Thanks; I've made it to the 7th stage of arcade Raiden without using a continue; I wager the PC Engine version cannot be more assholish than that game's penchant for hiding tanks on the bottom corners of the screen and sniping your feeble ship out of the sky.
I was able to clear Kyuukyoku Tiger's PCE port a few months ago, which, like all Toaplan games, redefines "long-ass stages." The K-Tiger copycat Raiden moves along at a brisk pace comparatively!
EDIT: Fun fact: I mentioned this elsewhere, but I suppose it's worth mentioning that Super Raiden and the PCE port of Kyuukyoku Tiger were developed by the same group, A.I. - as opposed to NEC and Taito as had been previously thought. Small world!