What we're up against?: It seems the spirit of many video games as well as movies that we will be protecting our precious plots against the inevitable invading aliens. Raiden was one of the early releases for the jaguar and a game that I waited to long to pickup. Raiden is your old school classic overhead shooter. The game was a big hit at the arcades and has been ported to many other systems including the lynx.

Checkout your new toy: In order to blast your way through and recapture the planet you need a nice fighter to do battle in. Your supersonic fighter comes equipped with nuclear bombs and power ups such as rockets (unguided) missiles (guided), blue laser, and shot upgrades (spread).

Your power-ups and free lives our found by blasting away certain ships.

Environment: Though this is one of the first few games to come out on the jaggy I find it to be one of the most entertaining (if you’re a shooter fan). This game is a button masher and to make it more interesting you cannot continue. Things are made a bit easier as you can change the credits up to eight but after eight quarters that’s it. The screen slowly scowls pushing you forward as waves of enemies (some fly, some fixed, some on the ground) rush towards you your. Your objective aside from staying afloat is to wipe out as many bad guys as possible. At the end of each stage you will face a boss (I like bosses don’t you?)

Graphics: This game isn’t eye popping spectacular though it has an appeal to it. The graphics are clean and the screen gets very busy at all times with no slowdown.

Control: Raiden has responsive control; the lack of autofire will have you pounding on the controller thank god for pause.

Scores:

Graphics: 8 Your not going to show this game off to anyone but it’s clean and the framerate good.

Fun Factor: 10 if you love shooters like I do, than this game is a blast.

Sound: 7 Tunes are pretty good, nice sound effects.

Final thoughts: If you like shooters than this is one of the jaguar shooters to own, the low cost and high entertainment factor cannot be beat. Newer shooters may make it look bad but when your in the game your in the game.

-RayNET, RayNET@IX.NETCOM.COM