Strider on the Genesis is one of those games that just feels fast—like you're barely keeping up with Hiryu as he flips off walls and cuts through robots mid-air. That plasma sword? So satisfying when you nail a clean slash through three enemies at once.

The first level throws you right into it: snow-covered Soviet bases, weird cyborg gorillas, and these little spider drones that explode if you don’t take them out fast enough. The music’s got that classic Genesis grit, all crunchy bass and urgency. And yeah, it’s tough—you’ll probably die a few times figuring out the rhythm—but when you finally chain a perfect run through a stage, it’s pure ninja fantasy.

Still holds up if you’re into retro action that doesn’t hold your hand. Just watch out for the jumps in the third level—they’re mean.