Gradius on the Game Boy? Yeah, it’s actually a solid port of the arcade classic—though obviously scaled down for that tiny green screen. You start with that same wimpy little ship, blasting through waves of enemies while grabbing those iconic power-up capsules to beef up your weapons. The first level eases you in, but by stage two, those snake-like boss things start showing up, and suddenly you’re sweating.

It’s still Gradius, just pixelier and a bit slower—which honestly helps when you’re playing on a cramped Game Boy D-pad. The power-up system’s all here: speed boosts, lasers, options (those little floating orbs that copy your shots). Mess up the order, though, and you’re stuck with a useless upgrade until the next capsule drops. Classic Konami cruelty.

If you’ve played the arcade version, you’ll miss the crisp visuals, but there’s something weirdly satisfying about cramming this much shooter into a handheld from 1989. Just don’t expect to beat it in one sitting—those later levels get brutal.