Released in 1990, Fatal Labyrinth for the SEGA Genesis is notable for being one of the earliest—if not the first—rogue-like RPGs made in Japan.

It was well-loved in its day. And it still has a cult-like following.

But having played so many games in this genre of the years, I don’t like it.

The movement is slow and plodding. There are too many unfair deaths. And dealing with inventory is a straight-up pain in the ass.

On the Genesis, this must have felt unique because there was truly nothing like it. But having played the original Rogue—which was released 10 years earlier on Unix—I’d rather play Rogue despite the simplistic monochrome graphics.

And the other truth is, rogue-likes have only got better. Steam is full of great titles. My personal favourite is Spelunky, which might be the best game ever made in the genre.

However, Fatal Labyrinth is rough. If you’re looking for a hidden gem in the Genesis library, this is not it.