Okay, so Family Block: Thunder & Lightning is one of those NES games that looks like another Breakout clone at first glance—but it’s got some weird charm. You’re smashing blocks with a paddle, yeah, but then suddenly there’s a story? And boss fights? Like, you’ll be bouncing a ball around, clearing bricks, and then some giant angry face shows up at the top of the screen. It’s bizarre in the best way.

The arcade version came first, but the NES port is the one I’ve played. It’s got that early ‘90s vibe where Japanese devs were stuffing random personality into everything—hence the "Family Block" name over there. The sequel (Block Carnival in Japan) is even wilder, but this one’s a solid mix of familiar and just-offbeat-enough. If you dig arcade-style brick-breakers with a little extra spice, it’s worth a few rounds.