Blue Crystal Rod is one of those obscure SNES gems that never made it out of Japan—which is a shame, because if you're into old-school dungeon crawlers with a twist, this one's got some weird charm. It's the fourth game in the Tower of Druaga series, but don't worry if you haven't played the others; you'll still get the hang of it fast.

You start off in this maze-like tower, armed with nothing but a sword and some seriously clunky controls (hey, it's 1994). The twist? You're not just hacking through monsters—you're solving puzzles, finding keys, and figuring out how to even reach the next floor. Some rooms straight-up trick you, like fake walls or enemies that only show up if you step in the wrong spot. Took me way too long to realize I had to lure a skeleton onto a switch just to open a door.

It's got that classic "die and retry" feel, but with enough secrets to keep you poking around. The music's surprisingly eerie too—those SNES synths do a lot of heavy lifting. Just don't expect a walk in the park; this one plays by its own rules.