Mega Man 5 (1992) is the comfort-food entry: gorgeous backgrounds, smooth play, and a familiar rhythm. The story twist this time has Proto Man (your old ally) seemingly turn villain — though, naturally, all is not what it seems.

Its signature hook is the hunt for Beat, a robotic bird helper you unlock only by collecting a hidden letter spelling MEGAMANV across the eight Robot Master stages. Miss one and you go back hunting.

Critics argue the series was running on autopilot by now. Maybe — but it's autopilot at a very high cruising altitude. A clean, confident NES action game.