Ah, Pirates of Dark Water—one of those SNES games that makes you wish the cartoon had gotten more love. It’s a side-scroller where you play as Ren, swinging your sword through waves of weird, squid-faced pirates and dodging traps in jungles that look like they’re straight out of the show. The animation’s actually pretty smooth for its time, and the music nails that adventurous, slightly eerie vibe.

First few minutes? You’re hacking through enemies, jumping over pits, and figuring out the timing for those annoying bird creatures that dive at you. The controls take a second to get used to—Ren’s sword swing feels a little slow at first, but once you get the rhythm, it’s satisfying. And yeah, the difficulty spikes fast, so don’t be surprised if you die a few times before the first boss.

Fun fact: The game follows the show’s plot loosely, but even if you never watched it, the atmosphere alone makes it worth a play. Just don’t expect a deep story—this is pure, chaotic pirate action with a side of nostalgia.