F-15 City War is one of those NES games that looks way more impressive than it has any right to be—it pulls off this weird pseudo-3D effect where your fighter jet tilts and banks through city canyons while dodging enemy fire. You’re basically playing whack-a-mole with tanks, choppers, and other jets that pop up from all sides, and the controls somehow feel both janky and satisfying once you get used to them.

The city skyline scrolls by in this chunky polygonal style that’s kind of charming now, though I’m sure it gave kids headaches back in the day. And yeah, you’ll fight robots at some point because why not? It’s not the deepest shooter, but there’s something weirdly addictive about threading your plane between buildings while missiles scream past. The whole thing feels like someone’s ambitious tech demo that accidentally became a real game.

Fun fact: This thing actually sold 60,000 copies, which says more about the NES era than the game itself. If you dig obscure retro oddities, it’s worth a spin just for the novelty.