I didn't really enjoy my experience with this game but it's got great vibes and is a unique take on the point and click genre. Can only be experienced in English through a fan translated ROM.

Try it if:
- you have lots of patience and don't mind consulting a guide for optimal ways to grind
- you like animes by Hayao Miyazaki

My white whale. A so-bad-it's-good late-aughts meme time capsule from the guy behind the College Saga YouTube videos, I can't finish it because Mark is no longer distributing the game and its copy protection means my old copy doesn't work on my new computer.

Try it if:
- You can track down a copy (HUGE if!)
- You like movies like Gymkata and Kung Pow
- You've played so many good RPGs that you want to try a silly one for a change

Mostly-vanilla beat em up with a surprisingly-robust and sometimes-hilarious throwing mechanic.

Try it if:
- You like a simple game that doesn't take itself too seriously

A genre-defying adventure/RPG/sandbox hybrid. Of all the games I played in the 16-bit era this one felt the most like I was actually exploring an entire world.

Try it if:
- You can get past the garish graphics and old-game jank
- You like RPGs, old-school adventure games, or both

Actually takes place in ancient notJapan, which is surprisingly rather rare for JRPGs. Utilizes a very unique mechanic which triggers certain events based on real-world dates and times. Interesting, though it could make the game a bit more demanding on your real-world time. Can only be experienced in English through a fan-translated ROM.

Try it if:
- You're looking for an old-school RPG with good vibes and slightly tongue in cheek
- You have a flexible schedule

The gold-standard remake of one of my favorite NES games. Unfortunately only can be experienced in English through a fan-translated ROM.

Try it if:
- You have any interest in JRPGs at all. This is one of my favorites in the genre and a hard recommend!

One of my childhood games. I didn't like it at first but appreciated it more with age, thanks to its interesting and varied mission objectives and scenarios. Feels like a tabletop RPG at times.

Try it if:
- You enjoy tabletop RPGs for the combat and exploration (not necessarily for the RP)
- You enjoy 80s sci-fi and the tropes that come with it

It's Shining Force, but without the free-roaming in between battles that makes the series unique. YMMV on this one, but it's a very decent game.

Try it if:
- You've played other games in the Shining series and are interested to see a bit more worldbuilding
- You enjoy casual-difficulty tactical RPG battles and don't mind the loss of the free roaming sections.

A huge refinement on every previous game in the series. Customizable tech trees unique to every race, surprisingly dynamic AI, lots of options to play around with.

Try it if:
- You want to play a turn-based strategy game with budget knockoffs of Star Trek races
- Your computer can't run Galciv 3 (like me)

The title says it all. It tries to create nostalgia by invoking plenty of old tropes, and you'll either find it endearing or irritating.

Try it if:
- You've played lots of JRPGs and enjoy the genre as a whole.

Remember Ehrgeiz (that 3D fighting game with the FF7 characters)? This gives off really similar vibes but with more heart and in my opinion more refined mechanics. A fun diversion that's surprisingly fun in vs mode.

Try it if:
- You were excited by Ehrgeiz but underwhelmed by its gameplay

Very decent shooter where the devs got around the PSP's poor suitability as an FPS platform by giving you an auto-aim feature as well as an AI partner that does most of the heavy lifting for you

Try it if:
- You're a fan of the anime

Not so much the 'black sheep' as the 'turqoise platypus that smells of elderberries' of the series, its reputation is quite undeserved in my opinion.

Try it if:
- You're interested in experiencing more 90s-era fighting games
- You have a friend you can play a few rounds with (single-player experience isn't great)

Cool premise where you play survival horror from the other side, walking around creepy environments and killing off trespassers with deathtraps.

Try it if:
- The gameplay premise (attacking with traps instead of fighting directly) appeals to you
- You value atmosphere over story coherence

A "what might have been" - an arcade-style fighting game for PC players with features that could only have worked on PC, I feel this had the quality to rival the big fighting game franchises of the time, but it never quite gained enough traction to get big.

Try it if:
- You like classic fighting games
- You can get it to work on DOSBox