<s>
is	O
a	O
1996	O
vertically	O
scrolling	O
shooter	O
arcade	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Taito	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
been	O
ported	O
to	O
several	O
consoles	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
RayStorm	B-Application
is	O
one	O
of	O
three	O
"	O
Ray	O
"	O
games	O
,	O
all	O
featuring	O
similar	O
gameplay	O
,	O
released	O
by	O
Taito	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
RayForce	B-Application
was	O
released	O
before	O
RayStorm	B-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
RayForce	B-Application
prequel	B-Application
RayCrisis	B-Application
was	O
released	O
after	O
the	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
RayStorm	B-Application
is	O
most	O
distinguished	O
from	O
its	O
predecessor	O
by	O
its	O
usage	O
of	O
polygon-based	O
ships	O
instead	O
of	O
sprites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
plot	O
of	O
RayStorm	B-Application
,	O
which	O
is	O
minimally	O
revealed	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
itself	O
but	O
further	O
described	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
instruction	O
manual	O
and	O
"	O
Extra	O
Mode	O
"	O
in	O
home	O
releases	O
,	O
is	O
not	O
connected	O
to	O
the	O
"	O
Con-Human	O
"	O
storyline	O
of	O
the	O
other	O
two	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
was	O
generally	O
well	O
received	O
by	O
American	O
reviewers	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
graphical	O
style	O
and	O
cutting	O
edge	O
visual	O
effects	O
,	O
but	O
criticized	O
for	O
the	O
simplistic	O
and	O
dated	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
RayStorm	B-Application
is	O
a	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
up	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Home	O
versions	O
contain	O
two	O
gameplay	O
modes	O
:	O
the	O
"	O
Arcade	B-Application
Mode	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
preserves	O
the	O
look	O
and	O
feel	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
arcade	B-Application
version	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
"	O
Extra	O
Mode	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
has	O
enhanced	O
graphics	O
,	O
additional	O
enemies	O
,	O
modified	O
bosses	O
,	O
and	O
tougher	O
difficulty	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
different	O
ending	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
high-definition	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
titled	O
RayStorm	B-Application
HD	O
,	O
includes	O
all	O
three	O
R-Grays	O
and	O
the	O
R-Gear	O
,	O
a	O
fourth	O
ship	O
that	O
fires	O
homing	O
missiles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Staff	O
involved	O
in	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
RayStorm	B-Application
include	O
producer	O
and	O
director	O
Yukio	O
Abe	O
,	O
director	O
Tatsuo	O
Nakamura	O
,	O
music	O
composer	B-Application
Tamayo	O
Kawamoto	O
,	O
and	O
sound	O
effect	O
composer	B-Application
Munehiro	O
Nakanishi	O
,	O
who	O
all	O
had	O
the	O
same	O
roles	O
developing	O
RayForce	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
RayStorm	B-Application
was	O
programmed	O
for	O
the	O
Taito	O
FX-1	O
arcade	B-Application
system	O
board	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
demonstration	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
at	O
the	O
August	O
1996	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
was	O
reportedly	O
on	O
a	O
massive	O
screen	O
that	O
dwarfed	O
all	O
of	O
Taito	O
's	O
other	O
demos	O
at	O
the	O
show	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
January	O
1997	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
March	O
videogames.com,	O
then	O
the	O
video	O
gaming	O
website	O
of	O
GameSpot	O
,	O
reported	O
that	O
"	O
several	O
companies	O
are	O
interested	O
in	O
porting	O
"	O
it	O
for	O
a	O
North	O
American	O
release	O
;	O
no	O
specific	O
companies	O
were	O
named	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Publisher/localization	O
team	O
Working	O
Designs	O
previously	O
attempted	O
to	O
license	O
RayForce	B-Application
,	O
but	O
publisher	O
Acclaim	O
had	O
acquired	O
exclusive	O
rights	O
to	O
publish	O
Taito	O
's	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
Western	O
Hemisphere	O
just	O
a	O
few	O
days	O
before	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Working	O
Designs	O
heard	O
about	O
RayStorm	B-Application
,	O
they	O
asked	O
Taito	O
if	O
that	O
game	O
was	O
available	O
,	O
licensed	O
it	O
immediately	O
,	O
and	O
met	O
with	O
Taito	O
to	O
discuss	O
converting	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
American	O
release	O
in	O
April	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Working	O
