Guardian Heroes

When you pour RPG progression, a branching story, three planes of combat and a six-player mode where you beat each other up into a beat 'em up, you get Guardian Heroes — one of the most packed titles that ever came out on the Saturn. Behind this 1996 game stands the studio Treasure, creators renowned for their ability to cram more ideas into a single game than the competition puts into a whole series, and Guardian Heroes is a shining proof of that.

The foundation is a classic side-scrolling brawler, but Treasure immediately enriched it with a system of experience and character upgrades, so you strengthen your heroes over the course of the game as in an RPG. The battlefield is divided into three planes between which you freely hop to avoid enemies or, conversely, to surround them — which gives the fights unexpected depth and spatiality. Add a mysterious animated skeleton that helps you, and a hectic alternation of attacks, magic and defense.

The biggest draw, however, is the branching story with many different endings. Your decisions over the course of the game change where the plot goes and whom you meet, which dramatically boosts the motivation to play again and again. Few beat 'em ups of the era offered such variability — and few dared to experiment so much with genre boundaries.

When the campaign is exhausted, a superb versus mode awaits you, one that handles up to six players and into which an incredible number of characters from across the whole game are unlocked. Guardian Heroes thus becomes a party hit and a solo challenge in one package — a combination that secured its firm cult status.

Thanks to this density, inventiveness and typical Treasure craftsmanship, Guardian Heroes remains to this day among the most frequently mentioned gems of the Saturn library and among the games that make fans remember the console fondly.

Why play: It is a beat 'em up packed with RPG depth, a branching story and insane multiplayer — the essence of why Treasure is a legend.