Super Space Raid

Being able to aim with precision is a valuable skill in modern shooters, especially since current generation engines can handle extremely realistic ballistics. Sometimes you just want to have fun and not have to worry about bullet arches, on the other hand, which is when arcade shooters enter the picture. With them, it’s all about quantity and size, so that you only have to worry about aiming in the enemy’s general direction.

Super Space Raid is an artillery game in which you control an anti-air gun designed to obliterate alien spaceships. You can only shoot and turn the turret left and right, so the game is about as relaxed as it can be under the circumstances. Even so, the constant enemy attacks are a pain to keep under control, not to mention the boss fights you need to tackle after every couple of stages.

Since your turret cannot be destroyed by enemy shells for some reason, the goal is to prevent the shells from reaching the underground pipeline. If this is destroyed, then the game is over and you have to take it from the top. On the other hand, it is pretty much impossible to keep the shells from reaching the ground, mainly because the turret moves so slowly.

In essence, the greatest issue you have to deal with is the slow turret speed when you try to turn. It is only possible to use the keyboard to do so, which is absurd, because the mouse would be a lot more efficient and intuitive in this situation. The rotation works in fixed increments, which means that there are spots you just cannot reach with your bullets, regardless of how much you try.

The graphics are simple and unimpressive as well, but they wouldn’t be an issue if the rest of the game was a little bit more refined. In fact, the retro pixel graphics go very well with the genre, it’s just that you cannot concentrate on them. Thankfully, most of these annoyances can be fixed in later versions, as long as the developers try to improve their product.

Super Space Raid is still pretty fun, although only for short periods of time. The experience gets repetitive in a rush, especially if you are familiar with better artillery games. On the other hand, things could certainly be better in the future with a few updates.