Xevious - The Avenger is one of those classic NES shooters that feels simple at first, but gets brutal fast. You're piloting a little ship that fires forward and drops bombs downward—sounds easy, right? Then the screen fills with enemy patterns you have to memorize, and suddenly you're sweating.

The controls are tight (Z and X for shooting, arrows to move), but the real challenge is managing both air and ground targets at once. Those spinning disc enemies? Hate them. The first time you see a massive mothership crawl onto the screen, you'll panic. It's the kind of game where you die a lot, but each run teaches you something new.

Also, the music slaps—that looping synth track gets stuck in your head for days. If you're into old-school arcade-style punishment, this one's a time capsule worth revisiting.