Hey all, I’m back with a vertically scrolling shooter for this week’s Retro Game Friday. It’s Raiden.

Plot: The plot is bare bones but functional. Aliens called Crystals invade Earth and take over most of the world’s military hardware. A group called Vanquish Crystal Defense develops a new fighter craft called the Fighting Thunder to fight off the Crystals and save humanity. But that’s really not something you’ll remember since this was mostly played in the arcade, and paying attention to the story wasn’t as important for most people if they were in an arcade.

Gameplay: This plays like most top-down bullet heaven games and was very fun to play though it definitely got progressively more difficult. I remember playing it more than a few times when I could in the arcades when I went on those rare occasions.

Art: The art has aged very well, but given the pixel art nature that’s not a surprise.

Music: The music was action-packed, but arcades were notoriously noisy, so most people probably did not hear much of it.

Overall: A fun title if pretty basic by today’s standards. If you find a port of it or even an old arcade machine, it might make for a good way to spend some time.

For those who like: Bullet heaven games, arcade games, and great artwork.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.