Play Tetsuwan Atom (Japan) Online

I picked up Tetsuwan Atom for the NES back in 1988, a Konami release that came out during a time when licensed games were often hit or miss. It's based on the Astro Boy anime, and it feels very much like a product of its era, with bright colors and straightforward action platforming. You don't hear about it as much as some other titles from that year, but it has a certain charm if you're into that late 80s Japanese aesthetic.

You control Atom, flying and running through side scrolling stages, punching and shooting energy beams at various robotic enemies. The main goal is to advance through each level, defeating bosses and rescuing people to progress the story. The gameplay involves a lot of screen by screen combat, with some light exploration for hidden items or alternate paths. The pacing is fairly quick, though the difficulty can spike unexpectedly in later stages, especially with some of the precision platforming required. It feels like a solid, if occasionally unforgiving, arcade style action game from that period.