Designs	O
 '	O
version	O
was	O
both	O
their	O
first	O
release	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
released	O
under	O
their	O
"	O
SPAZ	O
"	O
label	O
dedicated	O
to	O
shooter	O
games	O
;	O
the	O
last	O
under	O
that	O
label	O
was	O
the	O
next	O
"	O
Ray	O
"	O
game	O
,	O
RayCrisis	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Working	O
Designs	O
had	O
reconsidered	O
their	O
decision	O
to	O
not	O
publish	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
in	O
light	O
of	O
Sony	O
's	O
changing	O
attitude	O
towards	O
RPGs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
same	O
month	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
,	O
an	O
"	O
Interactive	O
CD	O
Sampler	O
"	O
containing	O
a	O
playable	O
demo	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
bundled	O
with	O
American	O
PlayStation	B-Device
consoles	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
RayStorm	B-Application
has	O
been	O
included	O
on	O
the	O
compilations	O
Taito	O
Memories	O
Volume	O
2	O
,	O
a.k.a.	O
</s>
<s>
Taito	O
Memories	O
Gekan	O
,	O
Taito	O
Legends	O
2	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
G-Darius	B-Application
+Raystorm	O
Pack	O
,	O
and	O
Simple	O
1500	O
Series	O
Vol	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
75	O
:	O
The	O
Double	O
Shooting	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
which	O
also	O
includes	O
RayCrisis	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Square	O
Enix	O
acquired	O
Taito	O
in	O
2005	O
,	O
it	O
made	O
its	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
debut	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
June	O
25	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
release	O
their	O
new	O
subsidiary	O
's	O
RayStorm	B-Application
and	O
five	O
other	O
previously-published	O
PlayStation	B-Device
titles	O
as	O
downloadable	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
(	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
)	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
RayStorm	B-Application
HD	O
was	O
released	O
as	O
a	O
downloadable	O
game	O
in	O
Japan	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
in	O
2010	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
latter	O
version	O
also	O
released	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Machine	O
reported	O
that	O
RayStorm	B-Application
was	O
among	O
Japan	O
's	O
most-popular	O
arcade	B-Application
games	O
of	O
September	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpots	O
review	O
of	O
its	O
Japanese	O
release	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
easily	O
the	O
best	O
shooter	O
currently	O
available	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
added	O
that	O
"	O
even	O
with	O
variable	O
difficulty	O
settings	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
nowhere	O
near	O
as	O
difficult	O
as	O
its	O
predecessor	O
 [ RayForce ] 	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
summed	O
up	O
that	O
"	O
Playing	O
RayStorm	B-Application
is	O
like	O
dating	O
a	O
gorgeous	O
girl	O
with	O
zero	O
brains	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
criticized	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
similarities	O
to	O
Xevious	B-Application
3D/G	I-Application
+	I-Application
and	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
a	O
little	O
short	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
said	O
that	O
it	O
has	O
"	O
amazing	O
graphics	O
,	O
excellent	O
music	O
,	O
and	O
solid	O
gameplay	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
also	O
noted	O
the	O
similarity	O
to	O
Xevious	B-Application
3D/G	I-Application
+	I-Application
but	O
said	O
RayStorm	B-Application
distinguished	O
itself	O
by	O
having	O
"	O
a	O
heavy	O
anime	O
influence	O
,	O
mainly	O
in	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
powerful	O
Macross-like	O
mech	O
bosses	O
that	O
will	O
be	O
sure	O
to	O
set	O
the	O
fan	O
boy	O
contingent	O
drooling.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
supported	O
the	O
overwhelming	O
consensus	O
that	O
the	O
graphics	O
are	O
the	O
highlight	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
concluded	O
,	O
"	O
There	O
's	O
no	O
escaping	O
the	O
debt	O
this	O
game	O
owes	O
to	O
Xevious	B-Application
-	O
and	O
just	O
about	O
every	O
other	O
shooter	O
since	O
-	O
but	O
if	O
the	O
proof	O
of	O
a	O
modern	O
shooter	O
is	O
in	O
its	O
design	O
,	O
then	O
RayStorm	B-Application
is	O
well-proven	O
indeed.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
named	O
it	O
a	O
runner-up	O
for	O
"	O
Shooter	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
,	O
behind	O
Star	B-Application
Fox	I-Application
64	I-Application
.	O
</s>
