Play Last Starfighter, The Online

Game Overview

Man, The Last Starfighter on NES takes me back. You know that scene in the movie where Alex gets yanked from his trailer park into space? Yeah, this game lets you live that—complete with chunky 8-bit explosions and that weirdly satisfying NES pew-pew laser sound. At first, the controls feel stiff (like most NES shooters), but after a few crashes into alien swarms, you start nailing those tight turns between asteroid fields.

The Kodan Armada throws everything at you—ships that split into smaller ships, homing missiles that zigzag like drunk bees, and these obnoxious turrets that always seem to hit you when you're reloading. Your Gunstar has this neat weapon-swap gimmick where you cycle through lasers, spread shots, and something called "Death Blossom" (which, let's be real, is just a fancy name for spraying bullets everywhere). It's not Gradius-level polished, but there's something about blasting through waves of enemies while that synth-heavy soundtrack kicks in that just works.

Fair warning: it's tough as nails by level 3. I still haven't beaten it without cheating. But if you dig retro shooters or have a soft spot for the movie, it's worth dusting off your NES for this one. Just don't throw your controller when the final boss cheap-shots you.