Metal Max Returns is one of those weird, grimy SNES RPGs that somehow makes driving a tank through a wasteland feel oddly cozy. You start by picking a beat-up vehicle (I went with the sand-colored one that looked like it survived a war—because it probably did) and immediately get thrown into fights against mutant scorpions and bandits in armored trucks.

The best part? You can strip parts off wrecked enemies and bolt them onto your own ride. My first "upgrade" was a machine gun I ripped off some poor sap's jeep, which immediately made battles way less terrifying. The world's full of weird little towns where people sell questionable upgrades ("reinforced treads, only slightly used!") and give you shady side jobs. One guy paid me in grenades to clear out a cave full of giant rats—classic post-apocalyptic freelancing.

It’s janky in that very 90s way, but there’s something addictive about slowly turning your scrap heap into a death machine. Just watch out for the random encounters—sometimes you roll up on a tank three times your size and have to nope out fast. The English patch makes it way easier to actually understand what’s happening, which helps when you’re debating whether to install that suspiciously cheap flamethrower.