Defender of the Crown is one of those NES games that feels like a medieval sandbox before sandbox games were even a thing. You start off as this noble Saxon knight teaming up with Robin Hood (yes, that Robin Hood) to raid Norman castles and steal back gold for the peasants. The map’s this chunky, colorful version of Britain, and you just ride around picking fights, sieging castles, and watching little pixel armies clash.

At first, I had no idea what I was doing—do I recruit more archers? Train knights? Just go full berserker and charge every castle? Turns out, a mix of cavalry and archers works best, but half the fun is figuring it out as you go. The jousting mini-game is janky but weirdly satisfying once you get the timing down.

Controls are simple—arrows to move, Z/X for attacks—but the real charm is in the chaos of leading your ragtag army against the Normans. If you’re into old-school strategy with a side of sword-swinging, this one’s a hidden gem. Just don’t expect it to hold your hand.