
 Warplanes (MUCH faster than Alpha, and much quicker shots).  None in
 hard.

 Stage four:

 --There are no Disc Tanks in easy.

 --When you destroy a Statue, the medallion can be seen in hard mode,
 but not easy.

 Stage five:

 --In easy mode, they swamped area has a pair of Subterranean Cannons,
 and there's another at the very beginning.  Instead of these, hard
 mode has several groups of Tanks and Mobile Flak Cannons coming down.

 --There are a trio of Silver Battery Tanks right before the railyard
 begins.

 --The Attack Trains shoot quick strings of bullets periodically in
 easy, not single and frequent like hard.

 --The large, beige structure--apparently the railyard's station--is
 rather  well-armed in easy mode.  Lots of Disc Turrets, and a Stealth
 Fighter (with constant, straight-down strings of discs).  The Stealth
 Fighter appears MUCH later (Dread Bomber's hangar) in hard mode.

 --In easy mode, it's entirely possible to go above Dread Bomber's
 second phase, with little risk of getting rammed.  The Bomber's third
 phase isn't as varied in easy as in hard.  The overlapping waves of
 fire aren't complete (the upper portions are gone), and there's only
 one desperation pattern, the random fireball swarm (not the Fire Arc
 Switch).

 Stage six:

 --The Watcher Cannons (silver structures with flashing lights) from
 hard mode aren't present in easy mode.

 --There are Tanks on the runways right before Manticore on hard mode,
 but not easy.  Also, when you actually reach the runways, easy mode
 has a Greater Flak Trap (like the ones in stage eight) waiting for
 you.

 Stage seven:

 --BIG difference in how the Golden Phantom Fighters work.  In easy,
 they move in some downward direction VERY quickly, shooting as they
 accelerate and, sometimes, as they exit the screen.  In hard, they
 steadily fly at a good clip towards the bottom edge, firing all the
 while.

- Credits

Hisamatsu Iuchi: Detailed list of differences between the two versions
of the arcade game, reprinted in the above section.  Also provided the
location of a 1-up in level 3; tips and strategy for the bosses in
levels 4, 6, and 7; some information on level 7; almost all the enemy
names; and a few other terms.
jmangamen: solved the mystery of the crystal that floats around in
level 8, also clarified that extra lives don't come from points
George Montemayor: location of 1-up in level 6, more strategy for the
level 2 boss.
Rory Benson: informed me that it is possible to obtain a P on the first
life
Ethan Larson and his Raiden FAQ: Some of the general hints and names
were found in his guide.  Also, his boss strategies for levels 1
through 4 are applicable to Raiden 2 to varying degrees.
Gamefaqs, for inspiration and being a place to submit this guide to.
Gamepro March 1994: parts of game description
All the people who still play Raiden 2 (so it stays in the arcades)
Anyone else who deserves credit that I didn't mention above.

- This guide's future

 This guide is now complete to my satisfaction.  I'll still update if
new informations comes up or a major mistake need correcting so feel
free to e-mail me as needed.  My e-mail is at the top of this doccument.

- Unofficial Soundtrack Titles

Hey, the Gradius (TM of Konami) series has titles for its BGM.  So
why not Raiden 2.  The BGM sounds out of place for a shooter most of
the time.  Unlike most Squaresoft pieces, the titles here do not
reflect the opinions of Seibu Kaihatsu or anyone else beside the people
under the Suggested by column.  Consider yourself thanked if I or
anyone else suggests a title you may have copyrights attached to.  I
try not to use names that are already in use but I'm no a walking
encyclopedia on music.

BGM               Unofficial Title                 Suggested by

Level 1         Soaring Into the Atmosphere        DragonKnight Zero
Boss            Battle Stations                    DragonKnight Zero
Area Clear
Level 2 and 8   Weapons of Hope                    Hisamatsu Iuchi
Level 3         Noble Struggle                     Hisamatsu Iuchi
Level 4         Determination                      Hisamatsu Iuchi</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
Level 5         Sky Dance                          DragonKnight Zero
Level 6         Journey to Another World           DragonKnight Zero
Level 7         Soul of Thunder                    www.vgmusic.com
Mission Clear
Name Entry

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