Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle is one of those Sega Genesis games that feels like it was designed to test your patience—in the best way possible. You jump, punch rocks (for some reason), and dodge enemies that seem to pop up just to mess with you. The first time I played, I lost like five lives before realizing you can actually block attacks if you time it right.

The levels are short but brutal, with these weird little puzzles where you pick the right item to progress—guess wrong, and enjoy your instant death. The music’s catchy, though, and there’s something weirdly satisfying about the way Alex’s hair flops around when he jumps. It’s not the smoothest platformer out there, but if you grew up with a Genesis, this one’s a nostalgia trip worth taking.

Just don’t throw your controller when you lose to rock-paper-scissors for the tenth time.