V-V on the Genesis is one of those shooters that feels like it was designed to punish you in the best way possible. The first level lulls you in with chunky pixel spaceships and a killer synth soundtrack—then suddenly you're dodging bullet patterns that fill half the screen. I remember thinking "this can't be that hard" right before my ship exploded for the third time.

What makes it stick is how tight the controls are. Your little ship responds instantly, weaving through enemy fire just barely, and there's something satisfying about the way power-ups change your weapon spread. The music's got that classic Sega FM synth grit too—it somehow makes getting wrecked feel cool.

If you're into old-school shmups, this one's got teeth but doesn't feel unfair. Just don't expect to beat it on your first try (or your tenth).