DX Bakenou Z is one of those Game Boy gems that somehow flew under the radar back in the day. You start off with this little character who can transform into different creatures—samurai, ninja, even a weird bird thing—and each form handles completely differently. The first time I played, I kept getting wrecked by the second stage until I realized the ninja's double jump was the way to go.

The pixel art still holds up surprisingly well, with these chunky, colorful sprites that pop against the dark backgrounds. And the music? That tinny Game Boy soundtrack somehow gets stuck in your head for days. It's tougher than most platformers from that era too—some of those later stages feel almost cruel until you memorize the enemy patterns.

If you dig obscure retro games with weird mechanics, this one's a trip. Just don't throw your Game Boy across the room when the final boss wrecks you for the tenth time.