Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars is one of those weird little GBA spinoffs that somehow works. It’s not a straight-up action game like the console Z.O.E. titles—instead, it’s a tactical RPG with grid-based battles, which sounds bizarre until you realize the mechs still feel surprisingly nimble for turn-based combat.

You start off piloting a stolen Orbital Frame (because of course you do), and the story throws you right into a rebellion against Earth’s oppressive government. The writing’s a bit melodramatic in that classic early 2000s anime way, but the tactical fights are solid—positioning matters, and some frames straight-up cheat with teleporting attacks. The sprite work’s decent for the GBA, though explosions look more like pixelated confetti.

It’s definitely the black sheep of the series, but if you’re into mechs and don’t mind grid-based strategy, it’s a fun oddity. Just don’t expect another Z.O.E. 2.