Defenders of Oasis

Searching for an epic JRPG on a pocket console from 1992 sounds like a fool's errand — unless, of course, you reach for Defenders of Oasis. This Game Gear title dared to offer something handhelds of the time provided only rarely: a genuine story-driven adventure with role-playing elements, and set in exotic scenery to boot.

The adventure builds on an atmosphere in the spirit of the Arabian Nights. Instead of the usual medieval fantasy, it takes you into a desert world of genies, where an Oriental flavor radiates and the storytelling draws on Arabic fairy-tale motifs. That gives the game a distinctive visual and thematic character that sets it apart from most contemporary genre output.

Mechanically it's a classic JRPG of its day: progressing through a story, battles, character development and world exploration. On the 8-bit Game Gear, dominated by shorter action and platforming titles, it was an ambitious choice — squeezing an experience that would keep players busy for a longer stretch onto a small screen and into limited memory took real courage and craft.

The game was released under Sega's banner and is prized today mainly as one of the few truly epic role-playing titles on the platform. For genre fans who wanted more than quick action on the road in the 1990s, it offered a rare chance to sink into a story straight from your pocket.

It isn't the best-known JRPG of its generation and stands rather apart from the big console classics. Precisely for that reason, though, it's a good tip for anyone who loves uncovering overlooked treasures and is curious about just what the pocket consoles of that era could pull off.

Why play: A rarely epic JRPG on the Game Gear with the atmosphere of the Arabian Nights — for genre fans looking for a story straight from their pocket.