Mystic Defender is one of those Genesis action games that doesn't get enough love. You play as Joe Yamato, this sorcerer dude who's basically the only thing standing between Earth and some ancient evil god named Zao. The magic system's actually pretty cool—you start with basic fireballs, but later you're slinging lightning and summoning tornadoes like some kind of wizard superhero.

What I dig about it is how it mixes swordplay with spells—you're constantly switching between melee and ranged attacks depending on the enemies. Some levels throw these weird, almost psychedelic backgrounds at you too, which was wild for a Genesis game. The boss fights? Absolute chaos in the best way. Just don't expect it to hold your hand—some of those later stages get brutal.

If you liked SpellCaster (its prequel), this one cranks everything up a notch. It's got that classic '90s Sega vibe—fast, flashy, and just a little bit janky in that charming way.