Phantom 2040 on SNES is one of those weird, underrated cyberpunk gems that somehow slipped under the radar back in the day. You play as the latest Phantom—basically a high-tech vigilante—in this grimy future city controlled by a mega-corp called Maximum Inc. The vibe is pure 90s dystopia: neon-lit streets, weird cyborg enemies, and this cool grappling hook mechanic that lets you swing around like Spider-Man if he wore a trench coat.

What I love is how it mixes platforming with light RPG elements—you get to choose different paths through the story, and some decisions actually change how things play out. The first time I played, I accidentally skipped a whole weapon upgrade because I took the wrong elevator. Combat’s a bit clunky at first, but once you get the hang of chaining moves together, pulling off combos feels surprisingly smooth for a 16-bit game.

It’s got that classic "trial and error" difficulty where you’ll die a lot figuring out enemy patterns, but the checkpoint system is merciful. And the soundtrack? Absolute synth bangers that still get stuck in my head. If you’re into retro cyberpunk or just want something different from the usual SNES platformers, this one’s worth digging up.