Final Fantasy IV on the SNES is one of those games that just sticks with you. Right from the start, you're thrown into this wild mix of betrayal, redemption, and airships—classic Final Fantasy stuff, but way more intense than earlier entries. The characters actually feel like people, not just party slots to fill. Cecil’s whole dark knight-to-paladin arc? Still hits hard.

The Active Time Battle system keeps fights snappy—no waiting around for turns, just quick decisions and watching those little gauges fill. Some of the difficulty spikes are brutal (looking at you, Mist Dragon), but it’s the kind of game where losing makes you rethink your whole strategy instead of just grinding. And that soundtrack? Uematsu at his best.

If you’ve only played modern RPGs, the pixel art and simple menus might feel dated, but there’s a reason this one’s considered a classic. It holds up.