Exerion is one of those old-school shooters that feels simple at first—until you realize how weirdly deep it gets. You're flying up the screen blasting enemies, sure, but the controls have this weird momentum to them. Your ship doesn't just stop on a dime; it drifts a little, which makes dodging bullets way trickier than in most NES shooters.

The graphics are basic even for 1983, but the parallax scrolling in the background was pretty slick for Jaleco's first Famicom game. And those enemy patterns? They start predictable, then suddenly flip on you. I remember thinking I had it figured out until wave three hit and everything went sideways.

It's not the flashiest shooter out there, but there's something satisfying about nailing those tight drifts between bullet sprays. Definitely a relic, but a fun one if you're into early arcade-style challenges.