Play Castlevania I Online

Man, Castlevania I on the NES still hits different. You grab that whip as Simon Belmont and immediately feel the weight of every jump—mistime it by a split second, and some bat or zombie knocks you straight into a pit. The first time a Medusa head floats across the screen out of nowhere? Pure panic.

It’s brutal but weirdly satisfying. You memorize enemy patterns, inch your way up those infamously janky staircases (seriously, why are they so awkward?), and somehow push forward. And the music? That gothic organ track in the first stage sticks in your head for days. By the time you reach Dracula, you’ve died about a hundred times, but beating him feels like an actual life achievement.

This is the game that made vampire hunting cool—no hand-holding, just you versus a castle full of nightmares. Still holds up if you’ve got the patience for old-school punishment.