Ninja Gaiden (Beta) on the Sega Genesis is one of those games that makes you realize just how brutal old-school action platformers could be. You start off with your ninja sprinting across rooftops, slashing enemies with a satisfyingly quick sword, but don’t get too comfortable—those jumps between platforms are just tight enough to make you sweat. Miss one, and you’re falling into a pit or straight into an enemy’s spear.

What’s cool about this beta version is seeing how different it feels from the final release. Some of the enemy placements are downright cruel, and the hitboxes feel a little rougher around the edges, but that almost adds to the charm. The bosses hit like trucks, and you’ll probably die a few times before figuring out their patterns—no hand-holding here.

If you’re into retro games that don’t mess around, this one’s a solid time capsule of early ‘90s difficulty. Just don’t throw your controller when you get knocked into a bottomless pit for the tenth time.