Franklin’s Great Adventure is one of those GBA hidden gems—a quirky little platformer with a samurai twist. You play as Franklin, a tiny warrior who’s way more agile than he looks, slashing through enemies with quick sword combos and bouncing off walls like a ninja. The pixel art’s got this rough-but-charming style, and the controls are tight enough that you’ll actually feel cool pulling off mid-air dodges.

First level drops you right into a bamboo forest, dodging arrows and slicing up bandits. Took me a minute to get the timing down for counterattacks, but once it clicks, the combat’s weirdly satisfying. There’s even a goofy power-up system where you collect scrolls to unlock new moves—I went straight for the double jump because, well, who doesn’t want a double jump?

Definitely feels like a game that got overshadowed back in the day, but it’s got way more personality than most licensed GBA titles. If you’re into short-but-sweet retro action, this one’s worth dusting off.