Play Exerion (Japan) Online

Exerion came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1983, published by Jaleco. It was one of those early NES shooters that felt both familiar and a little different from the pack, with a visual style that leaned into smooth parallax scrolling at a time when many games still scrolled in rigid chunks.

You pilot a small, nimble ship through waves of enemy formations, firing two types of shots: a rapid but weak standard shot, or a slower, more powerful charged shot that requires careful timing. The main goal is simply to survive as long as possible, clearing each stage by destroying all enemies while dodging their return fire and occasional kamikaze dives. The pace is relentless, and the hitbox feels unforgiving; one touch ends your run. It demands quick reflexes and pattern recognition, and when everything clicks, there's a real sense of threading a needle through sheer chaos.