Oh man, Tales of Phantasia on SNES—this was the one that started it all for the Tales series. You get thrown right into this fantasy world where magic and swords clash, and the combat? It's this weird mix of turn-based and real-time that somehow just works. The first time I played, I mashed buttons like crazy before realizing there's actual strategy to it.

The sprites are gorgeous for a 16-bit game, and that opening theme? Still gives me chills. It's got that classic JRPG feel—towns to explore, random battles that'll sneak up on you, and a story that starts simple but gets wild fast. Just don't expect a breezy playthrough; some of those boss fights will wreck you if you're not prepared.

Fun fact: This was one of the biggest SNES cartridges ever, packed with voice acting and a massive script. Pretty impressive for 1995.