Second Samurai on the Genesis is one of those sequels that actually improves on the original—sharper controls, smoother animations, and way more sword-slashing chaos. You play as this resurrected samurai out for revenge, hacking through waves of weird enemies (some of them straight-up bizarre, like floating demon heads). The levels are short but packed with secrets, and the bosses? Huge, screen-filling monsters that take forever to whittle down.

It’s got that classic ‘90s difficulty—you’ll die a lot, but checkpoints are fair. The music’s this weird synth-metal hybrid that somehow works perfectly while you’re dodging arrows. I remember getting stuck on the third level for ages until I realized you could deflect projectiles back at enemies. That’s when it clicked for me.

If you liked the first game or just want a solid action-platformer with a ton of personality, this one’s worth dusting off the Genesis for.