Ganbare Goemon Gaiden is one of those weird, charming NES spin-offs that never left Japan—which is a shame, because it’s a solid little action-RPG with that classic Goemon humor. You’re still playing as the blue-haired, pipe-smoking thief (though the golden pipe’s gone missing this time), but instead of the usual side-scrolling, it’s top-down with turn-based battles. Feels like a mix between Zelda and Dragon Quest, but with more random encounters involving sumo wrestlers and ninja.

The sprites are tiny but full of personality, and the dungeons have those classic NES “where the heck do I go next” moments. Pro tip: save your coins for better weapons early—those starting kiseru pipes don’t do much damage. It’s not as polished as the mainline Goemon games, but if you’re into quirky retro RPGs, this one’s a fun deep cut. Just expect some grinding and a lot of kanji if you don’t know Japanese.