Castlevania III is like the first game cranked up to 11—tougher, meaner, and way less predictable. You start off whipping candles and dodging Medusa heads like usual, but after the first level, the game throws you a curveball: multiple paths. Do you take the high road with its brutal platforming, or the underground route packed with monsters? Each choice changes which levels you hit, what allies join you (Alucard’s here!), and even the final boss.

And man, those branching paths aren’t just for show. Some routes are straight-up sadistic—I still have nightmares about the clock tower—but figuring out which ally works best where (hint: Grant’s wall-climbing saves lives) is half the fun. The music slaps, the pixel art oozes gothic atmosphere, and yeah, you’ll probably throw your controller at least once. One of the NES’s hardest, but also one of its best.