Ancient Ys Vanished Omen is one of those old-school RPGs that somehow still feels fresh—probably because it throws you straight into the action. You play as Adol, this red-haired swordsman who washes up on a mysterious island, and within minutes, you're hacking through monsters and uncovering ancient secrets. The combat’s simple but satisfying—just bump into enemies to attack—and the music? Absolute bangers, even on the Master System’s tinny sound chip.

It’s short for an RPG, maybe 6-8 hours if you take your time, but that just means no filler. The dungeons are tight, the bosses actually feel epic, and there’s this weird charm to how everything’s just slightly janky in that classic 8-bit way. If you’ve got a soft spot for retro adventures, this one’s a hidden gem.