Man, The Legend of Kage is one of those NES games that just throws you right into the chaos. One second you're chilling, the next—boom!—your girlfriend gets snatched by ninjas, and suddenly you're slicing through a forest full of enemies who really don’t want you to survive. The jumping feels a little floaty at first, but once you get the hang of bouncing between trees (way safer than staying on the ground, trust me), it clicks.

You’ve got shurikens for ranged attacks and a sword for up-close work, though honestly, I mostly spammed throws because ninjas love to swarm you. The stages are short but brutal—mistime a jump or misjudge an enemy’s throw, and you’ll be restarting more than you’d like. Still, there’s something satisfying about clearing a screen of enemies in one clean leap.

Controls are simple: Z for attacks, arrows to move, and space to pause when you need a breather. It’s not the deepest game, but it’s got that old-school charm where every death feels like your fault. If you dig this, maybe try Altered Beast or Metal Slug 3 for more classic action. Just don’t blame me when you get obsessed with the soundtrack.