Man, Truxton on the Genesis is one of those shooters that just feels right—like the devs took everything great about arcade bullet hell and crammed it into a cartridge. You start off with this beefy little ship that shoots these satisfyingly chunky laser bursts, and within seconds, the screen’s packed with neon bullets and weird alien ships shaped like… I dunno, angry geometric shapes?

The music’s got that classic Toaplan vibe—synth-heavy and intense, like someone fused a space opera with a high-speed chase. And those pixel explosions? Pure 90s eye candy. First time I played, I got wrecked by the second boss because I didn’t realize some attacks home in on you. Pro tip: memorize the power-up colors. Red’s your friend.

It’s tough as nails, but in that way where you keep muttering “one more try” at 2 AM. If you dig old-school shooters that don’t hold your hand, this one’s a blast.