Fire Emblem: Matthew’s Nightmare is one of those GBA gems that hooks you fast—especially if you love tactical RPGs where every move matters. You start off as Matthew, a thief with a rough past, and right away, the game throws you into tense battles where positioning and unit matchups make or break your strategy. Mess up, and someone’s permanently gone—no take-backs.

The story’s got that classic Fire Emblem drama: betrayals, reluctant alliances, and a few moments where you’ll actually yell at your GBA screen. The supports between characters are great too—pairing Matthew with certain allies unlocks some surprisingly deep backstory. And yeah, the difficulty spikes are real, but in that satisfying "I finally figured it out" way.

If you’ve played other Fire Emblem games, you’ll recognize the grid-based combat, but this one’s got its own flavor with fog-of-war maps and some brutal late-game ambushes. Just don’t get too attached to your entire team.