Rampart on SNES is one of those weird little gems that somehow makes castle-building and cannon fire feel frantic. You start by picking a territory—I always go for the islands because the water slows enemies down—then scramble to rebuild your walls between waves of attacks. Mess up the placement, and you’ll leave gaps for ships to sail right through.

The real tension comes after the battle, when you’ve got like 30 seconds to patch up your defenses while the AI picks its next target. Half the time I’m just frantically slapping walls anywhere, praying they connect. And the cannon aiming? Brutal. You’ll swear you lined up the perfect shot, only to watch it sail harmlessly over an enemy galley.

It’s janky in that very specific 16-bit way, but once you get the rhythm—build, fight, panic-repeat—it’s weirdly satisfying. Just don’t expect the AI to play fair.