Blaster Master 2 on the Genesis is one of those sequels that doesn’t reinvent the wheel—it just gives you more of what worked. You’re back in the Sophia tank, blasting through mutants and underground caves, switching between side-scrolling platforming and top-down shooting like the first game. The controls feel tighter, though, and the levels throw some nasty surprises at you if you’re not careful.

I’ll be honest, the story’s still just an excuse to shoot things (something about alien mutants, who cares), but the real draw is how satisfying it feels to upgrade your tank and backtrack through earlier areas with new weapons. The music’s got that classic Genesis grit, too—all crunchy bass and synth. Just don’t expect it to hold your hand; some of those boss fights will wreck you until you memorize their patterns.

If you liked the original or just want a solid ‘90s action-platformer, this one’s worth a play. It’s not perfect, but it’s got charm.