Warlock on SNES is one of those classic 16-bit action-adventure games that somehow flew under the radar back in the day. You play as this robed spellcaster who basically walks into a room, gets swarmed by monsters, and has to frantically blast everything with fireballs before getting cornered. The magic system's simple but satisfying—hold the button to charge stronger spells, which becomes crucial when you're facing off against screen-filling bosses.

What I love is how unapologetically arcade-y it feels—no complicated RPG mechanics, just dodging, shooting, and trying not to get overwhelmed. The pixel art holds up surprisingly well, especially the spell effects and those creepy floating skull enemies. First time I played, I got wrecked by the second stage's minotaur because I kept panic-firing weak shots instead of timing charged attacks. Lesson learned.

It's not the deepest SNES game out there, but there's something addictive about mastering the rhythm of combat. You'll either love it for its straightforward challenge or bounce off hard when the difficulty spikes. Either way, that soundtrack slaps.