Summon Night: Craft Sword Monogatari 2 is one of those GBA hidden gems—a mix of tactical RPG and weapon crafting that somehow just works. You start off picking your main character (I went with the blacksmith kid because, well, forging swords sounded cool), and before long you're diving into grid-based battles where positioning actually matters.

The crafting system is surprisingly deep for a GBA title—you gather materials mid-battle, then tweak stats and elemental properties back at your workshop. First time I made a flaming broadsword that also healed me? Felt like a genius. The story's got that classic JRPG charm too, with summon spirits and rival crafters popping up between missions.

It's Japan-only, but the fan translation makes it totally playable. If you like Fire Emblem but wish it had more tinkering with gear, this one's right up your alley.