Xevious

If you’re looking for the game that truly ignited the shooting game craze in Japan, Xevious is the undisputed heavyweight champion. When this Namco masterpiece hit the Famicom in 1984, it was a technical revelation, bringing the arcade’s revolutionary "Solvalou" fighter and its legendary hidden secrets right into Japanese living rooms. It’s famous for being one of the first vertical shooters to feature distinct ground and air targets, forcing you to master the dual-action of zapping ships while bombing the mysterious "Andor Genesis" motherships. With its iconic, rhythmic soundtrack and those unmistakable Nazca-style ground patterns, this silver-labeled cartridge is a quintessential piece of Famicom DNA that belongs on every serious collector's shelf.