Dragon Unit is one of those weird, janky NES games that somehow sticks with you. It’s a side-scrolling action thing where you play as this armored knight—except your armor is basically a dragon mech? You stomp around, shoot fireballs, and occasionally transform into a full dragon to wreck everything. The controls are a little stiff, but once you get used to it, there’s something satisfying about plowing through enemies like a walking tank.

First time I played, I got wrecked by the second stage boss because I didn’t realize you could charge your shots. Classic NES move—zero instructions, just figure it out or die. The music’s got that crunchy FM synth vibe, and the sprites are surprisingly detailed for an obscure Japanese release. Not gonna lie, it’s rough around the edges, but if you’re into retro oddities, this one’s worth a few deaths.

You can find it floating around on emulators if you dig deep enough.