Atomic Runner on the Sega Genesis is one of those games that throws you straight into the chaos—no hand-holding, just pure, frantic action from the first second. You play as this cybernetic speedster who can shoot in any direction while sprinting, which sounds cool until you realize enemies come at you from all angles. The controls take a minute to get used to, but once it clicks, weaving through bullets while blasting robots feels ridiculously satisfying.

The levels are short but brutal, packed with jumps you barely make and bosses that feel impossible until you figure out their patterns. The soundtrack’s got that classic Genesis crunch, all metallic beats and urgency, which fits perfectly when you’re dodging lasers mid-air. It’s not the prettiest game out there, but the sheer speed and weird weapon upgrades (why do I suddenly have a boomerang gun?) make it hard to put down. Just don’t be surprised if you rage-quit a few times first.