Sigma Star Saga on the GBA is this weird, cool mix of top-down RPG and side-scrolling shooter—like someone mashed up Final Fantasy and Gradius. You start off as this pilot stranded on alien planets, talking to NPCs and digging into the story, but then suddenly you're blasting through space in your ship dodging bullets. The switch between modes keeps it from getting stale.

What I love is how the upgrades work—you find these "gun data" chips that totally change how your ship handles. Some make you overpowered, others are just bizarre (one turns your shots into bouncing fireballs?). The story gets surprisingly deep too, with betrayals and alien politics. Not bad for a little GBA cart.

It's got that early 2000s sci-fi vibe with chunky pixels and a synth soundtrack that somehow makes grinding for weapon parts feel epic. If you dig experimental hybrids, this one's still worth tracking down.