Ever played one of those old-school beat 'em ups where you just pick a fighter and plow through waves of enemies? Shui Hu Feng Yun Zhuan is like that, but with a twist—you're leading a squad of rebels from Chinese folklore, each with their own fighting style. I went with the spear guy first, but honestly, the big dude with the twin axes stole the show for me.

The sprites are chunky in that satisfying Genesis way, and the backgrounds actually make you feel like you're storming through ancient villages and mountain passes. Some of the enemy designs are wild—expect armored brutes, acrobatic assassins, and these creepy guys who fight with giant calligraphy brushes (yeah, really).

What surprised me was how much strategy sneaks in between the button mashing. You've gotta manage your team's formations mid-fight, and some stages throw in these weird gimmicks like fighting on horseback or defending a bridge. Took me a few tries to stop getting wrecked by the first boss's fire attacks.

If you dig obscure 16-bit brawlers with personality, this one's got way more going on than your average Final Fight clone.