Sangokushi II on the Genesis is one of those games that looks simple at first—just a map of ancient China with tiny armies moving around—but give it 10 minutes and suddenly you're deep in the weeds of diplomacy, troop movements, and resource management. I remember booting it up expecting a straightforward war game and instead getting this weirdly addictive mix of chess and political backstabbing.

The portraits of the warlords have that classic 16-bit charm, and the music nails that "epic but slightly melancholic" Three Kingdoms vibe. At first I kept losing battles because I didn’t realize how much terrain mattered—turns out sending cavalry into mountains is a terrible idea. Once you get the hang of it, there’s something satisfying about slowly outmaneuvering rival factions, even if the AI occasionally pulls some nonsense moves.

It’s not for everyone—the menus are dense and the pacing can feel slow—but if you’re into historical strategy games, this one’s got a unique flavor. Just don’t trust Liu Bei’s smile.