If I had to guess why this game has such a bad reputation I'd say it's probably because most people have only ever played it in an emulator where the necessary depth perception that's necessary to navigate this game is missing.

If you have the depth perception this game is actually a pretty fun Starfox-esque game with free-movement, a rocking soundtrack and cool 3D effects that show off the Virtual Boy's capabilities really well. My only complaints are that the game is pretty short, has difficulty that's all over the place at times and sometimes the ship can be difficult to maneuver.

Overall if you get the chance to try this game absolutely do! You won't regret it.