F-22 Interceptor on the Genesis was one of those games that made you feel like a legit fighter pilot—at least as much as a 16-bit console could in 1991. You start off with this sleek F-22 cockpit view, radar blipping, and suddenly you're thrown into these chaotic dogfights where everything moves way faster than you'd expect. The first time I played, I crashed into a mountain about 30 seconds in because I was too busy trying to lock missiles onto enemy jets.

It’s not just about shooting stuff down, though. Some missions have you protecting bases or taking out ground targets, and the controls take a minute to get used to—rolling and diving feels weighty, like you’re actually wrestling with a jet. The soundtrack’s all tense synth beats, which somehow makes flying through canyons at top speed even more nerve-wracking. If you mess up, there’s no hand-holding; you just explode and restart the whole mission.

It’s definitely a product of its time—simple by today’s standards, but back then, pulling off a perfect missile streak felt like a miracle. Still holds up if you’re into that old-school, no-frills arcade flight sim vibe.