Seibu Kaihatsu compile the arcade Raiden Fighters into an excellent return to grace. Tough patterns, a varied pilot roster and old school difficulty will please fans of snappy retro shooting. A genuine blessing for genre lovers, despite the minimal presentation.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player12+
Description
Shoot-em-up compilation by Moss and Seibu Kaihatsu, Japan February 2008. Brings together Raiden Fighters, Raiden Fighters 2 and Raiden Fighters Jet in Xbox 360 versions with additional content. Three classic Seibu Kaihatsu arcade shoot-em-ups in their best form. Ideal collection for Raiden shoot-em-up fans.
Raiden Fighters Aces review
3/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Polished"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
The compilation keeps the scores exactly as the arcade boards produced them: nineties FM synthesis, fast melodies cut to pierce the noise of a hall, and short loops the memory retains after two credits. Bringing three episodes together lets you hear one sound team evolve, from the driest to the most arranged, without any of it being re-recorded.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Difficult"
Lifespan
"Very short"
Three Seibu Kaihatsu classics together — Raiden Fighters, 2 and Jet —, this compilation chains nervy vertical shooters with arcade roots. Its brevity is the genre's: short runs, cut for scoring and mastery. You return less to progress than to tame each game, unlock the hidden ships and polish your runs, well beyond a single game.
A console compilation gathering Seibu Kaihatsu's Raiden Fighters shoot'em up trilogy, bringing these vertical arcade-hall classics to the machine. Made in measured volume, its appeal lies in this arcade preservation and a niche audience of genre specialists rather than widespread scarcity. A piece valued by fans of old-school shoot'em ups.
Is Raiden Fighters Aces still worth playing in 2026?
Released on Xbox 360, Seibu Kaihatsu's Raiden Fighters Aces gathers three vertical arcade shoot them ups from the Raiden Fighters series, a treasure for fans of old school shooting. The density of the action, the generosity of the scoring system and the variety of playable craft, including hidden planes to unlock, reward mastery. The compilation faithfully preserves the arcade spirit of the original cabinets. The presentation stays austere and the genre demanding. But the play depth fascinates connoisseurs. For devotees of classic vertical shmups and Japanese arcade heritage, this compilation keeps a definite interest today.
