Okay, so this is a weird one—Ninja Gaiden (Japan) (Proto) [b] for the Sega Genesis. Not the NES version you might remember, but an early prototype that never got a full release. It’s got that classic ninja action, but the controls feel a little stiffer than the final NES games. Still, if you’re into retro curiosities, it’s cool to see how different this version could’ve been.

You’ve got your usual wall jumps, shurikens, and that satisfying slash combo, but some of the enemy patterns are just brutal. Like, "why did they think this was okay?" brutal. The music’s got that crunchy Genesis sound, though, and the sprites are surprisingly detailed for an unfinished build. Definitely more of a novelty than a must-play, but hey—it’s a neat slice of gaming history.