Magician

Magician is a side-scrolling action RPG for NES where players control Paul, an apprentice magician in the peaceful land of Merlwood. After evil wizard Abadon purges powerful mages and builds his castle, Paul becomes the last wizard and embarks on a quest to learn secrets from ancient masters, explore puzzles, mazes, towns like Serena, forests, lakes, and caverns while gathering items for spells and weapons. The standout mechanic is the unique spell system where you transcribe magic words by combining phonemes and writing specific words to learn spells at a cost of 50 mana each. You manage Paul's health, food, and water levels that deplete over time, help NPCs to gain experience and rank up, and use a battery save system (up to 15 saves). Characters include Paul, the helpful master Higgins, and various villagers and bosses. It stands out for its innovative spell-crafting, exploration, and retro RPG depth.