Play Raiden II New / Raiden DX Online

Raiden II New (or DX, depending on which version you grab) is one of those classic arcade shooters where your screen is just constantly full of bullets, explosions, and neon laser fire. You're in a little fighter jet, weaving through waves of enemy ships that all seem determined to turn you into space dust. The first few levels trick you into thinking you've got this—then suddenly you're dodging a bullet pattern that looks like someone spilled a bag of glowing marbles.

What I love is how it balances chaos with control. Your ship has three weapon types—missiles, lasers, and this spread shot that feels like cheating until you realize everyone’s still shooting at you anyway. And the music? Pure late-'90s arcade energy, all synth beats and urgency. It’s the kind of game where you’ll lose your last life, slam the "continue" button, and immediately get wrecked again because you were too busy being mad to dodge properly.

If you’ve played any of the Raiden games before, this is more of that glorious, punishing action—just with slightly shinier pixels. If you haven’t, expect to develop a new appreciation for how fast your thumbs can move. Either way, your high score will haunt you until you try again.