izigame.me

This cute (and pretty much unknown) bugger might very well be one of Capcom's best early games. It's a top down grid based game in which you grab barrels and use them to knock out a horde of goofy pirates.
The gameplay is deceptively simple: you just grab barrels and other elements of the stage and hurl them at pirates, getting points for crashing barrels and hitting multiple enemies at once. The catch is that barrels also defend you from the pirates (who sort of hunt you similarly to Pac-Man ghosts) and by grabbing them you create holes and lose some cover. Pirates can also hide in barrels and must be hit to make them come out and hit again to be finally dispatched. You also get items that can be thrown like barrels, but do not break and can be used strategically to block paths and enemies. Finally, there are flashing barrels that when grabbed reveal score items. You can also reveal a special item in each level that grants you invincibility and stuns enemies giving you time for free "kills".
Overall, Higemaru is challenging and deeper than what it seems, and it's really fun to try again and again for the high score.
The presentation is also excellent, with cute characters and the fun pirate theme. It also has tremendously catchy whimsical music that doesn't get old even after repeated attempts.
A little gem of Capcom's early catalogue!