Viper Phase 1
Encyclopedia
is a 1995 scrolling shooter arcade game
by Seibu Kaihatsu
, and is the spin-off in the Raiden
series. This game is often referred to as "Raiden in space".
The setting of this game is exclusively in outer space
. Players pilot a space fighter through eight stages of enemy space fleets and tough bosses. Enemies include small space fighters, space cruisers, space frigates, and entire space installations.
Gameplay is similar to the Raiden series.
Scoring is straightforward. A bonus is assessed at the end of each stage taking into account the number of medals collected, the number of enemies destroyed, the number of bombs in stock, and the total kill percentage. At the end of the game, a grand tally is assessed. Factors taken into account are the number of continues used and the number of lives lost.
The end game bonus is tallied in this way:
. The known differences between the versions:
and Jet
, the player 2 blue ship was named Blue Javelin and used the Burst Missiles as its missile weapon.
B (Bomb) - Adds one extra bomb. Players can carry up to seven bombs in stock. Extraneous pickups of the Bomb icon awards the player with 1,000 bonus points.
L (Laser) - This weapon is similar to the blue laser weapon in the original Raiden series. The weapon has no defensive spread. However, the Laser is the most damaging secondary weapon available. It can make short work of large enemies and bosses. Ship's weapon module flashes blue.
M (Burst Missile) - Cruise missiles that are fired in a burst pattern. When the missiles hit their mark, the resulting explosion deals overlapping secondary damage. Ship's weapon module flashes yellow.
N (Napalm Missile) - Upon impact with an enemy target, this secondary weapon releases green napalm explosions in various directions. These explosions deal overlapping secondary damage. When fully powered-up, the cluster of explosions cover a substantial part of the screen, and may obscure enemy firepower. This weapon became famous when it was included in the Raiden Fighters series as a cameo along with the ship (later named Judge Spear). Ship's module flashes green.
W (Wide Vulcan) - Grants the player with a secondary widespread vulcan cannon. The spread of this weapon is useful in destroying enemies in many locations at once. The firepower, however, is the weakest of the four secondary weapons. Using this weapon at point-blank range on one enemy can deal moderate damage. Ship's module flashes red.
The official track listing:
The soundtrack is available as an unlockable in the Japanese-only release of Raiden DX
for the PlayStation
. When unlocked, players have the option of changing the default Raiden DX soundtrack to implement music from Viper Phase 1.
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
by Seibu Kaihatsu
Seibu Kaihatsu
is a Japanese manufacturer of arcade games. They are best known for the Raiden series of games. The company was once called Seibu Denshi.-Games by Seibu-Kaihatsu:* Stinger * Kung-Fu Taikun * Knuckle Joe...
, and is the spin-off in the Raiden
Raiden (arcade game)
is a scrolling shooter arcade game that was developed by Seibu Kaihatsu. It was the first game in the popular Raiden series of scrolling shooter arcade games.Raiden first made its debut in September 1990...
series. This game is often referred to as "Raiden in space".
Story
By the year 2050, mankind begins the colonization of multiple solar systems in search for habitable planets. However, while the colonists establish original cultures and scientific studies, many of them began feuding with each other and battles broke out among them and the Earth. One rebel faction in particular rose to great power and made Earth their primary target. Earth's response was Operation Viper Phase 1: to combat the rebels using advanced space fighters built from downed enemy ships.Description
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
. Players pilot a space fighter through eight stages of enemy space fleets and tough bosses. Enemies include small space fighters, space cruisers, space frigates, and entire space installations.
Gameplay is similar to the Raiden series.
Scoring is straightforward. A bonus is assessed at the end of each stage taking into account the number of medals collected, the number of enemies destroyed, the number of bombs in stock, and the total kill percentage. At the end of the game, a grand tally is assessed. Factors taken into account are the number of continues used and the number of lives lost.
The end game bonus is tallied in this way:
- 1,000,000 points for completing the game
- 100 points for each enemy killed throughout
- 1,000 points for each medal collected throughout
- 500,000 points for no bombs used
- 500,000 points for not dying, 100,000 points lost per death to a minimum of 300,000
Differences in the New Version
A newer version of Viper Phase 1 was released with gameplay changes. The New Version is known as Viper Phase 1: USA in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The known differences between the versions:
- Secondary Weapons Systems: The original version of Viper Phase 1 has an exhaustible secondary weapon system. The amount of ammunition remaining in a secondary weapon is indicated by a meter on the screen. All secondary weapons in the original version are fully powered up, and are more devastating than in the new version, which gives the secondary weapons levels of power in lieu of unlimited ammunition and reduced firepower.
- Bomb Deploy Times: The new version speeds up the deploy time of the Bomb, of which becomes the standard for when the ship appears in the Raiden FightersRaiden Fightersis a 1996 scrolling shooter arcade game by Seibu Kaihatsu. It is followed by the sequel, Raiden Fighters 2: Operation Hell Dive. It introduced unique gameplay elements that are a departure from the original Raiden series.-Plot:...
series. - Medals: In the New Version, medals stop shimmering for a brief moment, during which their point values are higher than usual. This feature was also present in Raiden DXRaiden DXis the third installment in the Raiden series of arcade games developed by Seibu Kaihatsu.-Gameplay:The gameplay of Raiden DX is similar to that of its predecessor Raiden II in ways of weapons, levels, and bosses; however its expert stage mode branches slightly from the formula.-Alpha Stage:A...
