Defender of the Crown on GBA is this weird little medieval mash-up—part strategy, part action, all janky charm. You start off picking a knight (I always go Saxon because, well, axes), and then it’s this mix of moving units around a Risk-style map and sudden bursts of action. One minute you’re planning troop movements, the next you’re mashing buttons in a jousting match where the physics feel like your horse is made of rubber.

The sword fights are clunky but weirdly satisfying once you get the timing down, and the castle sieges? Nothing like flinging a catapult shot and watching the pixelated explosion. It’s not polished, but there’s something about the way it throws everything at the wall—diplomacy, raids, even rescuing princesses—that makes it hard to put down. Just don’t expect it to play fair.