Xenon 2 on the Sega Master System is one of those shooters that feels like it's actively trying to murder you—in the best way possible. You start off with this dinky little ship, dodging waves of enemies while this killer soundtrack (for the time) pumps in the background. The first level lulls you into thinking "Hey, maybe I got this," and then suddenly the screen's packed with bullets and weird alien things that look like they escaped from a neon nightmare.

What I love is how the power-ups work—you collect these floating bubbles to upgrade your weapons, but you've gotta be smart about it because cash is tight. Do you go for the spread shot early or save up for the ridiculous laser that melts everything? Either way, expect to die a lot before you figure out the rhythm. The hitbox is unforgiving, and some of the later levels feel like the game's cheating, but that just makes finally beating a stage way more satisfying.

It's not the prettiest port compared to the Amiga version, but for an 8-bit system, the colors pop and the chaos holds up. Just don't throw your controller when the squid bosses show up.