Silent Assault is one of those NES games that starts with a ridiculous but fun premise—aliens brainwash the entire military, but somehow you're immune. So now it's just you, a lone soldier, blasting through waves of human troops and weird alien monsters across eight different zones.

The first level throws you right into it: you're dodging tanks, jumping over pits, and picking off soldiers while these creepy floating orbs try to zap you. I remember thinking the controls felt a little stiff at first, but after a few deaths, you get the rhythm—timing jumps is everything. The power-ups help, especially when you stumble on the spread shot or temporary invincibility (which, honestly, feels way too short).

Some of the later levels get brutal—like the ice world where everything slides, or the alien hive with those annoying wall-crawling bugs. But there's something satisfying about memorizing enemy patterns and finally clearing a tough section. Just don't expect a deep story—it's pure 8-bit action with a weirdly catchy soundtrack.