Eltale Monsters is one of those N64 hidden gems that never got the hype it deserved. You start off in this weird little village where some old dude hands you a monster egg—no explanation, just "here, deal with this." Next thing you know, you're wandering through forests and caves with your weird little creature, bumping into wild monsters that either want to fight or run away screaming.

The battles feel like a mix of Pokémon and a tactical RPG, but with way jankier animations (it is an N64 game, after all). Some of the monster designs are genuinely cool—there’s this one that’s basically a floating sword with eyes, and I kept it on my team the whole time. The story’s nothing groundbreaking, but there’s something charming about how low-stakes it all feels. You’re just some kid collecting monsters and occasionally stopping a vague evil plot.

If you dig weird, slightly rough-around-the-edges RPGs from this era, it’s worth a look. Just don’t expect it to hold your hand.