Cosmo Police Galivan II is one of those SNES hidden gems that never got enough love. You play as a space cop with a sword—basically a futuristic samurai—hacking through waves of weird alien enemies across these neon-drenched planets. The first level throws you right into it: you’re jumping over lava pits, dodging floating eyeball drones, and figuring out the timing for your charge attack (which, by the way, feels so satisfying when you nail it).

The pixel art is gorgeous—lots of deep blues and purples, with these massive bosses that fill half the screen. Some of the platforming gets brutal, though. There’s this one ice level where the jumps are just mean, but once you get the rhythm down, slicing through enemies with your energy blade makes up for it. And yeah, the soundtrack? Pure 16-bit space opera vibes.

It’s not the easiest game, but if you’re into retro action-platformers with a sci-fi twist, this one’s worth digging up. Just don’t blame me when you get stuck on that asteroid stage.