Play Midnight Resistance Online

Midnight Resistance came out for the Sega Genesis in 1991, published by Data East. It was part of that wave of arcade-style shooters that felt right at home on the system, offering a straightforward run-and-gun experience without a lot of the fuss you saw in other games from that time.

You control a lone soldier whose family has been kidnapped, and your mission is to fight through a heavily fortified enemy compound to rescue them. The game uses a screen by screen progression, locking you into an area until you clear out all the enemies. Its most memorable feature is the rotating joystick control, which lets you aim your weapon in a full 360 degrees while still moving independently. You also collect keys from defeated enemies to unlock special weapon caches, upgrading your firepower with options like a flamethrower or a spread shot. The pacing is fast and the difficulty is pretty relentless, with enemies and traps coming from all directions. It feels tense and demanding, forcing you to constantly adjust your aim and watch your positioning.