Carrier Aces is one of those SNES games that nails the chaotic feel of WWII dogfights without overcomplicating things. You start off picking between a few classic planes—I always went with the Corsair—and then it’s straight into the action. No long tutorials, just you, a carrier deck, and a sky full of enemies.

The controls are simple but tight, and the pixel-art explosions still hold up. One minute you’re dodging flak, the next you’re lining up a shot on a Zero while your wingman shouts warnings in garbled digitized voice. It’s not the deepest flight sim, but the pacing keeps you locked in—missions are short enough that "just one more" turns into an hour real quick.

If you’ve got a soft spot for arcade-style aerial combat, this one’s a solid time capsule. Just don’t expect to land smoothly on that carrier every time.