Raiden Trad on SNES is one of those shooters that just feels right—tight controls, satisfying explosions, and that classic arcade difficulty that makes you want to slam your controller down (but in a good way). The first few minutes throw you straight into the chaos: enemy fighters swarm in from all sides, bullets fill the screen, and you’re frantically grabbing power-ups to upgrade your ship’s weapons. The red and blue options actually matter here—red lasers tear through enemies in a straight line, while blue spreads out for crowd control. I always go red first.

The soundtrack’s got that early ‘90s synth energy, all adrenaline and urgency, and the pixel explosions still hold up. It’s not the prettiest SNES port—some slowdown when things get nuts—but that almost adds to the charm. By level three, you’ll be weaving through bullet patterns that feel impossible until they suddenly aren’t. This is the kind of game you play in one sitting, muttering “one more try” as the credits roll.