Man, The Lion King on NES hits different. You start off as little Simba, bouncing around the Pride Lands with these surprisingly smooth animations for a 16-bit game—like, the way he rolls after a jump just feels right. First level’s all about learning the ropes: pouncing on hyenas, swinging from giraffe tails (weird, but fun), and trying not to faceplant into warthogs. The soundtrack? Instant nostalgia trip, even if the "Can’t Wait to Be King" level’s colors make your eyes bleed a little.

Then you hit the stampede scene and realize this isn’t just some lazy movie tie-in. The difficulty spikes hard, and suddenly you’re sweating over pixel-perfect jumps while Mufasa’s fate loops in your head. Classic 90s platforming—equal parts charming and brutal.