Virtual Wars on SNES is one of those weird little strategy gems that somehow flew under the radar back in the day. You start off with a handful of blocky little soldiers and some basic tanks, and suddenly you're sweating over whether to push forward or hold your ground. The pixel explosions are oddly satisfying when you nail a perfect ambush.

What I love is how deceptively simple it looks—until you realize the AI will absolutely wreck you if you just charge in blindly. Took me three tries just to clear the second mission because I kept underestimating how far those enemy rockets could reach. Pro tip: always scout ahead with infantry before moving your heavy units in.

The music’s got that classic SNES synth vibe too—all tense during enemy turns, then triumphant when you pull off a comeback. If you’re into tactical games but want something quicker than, say, Fire Emblem, this one’s a solid time capsule.