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Experience the thrilling maze action of Raimais, Taito’s 1988 arcade gem blending dot-eater gameplay with intense futuristic street racing.
A Blast from the Past: Welcome to Raimais
If you’re a retro gaming enthusiast with a soft spot for quirky arcade titles, Raimais will feel like stepping into a sci-fi dreamscape of the late ’80s. Picture this: it’s 2088, and illegal street races aren’t held on winding highways — no, they take place inside dazzling holographic mazes. Sounds wild, right? That’s the premise of Raimais, a 1988 arcade game from Taito that cleverly marries the classic dot-eater genre with futuristic racing vibes.
Taito’s inspiration for Raimais came from their own 1986 hit Arkanoid, which famously updated Atari’s Breakout with power-ups and enemies. But Raimais takes a different turn, leaning into the maze chase formula that pioneers like Namco’s Pac-Man and Sega’s Head-On set into motion. The result is a fresh, fast-paced spin on the genre that still manages to feel timeless.
A Neon Maze and High-Speed Pursuit
Set a century in the future, Raimais casts you as Rika Midorikawa, a fearless member of the Estrous Cats gang, tearing through holographic labyrinths on her bike—the Organizer. This bike looks remarkably like the iconic Light Cycles from Tron, which totally fits the game’s sleek sci-fi aesthetic. Your mission? Rescue Rika’s brother Makoto from the clutches of danger.
The gameplay is deceptively simple yet challenging: you zip through twisting mazes, collecting “energy plates” (dots) while dodging insect-like foes and other bizarre enemies. Unlike many maze games, your bike is always moving—you can accelerate but never stop, which keeps the adrenaline pumping. Some dots take multiple passes to collect, adding a layer of strategy to your route planning.
Enemies That Keep You on Your Toes
The baddies in Raimais aren’t your run-of-the-mill ghosts or creepy critters. You’re up against a colorful cast of insect variations, blob-like creatures, and rival vehicles. Each enemy has unique behaviors—pink ships relentlessly chase you at high speeds, green bugs jump unpredictably off the maze walls, and one sneaky enemy copies your movements while dropping more dots for you to collect.
It’s like playing a game of cat and mouse with a sci-fi insect swarm, keeping you sharp and constantly on edge.
Power-Ups and Perks: Your Secret Weapons
Collecting dots isn’t the only thrill; Raimais spices things up with eight different power-ups, randomly appearing under certain dots. Here are some player favorites:
- “S” (Slow): Slows enemies—a critical lifesaver.
- “B” (Break): Opens doors in one direction, creating a quick escape route.
- “L” (Laser): Lets you blast enemies out of your path.
- “A” (Arm): Shields your Organizer with up to four layers of protection.
- “C” (Crash): Instantly clears all remaining energy plates.
- “P” (Player Extend): Grants an extra life.
- “R” (Rainbow): A wild card that can give powerful armor or clear the level.
- “O” (Other Route): Opens boss battle doors, leading to Reverse Rounds.
Boss Battles: The Reverse Rounds
When you grab the “O” power-up, you enter Reverse Rounds—special boss fights against giant insectoid mecha. No dots to chase here, just pure survival. These bosses dominate the screen and relentlessly fire projectiles, while you’re stuck in your always-moving Organizer. It’s a frantic test of skill and reflexes, more intense than your average shooter.
Branching Levels and Stylish Transitions
One of Raimais’ coolest features is its branching level system. Clear a stage, and eight gates pop open, leading to one of four color-coded routes: Red, Blue, Green, and Gray. Your choices shape the journey, with the screen scrolling stylishly into the next maze embedded in a cityscape that looks part skyscraper, part circuit board.
With 125 different boards in total, Raimais offers plenty of variety—though a typical game only covers about 32 stages.
Storytelling Through Cutscenes
You’ll occasionally catch brief cutscenes featuring Rika confronting the sinister Dr. Molto, the mastermind behind the chaos. His taunts are delivered in digitized Japanese voice—a neat touch for an ’88 arcade title. Your performance influences his monologues, adding a dynamic flavor to the narrative.
If you reach certain milestones without dying, you can warp forward four stages, speeding your rescue mission. Complete Reverse Rounds and you’ll meet Gum Can, a goofy ape-like ally who offers hints and power-ups.
Multiple Endings and a Legendary Secret
Raimais doesn’t just stop at one ending. In the blue Reverse Round of stage 23, you can find the Light Mirror. If you have it during the final showdown with Dr. Molto, you can reflect his fatal shot back and win the day. Without it, your brother Makoto heroically takes the hit.
There’s also a secret ending, hidden for over thirty years! To unlock it, you must complete the game without dying, secure the Reflect Mirror, and finish in fewer than 17 stages. This ending flips the script—Makoto is revealed as the true villain. The mirror protects Rika as Makoto meets a grim fate.
Sadly, these story-rich cutscenes and endings were mostly stripped from the international release, leaving only a bleak burning building as a finale.
The Famicom Disk System Version: Youmais
Only the Japanese Famicom Disk System got a home port, renamed Youmais (or “Yuu Maze”). It changes the gameplay notably:
- You can slow down or speed up your bike.
- Two exits per stage instead of four.
- A whopping 50 stages to finish.
- Boss fights replaced by timed challenges.
- No Light Mirror, and many cutscenes removed.
- A level editor lets you save your maze creations.
Unfortunately, Youmais loses Raimais’ charm with ugly graphics and poor music conversion. Levels are bigger but more tedious, with warp tiles that shuffle you around unpredictably. It’s playable, but far from the arcade original’s sleek thrill.
Re-releases and Legacy
Raimais found new life on Taito Legends 2 for PlayStation 2 in 2006 (as Taito Memories Vol. I in Japan), though western versions only include the international cutscene-less build. A better emulation arrived via Hamster’s Arcade Archives series in 2021, preserving the original arcade vibe with all its eccentricities.
Why Raimais Still Matters
Even back in 1988, the dot-eater genre felt a bit dated, but Raimais injected enough speed, style, and personality to stay engaging. Its unusual mix of constant motion, branching levels, and hidden secrets makes it a genuinely eccentric classic—one that rewards players willing to dive deep into its neon-lit mazes.
For those curious, Raimais’ story even nods forward to Syvalion (also 1988), where one of the endings reveals Makoto piloting a dragon in a desperate rescue of Rika, though tragedy strikes in some outcomes. It’s a wild, interconnected universe few remember today.
“Raimais still maintains a sense of speed and rhythm that makes it engaging, and it contains plenty of strange personality and odd secrets that Taito was known for, creating an eccentric classic.”
FAQ
- What makes Raimais different from other maze games?
Raimais features constant forward motion, power-ups, boss battles, and branching levels, mixing speed-running with dot-collecting. - Who is the main character in Raimais?
You play as Rika Midorikawa, who races through holographic mazes to rescue her brother Makoto. - Are there boss fights in Raimais?
Yes! The “Reverse Rounds” pit you against giant insect-like mecha in intense battles. - Is Raimais available outside arcades?
A Famicom Disk System version called Youmais exists with altered gameplay but no boss fights, plus it appears in several emulation collections. - What is the secret ending in Raimais about?
Unlocking it reveals Makoto as the true villain, a twist hidden for decades and unlocked through precise gameplay conditions.
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