Oh man, Sangokushi Retsuden on Genesis is one of those deep cuts from the '90s that never made it West. It's a turn-based strategy RPG set in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms era, but with way more personality than your typical historical sim.

You start by picking a warlord—Liu Bei, Cao Cao, or Sun Quan—and immediately get thrown into managing cities, recruiting officers, and fighting battles on this grid-based map. The sprites are tiny but charming, and there's something satisfying about watching your little army squares clash. Pro tip: don't ignore diplomacy early on unless you want three factions ganging up on you by summer.

What's cool is how it blends RPG elements with the grand strategy stuff. Your generals level up, get special abilities, and can even duel enemy commanders in these quick rock-paper-scissors style minigames. The music's got that classic Genesis FM synth sound too—all dramatic basslines and punchy percussion.

It's definitely dated by modern standards (good luck figuring out some mechanics without a guide), but there's a real depth here if you're into retro strategy games. Just expect to lose a few hours once you get hooked on conquering just one more province.