Rainbow Silkroad is one of those weird, charming NES games that slipped under the radar back in the day. You play as this little merchant traveling the Silk Road, buying and selling goods while fending off bandits—except everything’s bright, colorful, and way more cheerful than actual medieval trade routes.

At first, it feels like a simple shop sim, but then you realize towns have fluctuating prices, random events pop up (like your camel getting sick), and sometimes you just get straight-up robbed. The combat’s janky but weirdly satisfying once you get the timing down. I remember hoarding spices in one town just to sell them for triple the price somewhere else—felt like a genius until pirates stole half my cargo.

It’s got that classic NES quirkiness where nothing’s explained well, so you kinda stumble into strategies. Definitely a hidden gem if you’re into retro trade sims with a side of chaos.