ExciteBike on the NES is one of those games that looks simple at first—just a side-scrolling motocross racer—but then you hit the track and realize how much control you actually have. The bike physics feel weighty in that classic 8-bit way, and overheating your engine by holding the gas too long is a real risk. Mess up a jump, and you’ll eat dirt while the other bikes zip past.

What’s cool is the track editor. Even back in ’85, you could build your own insane courses with ramps and speed boosts, then watch the AI struggle through them. The music’s this frantic beeping loop that somehow never gets old, and the split-screen two-player mode turns into pure chaos when you both wipe out at the same time. It’s aged way better than most NES sports games.

If you’ve only played the arcade-style sequels, the original’s janky charm is worth revisiting.