 |
|
| LASER: Raiden
Spread Vulcan |
| MISSILE: Raiden
Dumb-Fire Missiles |
|
The Verdict: This is the player 2 blue version of
the Raiden mk-II. The Raiden mk-IIß doesn't have a laser weapon.
Its main weaponry is the original Raiden Spread Vulcan. Its secondary weapon
is the Raiden Impact Missiles from Raiden 1/2/DX. The Raiden mk-IIß
requires you to collect many power-ups to power up the Spread Vulcan fully,
much like in the original Raiden and Raiden II/DX. You need to collect
6 "L" power-ups to fully power up the Spread Vulcan. The biggest disadvantage
of the Raiden mk-IIß is its rapid-firing rate. It has none. Playing
as the Raiden mk-IIß is a guaranteed finger-buster. You are required
to have a quick trigger finger to make this ship shoot quickly. Impact
Missiles require the usual four "M" power-ups. The Raiden mk-IIß's
Bomb is the Cluster Bomb from Raiden II/DX. It is very useful in tight
spots and against ground enemies, but it is almost ineffective against
air-based bosses. The Raiden mk-IIß has decent speed too. It is much
more manuverable than the Raiden mk-II. This ship can use both Laser and
Missile weapons simultaneously, but each needs to be powered up individually.
Interestingly, if you play a 2 player game of RF2 or RFJ using the Raiden mk-II
and the Raiden mk-II Beta, an old Raiden trick appears. If the mk-II Beta
shoots the Raiden mk-II, the mk-II Beta's Vulcan will turn into lethal
stars that spreads out wide, just like in Raiden 1/2/DX! It is just like
playing Raiden II in hyperdrive mode!
Pros: Fully powered up, its Laser weapon (actually the
Raiden Spread Vulcan from waaaaay back to the original Raiden Densetsu)
spreads out and covers a very wide arc in front of the ship. Its Cluster
Bomb from Raiden II covers a wide area and deploys instantly, making it
a perfect panic bomb.
Cons: There is absolutely no rapid fire for this ship.
It shoots only once per push of the Fire button. The Raiden Vulcan is next
to useless unless you attack at close proximity to the enemies so that
most of the spread will hit. The Cluster Bomb is virtually useless against
flying bosses (the bomblets explode on impact), and it actually scrolls off
the screen in fast-scrolling stages, like the Violet Head Boss stage in RF2
and Level 35 in RFJ!
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