Raiden

The Good
This is the best translation of Raiden available on any home system. In my opinion it is even superior to the arcade game. Some features on the Turbo Version actually look better than they do on the arcade game. Really beautiful graphics. It also controls very well and has a nice assortment of power ups.

It has better graphics than the Genesis version and controls better than the awful SNES version. It also offers a full screen view of the action instead of a narrowed field of view as on the Genesis.

As top down shooters go this one is excellent. Not the most original concept for a shooter, but it is extremely well executed; a refinement of the common formula of the time.

The Bad
There are a few annoying things about the game. Its incredibly difficult. And if I remember correctly when you beat the game you don't really get an ending with a sense of closure that explains the plot. You basically get a message in Engrish stating you beat the bad guys and your ship flies off into space? Huh? I don't mind games not having much of a story but I don't like it when you don't get a cool ending. That's a pet peave of mine.

The Bottom Line
Its a great overhead shooter for the Turbo Graphics 16. Blazing Lazers is better. There are actually a lot of these great shooters on the Turbo / PC Engine. Super Star Soldier and Tatsujin come to mind.

The Good
Raiden, a top down shooter, was a decent arcade game that made up for its lack of originality with sharp graphics and good execution.

It was ported to several home systems, and surprisingly most who have played all of the them consider the SNES version to be the worst.

The Bad
It is inferior to the Turbo Grafx 16 port in every possible way. Graphics, control, sound, etc. The SNES version doesn't come close.

Although it is more colorful than the Genesis version, the sprites and backgrounds are not drawn as well in many places and the music and sound effects are much worse than the Genesis counterpart (in fact, they are terrible). Unlike the Genesis version, the SNES Raiden also suffers from slow down.

The game seems to have been developed in a hurry.

The Bottom Line
Its a decent shooter even though its not one of the better ones on the SNES. If you can buy it for less than $3.00 you might not feel that you wasted your money. Otherwise, I'd pass.

The Good
ARGH! Raiden is one of the worst shooters I have ever played. It's just so damn pointless! Aside from (maybe) the music, nothing will make me sit down and play this game to the end.

The Bad
Crappy controls, horribly slow gameplay, complete lack of intelligence in level design and no-brain gameplay in addition to ghastly graphics make this a truly bad game.

The Bottom Line
Don't play it, don't touch it, don't do anything - stay away from it!