Chuugaku Eitango 1700 is one of those weirdly charming Game Boy gems—part flashcard drill, part retro time capsule. You’re basically quizzing yourself on 1700 English words Japanese middle schoolers had to memorize back in the day, but the pixelated interface and chiptune feedback make it feel less like homework and more like an old-school minigame.

At first, I thought it’d be dry, but there’s something satisfying about nailing a tricky word and hearing that little victory jingle. The words start simple ("apple," "book"), but before long you’re wrestling with stuff like "ambulance" and "foreigner"—which, honestly, still trips me up sometimes. It’s the kind of thing you’d play in short bursts between Pokémon sessions, half for practice, half for the weird nostalgia of early ‘90s edutainment.

If you’ve ever wondered what cramming for English class looked like on a Game Boy, here’s your answer.