Pool of Radiance on NES is one of those old-school RPGs that feels like a proper dungeon crawl—if you can handle the clunky menus. You start by rolling up a party of four (I always go heavy on fighters because early-game wizards are basically glorified torch holders). The city of Phlan’s a mess—abandoned districts, monsters squatting in the ruins, and this creepy dragon-wannabe Tyranthraxus pulling the strings.

Combat’s turn-based grid stuff, which sounds simple until you realize positioning actually matters. That first fight against kobolds in the slums? Yeah, they’ll flank you if you’re not careful. The music’s got this weirdly tense vibe too, like a synth orchestra trapped in a dungeon. It’s janky by modern standards, but there’s something satisfying about clearing out a monster-infested block and watching Phlan slowly rebuild.

Just save often. The NES version has a habit of crashing at the worst possible moments.