Final Mission (Japan) is one of those NES shooters that feels like it wants to be Contra but ends up doing its own weird thing. You start off with this little dude in a mech suit, blasting through side-scrolling levels packed with enemies that just keep coming. The controls take a second to get used to—your jump feels floaty, and sometimes you swear shots should’ve hit but didn’t.

What’s cool is how the stages mix up the pacing. One minute you’re platforming over pits, the next you’re clinging to a moving train while dodging bullets. The music’s got that classic NES energy, all bleeps and bloops that somehow make dying for the tenth time less frustrating. It’s not the smoothest shooter out there, but there’s something oddly satisfying about finally nailing a tough section after a few tries.

If you’re into retro games that don’t hold your hand, this one’s worth a look—just don’t expect it to go easy on you.