The Great Battle III is one of those SNES games that somehow flew under the radar but absolutely shouldn’t have. You start off picking from four weirdly awesome characters—a cyborg, a robot, a ninja, and this dude with a drill arm—and immediately realize this isn’t your typical side-scroller. The first level throws you into a chaotic mix of shooting, platforming, and melee combat, and somehow it all just works.

What really sticks with me is how each character feels completely different. The ninja’s fast but fragile, the cyborg’s got this satisfying charge shot, and the drill guy? Yeah, he’s as ridiculous as he sounds, in the best way. The sprites are chunky and colorful, and the music’s got that classic SNES energy—synth trumpets and all.

It’s not perfect—some of the hit detection is a little wonky, and later levels get brutal—but that’s part of the charm. If you’re into retro action games with personality, this one’s still a blast decades later.