Defender II on NES is basically the same frantic, screen-flipping chaos as the first game—just with more aliens and way weirder mutants. You're still zipping across this side-scrolling nightmare, blasting UFOs before they snatch up helpless little humans. But now, if you're too slow, those poor guys turn into these gross, floating mutant blobs that start attacking you. Classic arcade stress at its finest.

The controls take a second to click—reverse thrust still feels weird at first—but once you get the rhythm of swooping in, rescuing dudes, and bombing alien bases, it’s weirdly satisfying. Just don’t expect to last long; this game chews up lives faster than the original. The music’s got that same eerie synth vibe too, which somehow makes the panic worse (in a good way).

If you liked the first Defender but wanted more screaming across the screen at 200mph, this delivers. Just maybe take breaks before your thumbs cramp.