Hogan's Alley is one of those NES games that feels simple at first—just shooting cardboard cutouts of bad guys while avoiding civilians and cops—but man, does it get intense fast. The targets pop up for a split second, and if you hesitate, you're either blasting an innocent bystander or missing the gangster entirely. The backgrounds shift from a plain wall to a city street, which doesn’t change much gameplay-wise, but it keeps things from feeling too repetitive.

What really gets you is the speed. Early on, it’s easy to pick out the thugs, but soon they’re flashing by so quick you’ll start second-guessing yourself. And yeah, it’s all cardboard cutouts—no real criminals here—but the tension is weirdly real. It’s the kind of game where you’ll lean forward without realizing it, gripping the Zapper like your life depends on it. Not deep, but surprisingly addictive.