X-Men 2: Clone Wars is one of those Genesis gems that actually improves on the first game—no small feat, considering how rough that one could be. You pick from a roster of mutants (Wolverine, Cyclops, Gambit, and a few others) and tear through levels with their signature moves. The controls feel tighter this time, and the ability to switch characters mid-mission adds some strategy—like when you realize Nightcrawler’s teleporting is the only way past certain obstacles.

It’s still a classic side-scroller at heart, but the stages have more variety than you’d expect, from Sentinel factories to weird alien landscapes. And yeah, the difficulty spikes hard in later levels, but that’s just ’90s Sega for you. If you’re into X-Men or just want a solid action game with some depth, this one holds up surprisingly well.