Raiden III brings vertical shooting back to basics. Heavy gunfire, massive explosions and unforgiving scrolling. No frills, just raw arcade joy at its sharpest. A reassuring classic.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter2 players7+
Co-op
Description
A Moss and UFO Interactive vertical shoot'em up released in 2005 (US, Europe, Japan), a reboot of the Raiden franchise. Two plasma fighters face waves of mechanical invaders in a 3D visual setting but pure 2D vertical gameplay. Two-player co-op, a medal system and elevated difficulty faithful to the Raiden tradition.
Raiden III review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Punishing"
A return to the fundamentals of the Seibu vertical, it throws cross-fire, armored bosses and a relentless rise in intensity at the player. Switching between cannon, laser and missiles to suit the moment, while keeping precise positioning, makes all the difference. Stern but highly readable, it carries on a rigorous arcade tradition dear to genre purists.
Raiden III in a PAL European edition, the return of Seibu Kaihatsu's emblematic vertical shooter series, brought to PS2 by Taito. The PAL print is limited and the genre serves a loyal niche audience, making the European version markedly scarcer than its Japanese or North American counterparts. Demand, genuine among shmup fans, sustains the price with no reissue on offer.
Memorable bosses
True to the arcade tradition, this vertical shooter pits you against military fortresses and a final mothership bristling with cannons. The famous serpentine laser becomes a weapon of choice for dismantling these colossi under a hail of fire. Plain but fearsomely solid, it makes its guardians into walls of fire where precision trumps everything.
Is Raiden III still worth playing in 2026?
A shoot'em up from Seibu Kaihatsu, Raiden III extends the legendary vertical shooter series, where you pilot a fighter against waves of enemies and massive bosses, juggling an arsenal of shots and lasers in a demanding action faithful to the pure arcade tradition. The readability of the action, the satisfaction of the overpowered shots and the demand of the patterns appeal to fans of shoot'em ups and arcade nostalgics. The high difficulty and the niche character bound the appeal to the general public. For a fan of vertical shoot'em ups or an arcade nostalgic, the title keeps a perfectly preserved intensity and demand.
