Lightening Force is one of those Genesis shooters that just feels right—your ship moves like butter, weapons have real weight, and the screen fills up with bullets in that perfect "oh crap" way. First time I played, I got wrecked by the second boss because I didn’t realize you could charge your shots. (Pro tip: hold the button.)

The soundtrack slaps—ten seconds into the first level and you’ve got this synth-rock thing going that makes dodging enemy patterns way more dramatic than it should be. And those pixel-art explosions? Chef’s kiss. It’s tough but fair, the kind of game where you’ll replay a stage just to nail the perfect run.

If you’ve ever lost an afternoon to Thunder Force or R-Type, this one’s got the same energy. Just don’t blame me when you’re muttering "one more try" at 2AM.