Play Battle Mania (Japan) Online

Battle Mania (or Trouble Shooter if you're not in Japan) is one of those Genesis games that makes you wonder how you missed it back in the day. You pick between Madison and Charlotte—basically two women who’ve decided the best way to solve problems is with excessive firepower—and then dive straight into some of the most chaotic, neon-soaked levels the 16-bit era ever produced.

Your first five minutes go like this: dodging a screen full of bullets, accidentally discovering your bouncing bomb weapon ricochets off walls in the best way possible, and realizing your little drone sidekick is way more useful than you expected. The whole thing feels like someone took Contra, cranked up the color saturation, and added a weirdly charming sense of humor.

And yeah, the two-player mode is where things get properly unhinged. It’s the kind of co-op where you’ll both be laughing and yelling at the same time because the screen’s just a mess of explosions, power-ups, and enemies that somehow look both ridiculous and threatening. The music slaps, the controls are tight, and honestly? It’s still a great time even if you’re playing solo.

This is the definition of a cult classic—slightly obscure, completely over-the-top, and way more fun than it has any right to be.