Play Dezaemon BS-X - Pod Online

Ever wanted to make your own SNES shooter but didn’t know where to start? Dezaemon BS-X - Pod is basically a tiny, weird game dev kit crammed onto a Super Nintendo cartridge. You can tweak sprites, slap together levels, and even compose chiptune tracks—though don’t expect it to hold your hand. The first time I booted it up, I spent 20 minutes just figuring out how to draw a spaceship that didn’t look like a potato.

It’s a pared-down version of the full Dezaemon games (Japan got all the cool Satellaview stuff), but there’s still something magical about building your own little bullet-hell mess. Half the fun is seeing how janky your creations turn out before you fine-tune them. If you’ve ever wondered what game design felt like in the ‘90s—complete with cryptic menus and pixel-perfect frustration—this is your time capsule.

Fair warning: it’s niche as hell, but if you love tinkering with retro tech, you’ll probably lose an afternoon to it.