Contra On GB is one of those Game Boy ports that somehow manages to cram the chaotic energy of the arcade original into that tiny green screen. You start off with that classic spread gun—because let’s be honest, no one picks anything else—and immediately get swarmed by soldiers, turrets, and those weird crab robots that explode when you shoot them.

The controls are tight, but the screen crunch is real—sometimes enemies pop up way too close, and you’ll die a few times just figuring out where the bullets are coming from. Still, there’s something satisfying about memorizing the patterns, squeezing past impossible waves of fire, and finally beating that one boss that wrecked you five times in a row.

It’s not as smooth as the NES version, but for a pocket-sized Contra fix, it gets the job done. Just don’t expect to beat it on your first try.