diff --git a/src/mame/includes/raiden2.h b/src/mame/includes/raiden2.h
index 68afdbc764f..dd905e50d52 100644
--- a/src/mame/includes/raiden2.h
+++ b/src/mame/includes/raiden2.h
@@ -94,10 +94,10 @@ protected:
 
 	void tilemap_enable_w(offs_t offset, u16 data, u16 mem_mask = ~0);
 	void tile_scroll_w(offs_t offset, u16 data, u16 mem_mask = ~0);
-	void background_w(offs_t offset, u16 data, u16 mem_mask = ~0);
-	void foreground_w(offs_t offset, u16 data, u16 mem_mask = ~0);
-	void midground_w(offs_t offset, u16 data, u16 mem_mask = ~0);
-	void text_w(offs_t offset, u16 data, u16 mem_mask = ~0);
+	void background_w(offs_t offset, u16 data);
+	void foreground_w(offs_t offset, u16 data);
+	void midground_w(offs_t offset, u16 data);
+	void text_w(offs_t offset, u16 data);
 	void m_videoram_private_w(offs_t offset, uint16_t data);
 
 	void bank_reset(int bgbank, int fgbank, int midbank, int txbank);
diff --git a/src/mame/video/raiden2.cpp b/src/mame/video/raiden2.cpp
index ff06d5906be..2814159e1f5 100644
--- a/src/mame/video/raiden2.cpp
+++ b/src/mame/video/raiden2.cpp
@@ -18,22 +18,22 @@ void raiden2_state::m_videoram_private_w(offs_t offset, uint16_t data)
 
 	if (offset < 0x800 / 2)
 	{
-		background_w(offset, data, 0xffff);
+		background_w(offset, data);
 	}
 	else if (offset < 0x1000 /2)
 	{
 		offset -= 0x800 / 2;
-		foreground_w(offset, data, 0xffff);
+		foreground_w(offset, data);
 	}
 	else if (offset < 0x1800/2)
 	{
 		offset -= 0x1000 / 2;
-		midground_w(offset, data, 0xffff);
+		midground_w(offset, data);
 	}
 	else if (offset < 0x2800/2)
 	{
 		offset -= 0x1800 / 2;
-		text_w(offset, data, 0xffff);
+		text_w(offset, data);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -148,28 +148,40 @@ void raiden2_state::draw_sprites(const rectangle &cliprect)
 
 }
 
-void raiden2_state::background_w(offs_t offset, u16 data, u16 mem_mask)
+void raiden2_state::background_w(offs_t offset, u16 data)
 {
-	COMBINE_DATA(&m_back_data[offset]);
-	m_background_layer->mark_tile_dirty(offset);
+	if (m_back_data[offset] != data)
+	{
+		m_back_data[offset] = data;
+		m_background_layer->mark_tile_dirty(offset);
+	}
 }
 
-void raiden2_state::midground_w(offs_t offset, u16 data, u16 mem_mask)
+void raiden2_state::midground_w(offs_t offset, u16 data)
 {
-	COMBINE_DATA(&m_mid_data[offset]);
-	m_midground_layer->mark_tile_dirty(offset);
+	if (m_mid_data[offset] != data)
+	{
+		m_mid_data[offset] = data;
+		m_midground_layer->mark_tile_dirty(offset);
+	}
 }
 
-void raiden2_state::foreground_w(offs_t offset, u16 data, u16 mem_mask)
+void raiden2_state::foreground_w(offs_t offset, u16 data)
 {
-	COMBINE_DATA(&m_fore_data[offset]);
-	m_foreground_layer->mark_tile_dirty(offset);
+	if (m_fore_data[offset] != data)
+	{
+		m_fore_data[offset] = data;
+		m_foreground_layer->mark_tile_dirty(offset);
+	}
 }
 
-void raiden2_state::text_w(offs_t offset, u16 data, u16 mem_mask)
+void raiden2_state::text_w(offs_t offset, u16 data)
 {
-	COMBINE_DATA(&m_text_data[offset]);
-	m_text_layer->mark_tile_dirty(offset);
+	if (m_text_data[offset] != data)
+	{
+		m_text_data[offset] = data;
+		m_text_layer->mark_tile_dirty(offset);
+	}
 }
 
 void raiden2_state::tilemap_enable_w(offs_t offset, u16 data, u16 mem_mask)