Strider II on the Master System is one of those weird sequels that feels totally different from the original—Capcom handed it off to U.S. Gold, and you can tell. It’s got the same ninja-hopping action, but the controls are a little stiffer, and the levels feel more cramped. Still, there’s something charming about the chunky pixel art and the way Hiryu just flips around like a ninja acrobat.

You start off slicing through robots in a futuristic city, and within minutes, you’re jumping between floating platforms while dodging lasers. The difficulty spikes fast, though—some of those later bosses feel like they were designed to eat quarters. If you’re into retro action games with a rough edge, this one’s worth a look, even if it’s not as smooth as the arcade original.