Mario Legends I - The Spectral Room is one of those weird, obscure SNES gems that feels like it got lost in time. You start off in this eerie, half-faded castle—like someone left Mario in a haunted painting. The controls are classic platforming, but the vibe is way darker than your usual Mushroom Kingdom romp. Ghosts float around, platforms flicker in and out, and the music? Creepy in the best way.

First time I played, I got stuck for way too long on a puzzle where you have to bounce off invisible blocks. Turns out the game loves messing with you like that—expect a lot of "wait, how was I supposed to know that?" moments. But when it clicks, it’s weirdly satisfying. Feels like a forgotten beta of a Mario game that got mixed up with Castlevania.

If you’re into offbeat retro platformers with a spooky twist, this one’s worth digging up.