Air Buster is one of those classic Genesis shooters that doesn’t get enough love. You start off in this little blue fighter jet, weaving through bullet hell while trying not to crash into the scenery—easier said than done when the screen’s packed with enemies. The power-up system’s simple but satisfying: grab floating icons to switch between lasers, homing missiles, or this weird flamethrower thing that’s weirdly effective against bosses.

First level’s deceptively chill, just some tanks and choppers to blast, but by stage two, the game remembers it’s a 90s arcade port and starts throwing screen-filling explosions at you. The music’s got that crunchy Genesis synth sound, all bass and urgency, which fits perfectly when you’re dodging a boss that takes up half the sky. It’s not the deepest shmup out there, but it nails that “one more try” feeling when you barely scrape through a level with no lives left. If you dig old-school shooters with a mean streak, this one’s worth dusting off.