Rayxanber II
Rayxanber II Overview
Rayxanber II hit the NEC PC Engine CD in 1991, a horizontally scrolling shooter from Data West. It's the sequel to the original Rayxanber that came out a year earlier on the FM Towns. The development was handled by Team 50, a group inside Data West, and the soundtrack came from Yasuhito Saito, who also worked on the first game. This one stayed exclusive to the PC Engine CD format, making it a disc-based entry in the shooter library.
You take the role of a fighter pilot flying the Eliminate Scanner AD spacecraft, defending Earth from the returning Zoul Empire. It's a proper horizontal shooter - you move left to right, dodging enemy fire and blasting waves of alien ships. Power-ups appear along the way to boost your weapons. The action is fast and relentless, typical of early 90s shooters, but the CD format allows for some neat animated cutscenes and a more polished audiovisual presentation compared to HuCard games.
For shooter fans, Rayxanber II is a solid but not groundbreaking entry in the PC Engine CD library. It doesn't reach the heights of classics like Gate of Thunder or Lords of Thunder, but it has its own moody atmosphere and a decent challenge. If you collect PC Engine shooters or just want to explore the lesser-known Data West titles, this one is worth a look. It's a simple, honest shooter from an era when the genre ruled arcades and home consoles alike.
How to Play Rayxanber II Online
Getting Started
When you start Rayxanber II, you'll first see a title screen with Japanese text. Press Enter to advance to the main menu. From there, use the Arrow Keys to select "NEW GAME" or "CONTINUE" (look for ニューゲーム or コンティニュー) and press X to confirm. If the game asks for a password or save data, simply choose to start fresh.
The core loop is straightforward: pilot your ship from left to right through each stage, shooting down enemies and collecting power-ups that drop from certain foes. Your weapon can be upgraded several times, and you can also pick up options (satellite drones) that add extra firepower. Watch out for enemy patterns and boss weak points - some bosses require precise dodging and timing.
Since the game uses CD audio, the soundtrack kicks in right away, setting the mood for each level. There are no continues or save states in the original hardware, but emulator save states can help. If you're unfamiliar with horizontal shooters, start on the easiest difficulty and learn the enemy waves. The menus are entirely in Japanese, so if you see options like コンフィグ (config) you can adjust difficulty or button mapping there.
Rayxanber II Keyboard Controls
Controls
- Arrow Keys: D-Pad / Movement
- X: I button
- S: II button
- Enter: Run / Start
- V: Select
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