If you've ever wanted to feel like a lone spaceship against an entire alien armada, Sagaia on the Genesis is your jam. Right from the start, you're thrown into this neon-drenched chaos of bullets and weird alien ships that look like they escaped from an '80s anime. The first level tricks you into thinking you've got this—then suddenly there's a screen-filling boss with way too many guns.

It's one of those shooters where you're constantly juggling between dodging and deciding whether to grab that power-up now or risk waiting for a better one. The music has that classic Sega synth vibe, all urgent and slightly distorted, like your speakers are about to burst. And yeah, it's tough—not "throw your controller" tough, but the kind where you'll mutter "one more try" at 2 AM.

Honestly, half the fun is seeing how far you can get before the game inevitably wrecks you. The ship upgrades feel great when you finally chain them together, though good luck keeping them after level 3. If you miss the days when shooters were about memorizing patterns and sweating through your thumbs, this one’s still got it.