Valis on the Genesis is one of those games that feels like it should be way more famous than it is. You play as Yuko, this pink-haired warrior girl who swings a sword that basically has its own personality—it talks to her, glows when evil’s nearby, the whole deal. The first level throws you right into it: you’re jumping between floating platforms, slashing these weird frog demons, and dodging projectiles that come out of nowhere. Classic side-scroller stuff, but with this weird, dreamy vibe.

The controls take a second to click—your sword swings in this wide arc, so you’ve gotta time it right or you’ll whiff entirely. And those special attacks? Hold down the button, wait for the charge-up sound, then let loose. Feels awesome when you nail it, but good luck pulling it off mid-jump. The music’s got that early ‘90s synth sound, all dramatic and slightly off-key in the best way.

It’s not perfect—some of the platforming’s janky, and good luck figuring out where to go without trial and error—but there’s something about the atmosphere that sticks with you. That sword still lives in my head rent-free.