Interesting game, but hard to get into at first if you dont know what to expect!
The things that may seem familiar for one is the game-play, which seems reminiscent of Mega man and Metroid from the times the game came out. There are somewhat hidden powerups to be found around, but overall, seems overly simplified when compared to the two games.
The music of the game is decent for the time, but can wear on peoples nerves now who are used to more complex music. Classic and retro gamers will find something to be happy about here though in terms of music and difficulty.
On the difficulty of the game, it can be quite challenging to new players, and people who dont know how to use the menu system at first. It can be punishing in the fact that you are sent to the beginning of the level the instant one of your three characters die, but the upside is that you dont lose exp or items from dieing, so it can be useful for leveling if you want to take that route.
The ability to switch between the three mechs makes things more interesting in the long run, since they all have their ups and downs, but get to one area where one mech is almost required and finding that it isnt leveled enough to survive can be frustrating.
The game does have a story that it tries to follow closely, but at times makes it more confusing than if it had just said nothing at all. There are a few plot points and one or two twists that make it interesting and worthy of its Gainax-produced title.
All in all, Xardion is one SNES game that I have enjoyed since I was younger, and I would recommend it to any retro gamer seeking a challenge or just a game that is ridiculous for its time, in a good way.