Contra: The Alien Wars on Game Boy is one of those games that makes you realize how much punishment your thumbs can take. You start off running and gunning through jungles and alien bases, dodging bullets from every angle—somehow it feels even more chaotic than the NES version. The spread gun is still your best friend, but good luck keeping it when you die (and you will die).

Boss fights are ridiculous in the best way—giant alien heads, mechanical worms, things that shouldn’t exist. The Game Boy screen somehow makes everything feel even more cramped, so you’re constantly scrambling for cover. And yeah, the Konami code works here too, because you’ll need those extra lives. This is peak Contra, just portable and slightly harder to see. If you’ve got a Game Boy and a death wish, it’s worth the hand cramps.