Angelic Layer on the GBA is one of those weird little RPGs that flew under the radar—especially if you're into the manga or anime. You're basically raising these tiny battle dolls (they call them "Angels") and pitting them against others in arena fights. The sprites are surprisingly detailed for a GBA game, and the rock-paper-scissors style combat means you're constantly tweaking your Angel's moveset between matches.

First ten minutes? You'll be drowning in tutorial boxes (classic early 2000s RPG stuff), but once you get past that, there's something oddly satisfying about watching your doll pull off a perfectly timed counterattack. The story follows the manga pretty closely, so don't expect big surprises if you're already a fan. It's definitely niche, but the combat has more depth than you'd think at first glance.