Shin Megami Tensei - Devil Children Messiah Riser is one of those weird, niche GBA RPGs that never made it outside Japan—which is a shame, because it’s got that classic SMT vibe but streamlined for handheld play. You start off recruiting and fusing demons (of course), but the twist here is the whole "Devil Children" angle—less apocalyptic doom, more monster-collecting with a side of moral choices.

The battles are snappy, and the demon designs are as bizarre as ever—some look like rejected Power Rangers villains, others are just straight-up mythological nightmares. I spent way too long trying to fuse the perfect team before realizing half of them are useless against certain bosses. Classic Megaten pain.

If you’re into old-school dungeon crawlers with a side of demon management, this one’s a solid deep cut. Just don’t expect an English patch to hold your hand.