If you've ever had the urge to raid a river, then this is the game for you.
Not that there aren't plenty of things looking to take you out on the river. Compared to many top-down shooters this one is down right easy, especially at first, but that doesn't mean you won't run into trouble--and lots of it. Helicopters, other jets, boats, and more will all be looking to get in your way. Kamikaze seems to be the weapon of choice among these madmen. Not to mention the ever more difficult terrain of the river. Islands and branching narrow paths will test your piloting skills to their very limits. Things ramp up as you continue further into the game, which is divided into sections. At the end of each section there will be a dam blocking your path. Destroy the dam with a shot from your jet and you'll get to move onto the next section. The next time you die you'll restart from that dam. It's a very clever way of managing death in the game that allows you feel like you're making real progress.
One of the elements that adds the most strategy to the game is the importance of fuel. You see, your little jet, it can't just fly on forever. Eventually it will run out of fuel and plummet into the raging river below. That is, unless you fly over fuel tanks scattered along the river--presumably to help the enemy refuel their helicopters and other craft. In fact you'll receive points for every fuel tank you destroy.
Beginning to see where the strategy comes into the game? It becomes a careful balance of knowing when to fuel and when not to fuel. Truly tested pilots will soon learn the method of gleaning a little fuel from a tank, only to destroy it at the last possible second. Thus, having your cake and eating it too. Stick that cliche into your pipe and smoke it.
Graphically the game gets the job done. This is the Atari 2600 after all, so you probably shouldn't be expecting a graphical masterpiece. It doesn't quite have the visual charm of a game like Adventure, but then it also doesn't manage to look as flat and uninteresting as almost every other Atari game out there. And it certainly isn't as ugly as a game like Atari 2600's version of Pacman. I have nightmares about that game sometimes.
On the aural side of things the game does very well for itself given the hardware constraints. The sound of your jet engine is an especially nice touch.
There aren't many games for the Atari 2600 that I can recommend whole heartedly to the modern day gamer. Things have changed, and a lot of these classic games just don't fit into the present day. So understand the significance when I say that this game is good not just because it is a classic, but because it remains fun to play to this day. If you have an Atari sitting around somewhere and want a new game to play River Raid is a safe bet. Or if you were on the fence about a compilation game including River Raid, rest assured that at least one of those games will hold your attention for more then 30 seconds.