Raf World (or Journey to Silius outside Japan) is one of those NES gems that starts with a punch—literally. You're Jay McCray, some poor guy whose dad just got murdered by space terrorists, and now you're blasting through their hideouts with a pistol that somehow feels way heavier than it should. Sunsoft nailed the atmosphere here: dim industrial corridors, flickering lights, and enemies that pop out of vents like they've been waiting all day to ruin yours.

The first level throws you right into it—no hand-holding, just running, jumping, and praying you don’t miss a shot because ammo isn’t exactly lying around. The music? Absolute fire. That bassline in the opening stage still gets stuck in my head. It’s tough, but not cheap—every death feels like your fault, which just makes you want to try again. By the time you reach the first boss (some hulking mech thing), you’ll either be hooked or questioning your life choices.

Also, fun fact: this was originally supposed to be a Terminator game. You can kinda tell.