Play Arabian Nights - Sabaku no Seirei Ou (Japan) Online

Arabian Nights: Sabaku no Seirei Ou came out in 1996 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, developed by Pandora Box and published by Imagineer. It was part of that late SNES wave where developers were still finding new ways to use the hardware, even as newer consoles were arriving. The game stands out for its setting and mechanics, drawing from Middle Eastern folklore rather than the usual fantasy or sci-fi themes.

You control a young girl who has bound a disgraced Ifrit to a magical ring, and together you venture through screen-by-screen environments, battling enemies using a card-based combat system. Your main goal is to help the Ifrit regain his honor by defeating powerful spirits across the desert. The combat involves playing numbered cards where higher values can backfire if your opponent plays a lower one, adding a layer of risk to every encounter. Exploration is methodical, and the difficulty can be unforgiving, with some battles requiring careful strategy rather than brute force. It feels tense and thoughtful, a mix of cautious planning and sudden reversals.