Tetra Star is one of those NES shooters that flew under the radar—probably because it never left Japan. It's got that classic Taito arcade feel: bright colors, chunky sprites, and bullets everywhere. You pilot this angular little ship that kinda looks like a folded paper star (hence the name, I guess).

First few minutes are pure chaos—enemies swoop in from all sides, and the power-up system is weirdly satisfying. Grab the right orb and your shots go from pea-shooter to screen-filling lasers. The music’s got that crunchy FM synth sound Taito was known for, all bleeps and bloops that somehow make dodging bullets feel cooler.

It’s not the deepest shooter out there, but there’s something about the way the stages ramp up that keeps you hitting continue. That last boss is a nightmare, though—took me way too many tries to figure out the pattern. If you dig old-school bullet hell with a side of 90s Japanese flair, this one’s worth a spin.