Castlevania: Vampire’s Kiss (or Dracula X, depending on where you live) is one of those SNES games that looks gorgeous but plays like a classic whip-cracking nightmare—in the best way. You’re Richter Belmont, charging through gothic castles, dodging Medusa heads, and fighting off skeletons with that satisfying, weighty combat the series is known for.

It’s a reworked version of Rondo of Blood, so if you’ve played that, some stages will feel familiar—but the SNES chiptune soundtrack and pixel art give it its own vibe. The difficulty’s brutal in spots (that axe knight hallway still haunts me), but landing a perfect jump or finally beating a boss after ten tries feels amazing. Not the deepest Castlevania, but a solid, punishing platformer with that old-school charm.

If you’re into stiff-but-fair 16-bit action, this one’s worth the frustration.