Rebelstar - Tactical Command is one of those GBA gems that flew under the radar back in the day. It's basically XCOM-lite with a slick sci-fi twist—you're leading a ragtag squad of rebels against alien invaders, one turn at a time. The grid-based combat feels tight, and I remember spending way too long agonizing over whether to flank that drone or hunker down behind cover.

What surprised me was how much personality the little sprites have—your squadmates actually banter between missions, which makes losing one sting way more than it should. The weapon loadouts are simple but satisfying, and those plasma rifles? Chef's kiss. Just don't expect deep base-building—this is pure tactical skirmishes with a surprisingly decent story for a GBA title.

Still holds up if you're into methodical, cover-heavy shootouts where positioning matters more than reflexes.