Dodge Danpei is one of those Game Boy sports games that somehow makes throwing a ball at people’s heads way more intense than it should be. You play as Danpei, this little dude with a bandana who’s weirdly good at dodging—and yeah, the name checks out. Matches start simple, just you and a couple of opponents in a small court, but things escalate fast when they start pulling off curveballs and power shots.

The controls are straightforward—run, jump, throw—but timing is everything. Miss a catch or mistime a dodge, and you’re eating floor. The AI isn’t messing around either; some teams actually fake you out, which I wasn’t expecting from a Game Boy game. The pixel art’s got that classic charm, with exaggerated victory poses and defeat animations that never get old.

It’s not just about reflexes, though. You’ve got different throws to unlock, and figuring out when to use a fastball versus a lob feels surprisingly tactical. By the third match, I was already sweating over whether to go aggressive or play defensively. If you’ve got a soft spot for retro sports games with a bit of bite, this one’s a solid pick.