Oriental Blue is one of those GBA RPGs that flew under the radar but absolutely shouldn’t have. It’s part of the Tengai Makyou universe, but don’t expect the usual goofy humor—this one’s got a darker, more grounded story with samurai, demons, and some surprisingly tough choices.

You start off picking between two protagonists (I went with the swordsman first—bad idea, his early fights are brutal) and get thrown into this lush, feudal Japan-inspired world. The sprites are gorgeous for a GBA game, and the combat’s got this cool "see the future" mechanic where you can preview attack outcomes before committing. Saves a lot of headaches when you’re up against some of the trickier bosses.

It’s got that old-school JRPG grind, but the writing and atmosphere make it worth it. Just don’t expect a happy-go-lucky adventure—things get pretty heavy once the demonic conspiracies kick in.