Ray-Thunder is one of those obscure Japan-only Game Boy shooters that somehow slipped under the radar. It’s got that classic 90s arcade vibe—your little ship zips around blasting waves of enemies while dodging neon bullets. The first stage throws these weird, geometric bosses at you that look like they escaped from a Tron reject bin.

What’s cool is how it mixes up the usual formula. Instead of just scrolling left to right, some levels twist into vertical or diagonal paths. The power-ups are kinda cryptic at first (thanks, moon runes), but after a few tries, you figure out which ones turn your shots into screen-filling death lasers. Music’s pure chiptune adrenaline—exactly what you’d expect from a forgotten 1991 cartridge.

It’s not the deepest shooter out there, but there’s something satisfying about how chaotic it gets when the screen fills with enemy patterns. Definitely a hidden gem if you’re into retro bullet hell.