Man, Wonder Boy III – Monster Lair is one of those weird, fun Genesis games that doesn’t get enough love. You start off running and jumping like a typical platformer, but then—bam—it suddenly turns into a side-scrolling shooter halfway through the level. Weird combo, but it works.

The first thing you’ll notice is how bright and colorful everything is—giant smiling pumpkins, bouncing mushrooms, and these little dragonfly enemies that dive at you in patterns. The music’s got that classic Sega charm too, all bouncy and upbeat even when you’re getting swarmed.

It’s tougher than it looks, though. You’ve got this fruit meter that constantly drains, so you’re always scrambling to grab apples or melons before you starve. And the bosses? Some of them fill the whole screen. I still remember the first time I hit the underwater level and panicked because the controls flip when you’re swimming.

If you’re into old-school games that mix genres in weird ways, this one’s a hidden gem.