Usually, if people were to think of video games based on Marvel's Punisher, they probably either think of the violent Xbox/PS2 game or Capcom's awesome arcade game that got ported to the Genesis. However, in spite of the horror AVGN fans might display in over the top fashion, the LJN published NES Punisher game is actually pretty fun in its own right.
I mean, this might not be Garth Ennis' gritty reinvisioning of the character, but it is still very much the punisher taking down thugs and supervillains in cold blood with bullets. It's a cursor shooter in a style not entirely unlike Cabal or 'Nam 1975, but with a larger, less mobile player character who compensates with a generous life bar. Enemies pop up and run across scrolling shooting gallery stages that remind me of Gotcha!, with henchmen and thugs shooting at you with increasing intensity as the game progresses. There are powerups such as extra clips, body armor, rocket launchers, heavy machine guns, etc. that you get from killing enemies and destroying scenery, as much of the backgrounds are destructible, and bonus stages that can be found by blowing open manholes, subways, and more, which are teeming with goodies. You can also collect copies of the Daily Bugle, which offer hints and tips.
You choose from several cases, and at the end of each you'll have a one on one boss fight with prominent members of the Punisher's rogues' gallery like Jigsaw. Kill them, and a nice bleeding RIP appears over their portrait. Neat! Then, choose your next hit.
I truly enjoy the Punisher, both from fondness for the character and execution of the game. Sure, the enemy sprites are a little drab and the music is sparse, but the backgrounds convey a cool nighttime atmosphere and the game pulls no punches as to what the Punisher does. These cursor shooters are also basically extinct now, lost forever to the clicking of mice. It's a fun silver age throwback with arcade sensibilities and fair challenge.
Have you killed a crime boss in 8 bits lately?