Burai Fighter Deluxe is one of those classic Game Boy shooters that feels way bigger than it has any right to be. You start off blasting through side-scrolling stages, then suddenly the perspective shifts to top-down—kinda cool how it keeps switching things up. The eight-directional shooting takes a second to get used to, but once you do, weaving through enemy fire while angling your shots feels surprisingly smooth for an old handheld.

Your weapons upgrade as you go, and figuring out which power-ups to grab adds some strategy. The Burai bases get pretty brutal later on, especially that last stretch where everything just wants to kill you. It’s got that classic "Nintendo hard" vibe, but in a way that makes beating a tough stage actually satisfying. Definitely a hidden gem if you’re into retro shooters.