Shining Force is one of those classic Sega Genesis RPGs that still holds up—if you don’t mind the old-school grid battles and chunky sprites. You start off leading a ragtag group of warriors, mages, and weird little creatures (centaurs? bird people?) against an ancient evil trying to crawl back into the world. The story’s pretty straightforward—bad guy wants to resurrect worse guy, you’ve got to stop him—but the charm is in the fights.

Battles play out on these grid maps where positioning matters way more than you’d think at first. Archers snipe from the back, knights charge in, and healers scramble to keep everyone alive. I remember getting wrecked early on because I just rushed everyone forward like an idiot. Pro tip: let the enemy come to you sometimes.

Between fights, you wander towns recruiting new allies, buying gear, and listening to that sweet Genesis synth soundtrack. It’s not as deep as later tactical RPGs, but there’s something satisfying about watching your team slowly turn into an unstoppable force. Just don’t expect Fire Emblem-level drama—this is pure 90s fantasy cheese, and I mean that in the best way.