Challenger on the NES is one of those old-school action games that feels like it’s testing your reflexes more than your patience—which is saying something for an 8-bit title. You’re dropped right into the thick of it, blasting through waves of enemies that get faster and meaner the further you go. The controls are simple—just jump and shoot—but the timing has to be spot-on, or you’ll get swarmed in seconds.

What’s cool is how the screen scrolls automatically, forcing you to keep moving or get left behind. The first few levels trick you into thinking it’s easy, but then the difficulty spikes hard. I remember getting wrecked by the third stage until I figured out the enemy patterns. The music’s got that classic NES energy, too—chipper but intense, like it’s cheering you on while laughing at your mistakes.

If you’re into retro games that don’t hold your hand, this one’s a solid time capsule from the era.