Gauntlet II is one of those NES classics that somehow makes dying over and over again weirdly fun. The first thing you’ll notice is the chaos—four players crammed around the TV, all shouting at each other while skeletons and ghosts swarm the screen. This sequel ramps up everything: the enemies actually chase you now instead of just wandering around, and those treasure chests? Half of them are traps, which feels unfair until you start laughing at your friend who just got zapped.

Picking your character actually matters this time—I always went with the Valkyrie because she could take a hit, but the wizard’s magic is stupidly powerful if you don’t mind being made of paper. The levels get brutal fast, especially when someone (usually me) accidentally shoots a food crate and dooms the whole party to starvation. It’s messy, loud, and still holds up if you’ve got friends willing to put up with 8-bit frustration.