The player controls a helicopter launched from an aircraft carrier to bomb six factories scattered across islands on a small planetoid occupied by the Bungeling Empire (frequent villains in Broderbund games), while fending off escalating counterattacks by gun turrets, fighter jets, guided missiles, and a battleship.

In order to win the game, the player must prevent the escalation by bombing all the factories as quickly as possible, keeping them from advancing their technology.

[2] A conversion for the arcade-based VS. System was created based on this port, and it was distributed to arcades in Japan by Nintendo.

Will Wright attributed this large discrepancy to the lack of software piracy on the NES due to its cartridge system, along with Raid being one of the first American games published in Japan.

wrote in 1985 that Raid "possesses all the virtues needed to appease the demanding gamer", with "amazingly detailed" graphics.

[8] Computer Gaming World in 1988 approved of the Nintendo version's graphics, calling it a "high adventure with realistic overtones" that did not involve dragons or elves.