FIFA Soccer '97 on the Game Boy is one of those weird little time capsules—it’s got all the chunky pixel charm of early handheld sports games, but somehow EA squeezed in actual team names and a surprising amount of playability. You’re not getting fluid animations or fancy controls here, just straightforward arcade-style soccer where every slide tackle feels like a gamble and every goal is a tiny victory.

The teams are basic (no licenses beyond the big ones), and the AI isn’t exactly tactical genius, but there’s something satisfying about how fast-paced it is. One minute you’re fumbling through menus with that stiff Game Boy D-pad, the next you’re spamming long passes and hoping your striker doesn’t whiff the shot. It’s janky, but in that way where you start laughing at the chaos instead of getting mad.

If you’ve got nostalgia for this era, it’s a fun little distraction—just don’t expect anything close to modern FIFA. The soundtrack’s a single chiptune loop that’ll either hype you up or drive you insane, depending on how long you play.