Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals is one of those DS games that somehow flew under the radar, which is a shame because it’s a solid action-RPG with a surprising amount of depth. You start off controlling Maxim (yep, the same hero from Lufia II) in real-time combat—no turn-based stuff here. Swinging swords feels weighty, and the puzzles actually make you stop and think instead of just mashing buttons.

The Sinistrals are back as the big bads, and the story’s got that classic JRPG melodrama, but the real star is the combat. You can switch between party members on the fly, each with their own skills—like Dekar’s brute strength or Selan’s magic. The dungeons mix platforming and puzzles in a way that keeps you moving, though some jumps can be annoyingly precise.

It’s not perfect—the camera occasionally fights you, and the difficulty spikes are real—but if you’re into action-RPGs with a bit of nostalgia, this one’s worth digging up. Just don’t expect a straight remake of the SNES games.