Black Belt on the Sega Master System is one of those old-school beat 'em ups that feels like it came straight out of an arcade—except you can play it in your living room. You start off as this lone karate guy (no fancy backstory, just fists and feet) punching through waves of goons in side-scrolling stages. The controls are dead simple—just jump, punch, and kick—but timing matters way more than button mashing.

First level’s easy enough, but by the second stage, enemies start ganging up on you, and that’s when you realize this isn’t just mindless brawling. There’s something satisfying about landing a well-timed flying kick or ducking under a swing before countering. The sprites are chunky and the music’s got that classic 8-bit energy—nostalgic, yeah, but it still holds up if you’re into retro difficulty. Just don’t expect any mercy from the later bosses.

If you’ve ever wondered where modern fighting games got their roots, this is a solid (and punishing) piece of history. Good luck earning that black belt.