Choplifter II on Game Boy is basically the portable version of that classic helicopter rescue arcade game—except now you can take it with you. You’re flying this chopper through enemy territory, dodging anti-aircraft fire while trying to scoop up stranded soldiers before they get blasted. The controls are simple (d-pad and two buttons), but timing your landings just right to load up troops without getting shot down is way harder than it looks.

First time I played, I crashed like three times before realizing you can’t just hover forever—fuel runs out fast. And those pixel-perfect enemy bullets? Brutal. Still, nailing a smooth rescue run feels awesome, especially when you barely make it back to base with smoke pouring out of your heli.

It’s not the deepest game, but for a quick dose of old-school tension on the go, it gets the job done.