Seibu Kaihatsu released Raiden Fighters in arcades in 1996, a spin-off from its Raiden shooting series. Instead of piloting a single ship, players choose from a selection of fighter jets, each with a different speed and its own main weapon and missile type, and more aircraft can be unlocked with hidden inputs. The game is a vertically scrolling shooter that sends waves of tanks, planes, ships and huge bosses across varied stages, and players can collect power-ups to strengthen their weapons. Scoring is built around medals, which are worth more when collected at the top of the screen, and a secret route leads to hidden bonuses for skilled players. Bombs can wipe out enemy fire in an emergency, and two players can fight at the same time. It kept the series’ detailed destruction and hard-hitting sound while adding more variety, and was followed by several sequels.