Ever played a game that starts with you crash-landing on a planet, only to find out you've got like 20 minutes to stop it from exploding? Yeah, The Guardian Legend throws you right into that mess. One second you're a spaceship dodging bullets, the next you're running around as a cyborg warrior blasting aliens in maze-like dungeons. It's weird, but it works.

They weren't kidding with the "Zelda meets 1942" comparison—you switch between top-down exploration (complete with cryptic keys and upgrades) and full-on shooter segments where everything's trying to kill you. The music slaps, the bosses are ridiculous (that floating eyeball still haunts me), and somehow it all feels way ahead of its time for an NES game. Just don't expect the translation to make much sense.

Honestly, half the fun is figuring out what the heck you're supposed to do next.