Digimon 3: Ultra Dream Edition is basically the GBC Digimon game I wish I had as a kid. You start off picking your partner—I went with Agumon, obviously—and then it throws you right into that classic Digimon loop of training, battling, and trying not to get your butt kicked by wild Digimon in the digital world.

The pixel art’s got that nostalgic charm, but what surprised me was how much strategy goes into raising your Digimon. You can’t just mash A to win fights—if you don’t balance training with rest, your Digimon gets cranky and straight-up refuses to listen. And digivolving? Way more satisfying here than in later games. Seeing your rookie Digimon finally hit champion stage after grinding feels like an actual achievement.

It’s got that janky early RPG feel where some mechanics aren’t explained well (why does the hunger meter drain so fast?), but that’s part of the charm. If you’ve got a soft spot for old-school monster-raising games, this one’s worth digging up.