Dick Tracy on the Genesis is one of those licensed games that actually tries something different—instead of just slapping the detective’s face on a generic platformer, it’s a side-scrolling shooter with a weirdly serious tone. You’re blasting through streets and warehouses, taking down mobsters with a pistol that somehow never runs out of ammo. The nitro shipment plot feels straight out of a B-movie, and the pixel art gives Tracy this weirdly stiff walk, like he’s permanently suspicious of every trash can he passes.

It’s not the smoothest shooter out there—enemies pop up in annoying spots, and some levels drag—but there’s something charming about how committed it is to being a gritty, slow-paced action game. The music’s got that early Genesis synth growl, too. If you’re into weird licensed games that actually try, this one’s a solid time capsule.