. Additionally, the egg-shaped medal carrier pods appear much more frequently in the New Version.
Ship Names
The player ships are unnamed in Viper Phase 1. In the Raiden Fighters series, the player 1 red ship was named Judge Spear and used the Napalm Missile as its missile weapon. In Raiden Fighters 2Raiden Fighters 2
is a 1997 scrolling shooter arcade game by Seibu Kaihatsu. It is the direct sequel to Raiden Fighters, which is part of the Raiden scrolling shooter game legacy. This game shares the same intense gameplay as its predecessor, as well as expanding on the concepts that defined it...
and Jet
Raiden Fighters Jet
is the third and last game in the Raiden Fighters series. This game retains the same intensity and manic gameplay as its predecessors, while introducing several new mechanics.-Gameplay:The Hybrid Attack from Raiden Fighters 2 returns in this game...
, the player 2 blue ship was named Blue Javelin and used the Burst Missiles as its missile weapon.
Types of Powerups
There are 6 types of powerups in Viper Phase 1. They are released by destroying certain enemies. Players start with a primary vulcan cannon on each new life.- P (Power Up) - Original version: Powers up the main vulcan gun only. New version: Powers up the vulcan (if the player is without secondary weapons) and the active secondary weapons (up to four levels).
B (Bomb) - Adds one extra bomb. Players can carry up to seven bombs in stock. Extraneous pickups of the Bomb icon awards the player with 1,000 bonus points.
L (Laser) - This weapon is similar to the blue laser weapon in the original Raiden series. The weapon has no defensive spread. However, the Laser is the most damaging secondary weapon available. It can make short work of large enemies and bosses. Ship's weapon module flashes blue.
M (Burst Missile) - Cruise missiles that are fired in a burst pattern. When the missiles hit their mark, the resulting explosion deals overlapping secondary damage. Ship's weapon module flashes yellow.
N (Napalm Missile) - Upon impact with an enemy target, this secondary weapon releases green napalm explosions in various directions. These explosions deal overlapping secondary damage. When fully powered-up, the cluster of explosions cover a substantial part of the screen, and may obscure enemy firepower. This weapon became famous when it was included in the Raiden Fighters series as a cameo along with the ship (later named Judge Spear). Ship's module flashes green.
W (Wide Vulcan) - Grants the player with a secondary widespread vulcan cannon. The spread of this weapon is useful in destroying enemies in many locations at once. The firepower, however, is the weakest of the four secondary weapons. Using this weapon at point-blank range on one enemy can deal moderate damage. Ship's module flashes red.
Hardware
Viper Phase 1 runs on the Seibu SPI System hardware. The game software is stored on ROM daughterboards that are interchangeable on one SPI board. ROM daughterboards and Seibu SPI main boards are region-specific. For example, the Japanese daughterboards are not compatible with the European motherboard and vice versa.Music
The soundtrack of Viper Phase 1 is composed by Go Satoh. Its style is vastly different from the original Raiden series, incorporating many synthesized instruments. The soundtrack was released in 2005 as part of a superplay DVD set showing expert players playing through the game.The official track listing:
- 01 Title
- 02 "Go Straight Ahead!!" (Stage 1 - SpaceportSpaceportA spaceport or cosmodrome is a site for launching spacecraft, by analogy with seaport for ships or airport for aircraft. The word spaceport, and even more so cosmodrome, has traditionally been used for sites capable of launching spacecraft into orbit around Earth or on interplanetary trajectories...
) - 03 "Outer Space" (Stage 2 - Space Fleet 1)
- 04 "Mission Striker" (Stage 3 - Refueling Base)
- 05 "Forcing Breakthrough" (Stage 4 - Storage Facility)
- 06 "Invisible Enemy" (Stage 5 - Asteroid BeltAsteroid beltThe asteroid belt is the region of the Solar System located roughly between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. It is occupied by numerous irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids or minor planets...
) - 07 "Counteroffensive" (Stage 6 - Space Fleet 2)
- 08 "Unknown Threat" (Stage 7 - Space ColonySpace habitatA space habitat is a space station intended as a permanent settlement rather than as a simple waystation or other specialized facility...
) - 09 "Destiny" (Stage 8 - Missile Silo)
- 10 "Fear of Approaching" (Boss Theme)
- 11 Stage Clear
- 12 Ranking
The soundtrack is available as an unlockable in the Japanese-only release of Raiden DX
Raiden DX
is the third installment in the Raiden series of arcade games developed by Seibu Kaihatsu.-Gameplay:The gameplay of Raiden DX is similar to that of its predecessor Raiden II in ways of weapons, levels, and bosses; however its expert stage mode branches slightly from the formula.-Alpha Stage:A...
for the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
. When unlocked, players have the option of changing the default Raiden DX soundtrack to implement music from Viper Phase 1.
External links
- Viper Phase 1 at the Raiden FightersRaiden Fightersis a 1996 scrolling shooter arcade game by Seibu Kaihatsu. It is followed by the sequel, Raiden Fighters 2: Operation Hell Dive. It introduced unique gameplay elements that are a departure from the original Raiden series.-Plot:...
Emporium - Viper Phase 1 Soundtrack Information (Japanese)