Dragon Warrior II is that one NES RPG that'll test your patience in the best (and most brutal) way. You start as Midenhall's prince, getting hit with the classic "evil cult destroyed a kingdom, go assemble your cousins" quest. No spells, no fancy tricks—just you, some herbs, and a whole lot of random encounters.

Your party slowly comes together: first the Prince of Cannock, who's decent at everything but really shines when buffing your stats mid-battle. Then there's Moonbrooke's princess, who melts enemies with spells but folds like paper if anything breathes on her. The name thing is neat—your cousins' names shift based on what you pick at the start, which felt oddly personal for an 8-bit game.

Fair warning: this is the grind-heavy Dragon Quest. Even the remakes barely ease up. You'll wipe. A lot. But there's something satisfying about finally cracking Hargon's fortress after all those failed attempts. Just don't expect to finish it in a weekend.