Makai-Mura—or Ghosts 'n Goblins as most of us know it—is one of those NES games that looks cute until it kicks your teeth in. You start off as Arthur, a knight in heart-shaped boxers, charging through graveyards and haunted castles to rescue a princess. Sounds simple, right? Then the zombies start hopping at you, the red devils dive-bomb from off-screen, and suddenly you're down to your underwear again because one hit strips your armor.

The controls are stiff in that classic NES way, so you’ll miss jumps you swear you timed right. And just when you think you’ve got a handle on it, the game laughs and throws a fake ending at you—turns out you’ve gotta replay the whole thing on a harder difficulty for the real finale. Brutal, but weirdly satisfying when you finally claw your way through.

If you’re into old-school punishment with a side of gothic charm, this one’s a time capsule worth revisiting.