ActRaiser is one of those weird, brilliant SNES games that shouldn’t work but totally does. You play as this god-like "Master" who splits time between two completely different modes: hacking through side-scrolling monster-filled levels with a sword, then switching to an overhead city-builder where you guide tiny villagers to expand their towns.

The action bits feel like a tighter Castlevania—jumping between platforms, dodging projectiles, that sort of thing. Then suddenly you’re in god mode, zapping down obstacles with lightning so your little followers can build houses and farms. It’s oddly satisfying watching them thrive after you clear out the monsters.

Also, that soundtrack? Absolute banger. Yuzo Koshiro went hard on the synth.