May was relatively light on gaming. Travel, work and other hobbies got in the way. I still managed to squeeze in a few games, starting with my favorite:
Gunstar Heroes (1993 Sega Mega Drive)
Gunstar Heroes is one of those games whose reputation precedes it. Developed a studio founded by former Konami developers, it is often mentioned whenever people discuss the best action games on the Mega Drive. After finally playing it, I can see why.
At first glance it looks like a traditional run-and-gun, think Contra or Metal Slug, but it quickly starts bending the rules. Characters can punch and throw enemies, jump far higher than genre conventions would suggest, and combine weapons to create entirely new ones. Like Mega Man, it even allows players to choose the order in which stages are tackled.
What impressed me most is how relentlessly creative the game is. One level is a horizontal shooter, another is vertical, another plays with gravity, and one memorable stage allows the player to reverse gravity entirely. Every time I thought I understood what the game was doing, it introduced a new twist.
The presentation has also aged remarkably well. The sprites are large and expressive, the soundtrack is excellent, and the backgrounds are packed with little visual details that make the world feel alive. Even the humor lands surprisingly well, mostly through animation and visual gags rather than dialogue.
My only real criticism is the interface. The menus and text graphics have not aged nearly as gracefully as the rest of the game and feel noticeably rough today. Other than that, I struggle to find much to complain about.
Thunder Force II (1989 Sega Mega Drive)
Thunder Force II occupies an interesting place in history. It was part of the Sega Genesis launch lineup in North America and was itself an adaptation of an earlier Thunder Force game. Looking back at it today feels a bit like looking at an early draft of ideas that would later define the shoot-'em-up genre.
What makes it stand out is its structure. Instead of being a pure side-scrolling shooter, the game alternates between top-down exploration stages and traditional horizontal stages. The objective is to locate and destroy enemy bases from above before advancing to a more conventional boss encounter.
I found myself appreciating the design more than I expected. Enemy placement is smart, the levels require careful routing, and the overall gameplay loop is simple but satisfying. The bosses are memorable and provide a nice payoff to each mission.
That said, the game's age is impossible to ignore. The visuals were probably impressive in 1989 but feel fairly bland today, and many of the weapons seem significantly less useful than others, making experimentation less rewarding than it should be.
I had fun with it for a couple of weeks. It's brutally difficult and I'm not convinced I'll ever finish it, but I don't regret the time spent with it.
Klonoa 2: Empire of Dreams (2001 Game Boy Advance)
Before playing this, I assumed Klonoa was primarily a platforming series. While that's technically true, Empire of Dreams is just as much a puzzle game as it is a platformer.
Most of the challenge comes from figuring out how to manipulate gravity, enemy positioning and conditional double-jumps in order to reach specific objectives. The puzzles are clever without becoming frustrating, and the level design consistently introduces new ideas throughout the adventure.
What really carries the experience, however, is the movement. Klonoa feels fantastic to control. Grabbing enemies and chaining them into absurdly long jumps gives me an almost superhero-like sense of mobility. Simply moving through the levels is enjoyable.
The music, unfortunately, never clicked with me. That's rare. I usually find something to appreciate in a game's soundtrack, but this may be one of the few games where I was genuinely tempted to play on mute.
The story also did very little for me. It's functional, but barely. If you're here for the puzzles and platforming, you won't be missing much by skipping the cutscenes.
FIFA Street 2 (2006 PSP)
I only spent time with the single-player "build your team" mode, but even from that limited exposure it's obvious what FIFA Street 2 was designed for: two players sitting next to each other trying to embarrass one another with ridiculous tricks.
The controls are a little stiff at first, though I adjusted to them fairly quickly. Once everything clicks, the game's personality takes over. The exaggerated showmanship, flashy animations and over-the-top attitude feel quintessentially EA Big. Half the fun comes from how seriously the game refuses to take itself.
I couldn't help comparing it to Super Mario Strikers. Both games care less about accurately simulating a sport and more about creating memorable moments.
I don't think I'd recommend it as a solo experience. As a multiplayer curiosity, however, it's a fascinating time capsule of mid-2000s gaming culture. If you have a friend willing to play alongside you, it's absolutely worth a look.
