October:
Castlevania: Bloodlines - Absolutely amazing game. The graphics are insane for their time. Yet they don't just serve stilistic purposes, but tons of new ideas in level design. Some could've been explored a bit further, but that would be nitpicking. Rondo of Blood got me hooked on Classicvania, but I think this might be my favorite now. Amazing pacing, all the QOL from Rondo, fair difficulty balancing, great gameplay ideas and setpieces.
Ghouls'n'Ghosts (Megadrive) - Compared to the later SNES game, this is much easier to pick up and get into. Doesn't mean that it's free of typical bullshit though. On the other hand, it doesn't look as good and simply feels smaller in scale.
Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair - A good mixture of Banjo Kazooie and Donkey Kong Country, for whoever likes those two things. Even though I think the new characters/art direction can't compete with either of the two - excluding the excellent music. Yet the level design is strong. And the game design is refreshing, because this game doesn't have to follow the typical Nintendo 2D formula that completely lacks surprises these days.
Shadow Dancer - This hooked me through an entire evening, during which I finished it on easy and normal after, I believe, I never beat it completely prior. Either way, this is a great culmination of the original Shinobi style of level design and gameplay. Which is why it's my favorite after Shinobi 3.
Shinobi 3, replay - First thing I finished on my Megadrive Mini iirc, because what can you say against a round of Shinobi 3? I thought these days I'd prefer a more lenient double jump, but it really doesn't take that long to get used to it again and then it feels even more rewarding to play.