X Zone on SNES is one of those games that feels like it was designed to punish you in the best way possible. You start off thinking it's just another platformer—jumping over spikes, dodging enemies—but then the screen starts scrolling automatically, and suddenly you're timing every move like your life depends on it. (Spoiler: It kinda does.)

The pixel art holds up surprisingly well, especially the boss designs—some of them take up half the screen, and you’ll spend the first few seconds just staring at them before realizing you should probably, y’know, not die. The music’s got that classic SNES vibe too, all punchy synths and urgency.

It’s not just mindless running, though. Some levels throw in these weird puzzle-like sections where you’re flipping switches or waiting for platforms to align, and half the time I messed up because I panicked. Still, when you finally beat a level after like 20 tries, it feels stupidly satisfying. Definitely a game that makes you earn every win.

If you’ve got a soft spot for ’90s-era difficulty or just want to see what SNES could really do, this one’s worth dusting off the old console for.