Esper Dream 2 is one of those weird little Famicom RPGs that never made it outside Japan—which is a shame, because it’s got this offbeat charm. You play as a kid with psychic powers (the "esper" part), running around towns and dungeons, blasting enemies with mind bullets instead of swords. The first game was rough, but this one smooths out some of the jank.

Right away, you’ll notice the sprites are chunkier and more colorful than the original, and the controls feel less stiff. The psychic combat’s still a bit odd—you hold a button to charge your attack, then release to fire—but once you get the timing down, it’s weirdly satisfying. There’s also this weird mix of action and light RPG stuff, like upgrading your powers or talking to NPCs who give you cryptic hints. Not gonna lie, some of the dungeon layouts are confusing as hell, but that’s part of the charm.

If you’re into obscure NES-era action RPGs, this one’s a neat little time capsule.