Ray-Thunder is one of those Game Boy shooters that nails that perfect balance between "just one more try" and "how is this tiny cartridge so brutal?" You start off with this dinky little ship that shoots sad little bullets, but after snagging a few power-ups, you're suddenly tearing through waves of enemies like they're made of wet tissue paper. The pixel art has that classic chunky charm—big, expressive sprites that somehow feel alive despite the limited colors.

The first level tricks you into thinking it's gonna be easy, then the screen starts filling up with bullets and you realize this game doesn’t mess around. Boss fights are the real highlight—each one has this weird, screen-filling design that makes you wonder how the Game Boy even rendered them. And yeah, it’s tough, but in that satisfying way where every death feels like your fault, not the game’s.

If you’ve got a soft spot for old-school shooters or just want to see what the Game Boy could really do, Ray-Thunder’s worth dusting off your console for. Just don’t blame me when you’re stuck on the third boss for an hour.