Golden Sun on the GBA is one of those RPGs that just sticks with you. You start off as this quiet kid in a sleepy village, and before long, you're thrown into this wild adventure where ancient magic and giant floating boulders are just... normal. The world feels alive—every town has its own little drama, and the puzzles? Some of them actually make you stop and think, which is rare for handheld games.

The Djinn system is what really makes battles interesting. You collect these little elemental spirits that can boost your stats or unleash crazy summons, and figuring out which combinations work best is half the fun. (Pro tip: don’t sleep on Mercury Djinn—they’re sneaky good.) And the music? Still slaps. That overworld theme plays in my head randomly.

It’s got that perfect mix of classic JRPG charm and just enough depth to keep you glued to your GBA screen way past bedtime. If you missed this one back in the day, it’s aged surprisingly well.