Man, The Revenge of Shinobi still hits hard. You jump in as Joe Musashi, this badass ninja out for payback against the Neo Zeed goons, and right away you're tossing shurikens, slashing with your sword, and dodging some seriously cheap enemy attacks. The first level eases you in, but by the time you hit those rooftop jumps or the helicopter boss, you'll be sweating.

The controls feel tight—once you get the hang of the double jumps and ninja magic, anyway. Some of those later stages? Brutal. But there's something satisfying about finally nailing a perfect run after getting wrecked by ninja dogs or surprise rockets a dozen times. And the music? Absolute Sega Genesis gold.

It's one of those games where you can tell the devs didn't hold your hand, but mastering it feels worth the pain. Just don't throw your controller when the cheap hits start piling up.