Battle Arena Toshinden on Game Boy is one of those fighting games that feels way bigger than it has any right to be on a tiny screen. You pick from a surprisingly varied cast—samurai, ninjas, even a dude with a whip—and the controls actually work, which is rare for early handheld fighters.

First match in, you’ll notice the sprites are chunky but full of personality, and the special moves aren’t just flashy—they’re borderline unfair if you time them right. The AI doesn’t mess around either; even on normal difficulty, you’ll eat dirt a few times before figuring out spacing.

It’s not as deep as the PlayStation version, but for a Game Boy port? Holds up way better than it should. Just don’t expect to button-mash your way to victory.