Genre: Platformer

Developer: Natsume
Publisher: Jaleco
Year: 1991

Basic Idea: Shatter shit with your hands.

Review: A game I had never heard of until I began this countdown, this is an exceptional platformer I’d probably rate higher if I owned it as a kid and had the chance to obsess over it.  The concept is really basic.  Destroy everyone with your cybernetic hands.  The power-up is a floating robot that attacks (exceptionally well) when you do, and this robot has eight different attacks depending on what you collect.  The game is very, very difficult, but fair.

More than that, though, the execution is superb.  The layered graphics are gorgeous and the soundtrack always seems to fit the mood perfectly.  The level designs themselves are a little pedestrian; as such, the game may not be as memorable as others.  But it’s hard not to enjoy yourself while playing.