Moon Crystal is one of those late-era NES platformers that feels like it should’ve gotten more love. You play as this dude with a whip (yeah, kinda Castlevania vibes at first) but the movement’s way smoother—wall jumps, ledge grabs, even a little slide move. The first level throws you right into this moonlit city with these weird, floaty enemies that explode into pixels when you hit them.

What’s cool is how the stages mix things up—one minute you’re dodging spinning blades in a factory, next you’re hopping across crumbling rooftops. The music’s got that classic Famicom synth sound, all moody and tense. And the bosses? Huge, screen-filling monsters that take forever to whittle down. Not gonna lie, some of the jumps are brutal, but nailing a tricky section feels awesome.

It’s a shame this never left Japan—the cart’s pricey now, but if you’re into hidden gem platformers, it’s worth tracking down.