Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road

Pattern recognition

Seeing the loop before it loops. Stop playing to survive for one run. Play to describe: say out loud what the boss does, in order.

Hand-eye coordination

Thumbs that do what your eyes saw. Play one level with a rule: no panic presses. Every button has a reason.

Keeping your cool

Calm hands when it all goes wrong. When you feel the grip tighten on the pad, notice it. Loosen your hands on purpose. That is the whole drill.