Raiden NOVA is the new entry in the iconic shoot’em up series Raiden and has been announced by Moss.
The series started at the beginning of the 90’s and includes 5 numbered titles and some spin-offs, Raiden NOVA belongs to the second category and introduces a gameplay totally different from the previous games: Raiden has always been a vertical shoot’em up since its first release but this time Moss have decided to move to multi-directional gameplay.
The player controls the spacecraft with the left stick while the right stick is used for shooting, a gameplay similar to the old Asteroids or, more recently, Geometry Wars.
There will be 10 different spacecrafts available in game with some of them coming directly from the numbered episodes, from Raiden to Raiden V.
Raiden NOVA includes two different game modes: Arcade, with a total of 6 stages, and Unlimited, a sort of survival mode; in both of them coins can be earned by destroying enemies and used to purchase new weapons to strengthen the spacecraft while combining the different weapons available.
In addition, when certain conditions are met, an “ultimate evolution” will occur, allowing the player to achieve the ultimate power-ups.
Moss have announced that Raiden NOVA will be available in Japan in both digital and physical versions for Switch, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 from 31 October 2024.
A limited edition is also planned and will include the original soundtrack supervised by the original composer of the series Go Sato, an original acrylic block (Raiden for Switch, Raiden DX for PS5 and Raiden II for PS4) and an cardboard box designed by Hidetaka Tenjin (Sonic Wings, Macross, Gradius V).
Watch the promotional video below: