Phantasy Star on the Sega Master System was way ahead of its time—this wasn’t just another generic 8-bit RPG. Right from the start, you’re thrown into this weirdly futuristic fantasy world with spaceships and laser guns alongside swords and magic. The first-person dungeons? Brutal. You’ll be scribbling maps on graph paper like some kind of medieval cartographer.

What really got me was the story—way more dialogue and character than most games back then. You play as Alis, out for revenge against this tyrannical ruler, and the whole thing feels surprisingly personal. The combat’s simple but satisfying, and the sprite animations for special attacks actually looked cool for 1987.

It’s janky by modern standards, sure, but you can see why this spawned a whole series. Just don’t expect to finish it without a walkthrough or a lot of patience.