Late-90s arcade energy compressed into a compilation that absolutely rips. Raiden Fighters Aces collects music from all three Raiden Fighters games, with Go Sato's original compositions and Yasuhiro Hashimoto's techno-forward Jet entries sitting side by side.
Read more
Soaring Nature kicks off Stage 1 with melodic synth lines that feel almost optimistic before the bullet count quadruples. Maritime Madness layers FM-style arpeggios over pounding kick drums. Then Raiden Fighters Jet tracks like the boss themes go full rave, ditching melody for raw percussive attack.
Dreaded Storm is the standout boss track, all tension and rhythmic aggression. The tonal shift between entries is wild but somehow it works. Essential listening for anyone who thinks shmup soundtracks peaked with Gradius.