College Football USA '97 on SNES is one of those old-school sports games that still holds up if you're into that classic pixelated football vibe. The moment you boot it up, you're hit with that mid-90s charm—chunky sprites, a surprisingly decent playbook, and team rosters that’ll make any college football fan nostalgic. I remember picking my team and immediately fumbling my first snap because, yeah, the controls take a second to get used to.

What I like is how it balances arcade-style action with just enough strategy to keep you thinking. Calling audibles actually matters, and if you don’t mix up your plays, the AI will absolutely shut you down by the second half. The Road to N mode is where it shines—you’re not just playing random games; you’re clawing your way through a season, trying to scrape together enough wins to make the big game. It’s got that "one more match" pull, especially when you’re down by a field goal with 30 seconds left.

Is it as polished as modern football games? Nah. But there’s something satisfying about the simplicity—no microtransactions, no bloated menus, just you, your playbook, and a pixelated end zone to conquer. If you’ve got a soft spot for retro sports titles, this one’s a solid pick.