Ninja Ryukenden—or Ninja Gaiden if you grew up with the US version—is one of those NES games that looks cool until you realize how brutal it is. You play as Ryu Hayabusa, slicing through enemies with your dragon sword, but half the challenge is just not getting knocked off platforms by eagles or random respawning ninjas.

The cutscenes were mind-blowing for an NES game, with this cinematic story about revenge and betrayal. But honestly? I spent more time memorizing enemy patterns than paying attention to the plot. That first stage music still slaps, though.

Fair warning: if you’re not used to NES-era difficulty, this one will wreck you. But nailing that wall-jump after a dozen tries? Pure satisfaction.