Bloody Warriors - Shan-Go No Gyakushuu is one of those weird, Japan-only NES games that slipped under the radar. Came out in late 1990, right when the Super Famicom was stealing everyone’s attention, so no surprise it never made it overseas.

You play as this armored warrior guy (Shan-Go, I guess?) slashing through side-scrolling levels filled with zombies, skeletons, and other undead nasties. The controls are a little stiff—typical for an NES action game—but there’s something satisfying about the way your sword cuts through enemies. Some stages even throw in these weird first-person dungeon crawling bits, which feel totally out of place but kinda cool in a janky way.

Not gonna lie, the difficulty spikes hard after the first few levels. One of those games where you either grind for lives or accept that you’ll be seeing the continue screen a lot. Still, if you’re into obscure NES action games with a dark fantasy vibe, it’s worth a look—just don’t expect a hidden masterpiece.