Final Fantasy IV Advance is one of those classic RPGs that still holds up—especially if you're into old-school storytelling with actual characters who feel like people. Right off the bat, you're thrown into Cecil's struggle as a dark knight questioning his orders, and the game doesn’t waste time before hitting you with betrayals, sacrifices, and some surprisingly emotional moments for a GBA title.

The ATB system (where enemies don’t politely wait their turn) keeps battles tense, and the pixel art has this weirdly cozy charm, even when you’re getting wrecked by random encounters. The Advance version adds some extra dungeons and tweaks, but honestly, I just keep coming back for that soundtrack. That overworld theme still slaps.

If you’ve never played an SNES-era Final Fantasy, this is a great place to start—just don’t expect modern conveniences like auto-saving or mercy from the difficulty spikes.