Heavy Nova is one of those weird little Genesis gems that never got the love it deserved. You pick a mech—some are fast but fragile, others lumber around like tanks—and then it’s straight into 1v1 arena fights where positioning matters way more than button mashing. The first time I played, I got wrecked because I kept treating it like a typical fighting game, but nah, you’ve gotta time those dashes and manage your energy meter.

The pixel art still holds up, especially the way your mech’s armor cracks and sparks fly when you take heavy hits. And the soundtrack? Pure early ‘90s synth cheese in the best way. It’s not the deepest mech sim out there, but there’s something satisfying about outmaneuvering an opponent just as their laser cannon overheats. If you dig clunky robots and tactical brawls, this one’s a blast.