Phantom 2040 on the Genesis is one of those side-scrollers that feels way ahead of its time. You play as this cyberpunk-ish masked hero in a wrecked future city, swinging around on a grappling hook and slashing through corporate goons with a retractable blade. The art style’s got this moody, comic book vibe—lots of dark blues and neon highlights—and the controls are surprisingly smooth for a 16-bit game.

What I love is how it mixes stealth and action. You can sneak past enemies or just dive in swinging, and the levels give you enough alternate paths to make replays feel different. The first time I played, I got wrecked trying to brute-force everything, but once you get the hang of timing your dodges and using the environment, it clicks. Also, that grappling hook? Way more fun than it has any right to be.

It’s not perfect—some of the platforming can be janky, and the soundtrack’s hit-or-miss—but if you’re into atmospheric action games, this one’s a hidden gem. Just don’t expect it to go easy on you.