Cross Hunter: Monster Hunter Version is one of those Game Boy Color gems that somehow flew under the radar back in the day. You start off in this little pixelated village where the elder hands you a rusty sword and basically says "good luck out there." The first monster you fight? A giant boar that keeps charging at you like it's got a personal vendetta—took me three tries to figure out the dodge timing.

The sprites have that classic chunky charm, and the combat's surprisingly deep for a GBC title. You can switch between swords, bows, and even traps if you're feeling sneaky. Found myself grinding for better gear almost immediately because that first boss wrecked me so hard. The music's got that nostalgic bleep-bloop quality, but it somehow works when you're creeping through dark forests hunting weird creatures.

It's not perfect—the translation's a bit rough in spots, and some of the monster designs look like the artist had too much coffee—but there's something weirdly satisfying about taking down a three-story-tall scorpion with a sword that's basically a butter knife. If you still have a working Game Boy Color lying around, this one's worth dusting off.