Hybrid Front is one of those weird, underrated tactical RPGs from the Genesis era that never made it outside Japan. You command a squad of mechs and soldiers in turn-based battles that feel like a mix between Fire Emblem and Front Mission—except with way more customization options than you'd expect from a 16-bit game.

First thing you'll notice? The sprites are chunky but full of personality, and the terrain actually matters—hills give you defense bonuses, forests slow you down. I spent way too long tweaking my loadouts before missions, swapping out armor and weapons for different units. The story's all in Japanese, but if you can deal with that (or find a translation guide), there's some surprisingly deep political drama going on.

It's not perfect—the AI sometimes makes baffling moves, and the difficulty spikes hard around the mid-game. But if you're into old-school strategy games with a sci-fi twist, this one's a hidden gem. Just be ready to save often.