Wrath of the Black Manta is one of those NES action-platformers that feels a little rough around the edges but has its own weird charm. You play as a ninja—well, technically a "manta," whatever that means—throwing shurikens and flipping through levels filled with enemies that just love to respawn the second you turn your back.

The controls are stiff by today’s standards, and some jumps feel like they require pixel-perfect timing, but there’s something satisfying about clearing a screen of bad guys with a well-placed throw. The music’s got that classic late-80s synth vibe, and the bosses are the kind of ridiculous where you’ll fight a guy twice your size just because why not?

It’s not the best ninja game on the NES, but if you’re into retro games with a bit of jank, it’s got its moments.