Okay, so Hobbit No Bouken is basically a GBA take on the early LOTR stuff—you start as Bilbo (yeah, before Frodo steals the spotlight) and it’s this weird mix of action and RPG-lite stuff. The pixel art’s actually pretty charming for a handheld game, especially the Shire scenes—feels cozy until, y’know, everything goes wrong.

Combat’s simple but kinda janky—you’ve got your basic sword swings and a dodge that never quite works when you need it. The real fun’s in the exploration, though. There’s hidden paths everywhere, and some puzzles actually make you think (or at least mash buttons until something happens). Gandalf shows up to drop cryptic hints, and the music? Surprisingly decent for a GBA title.

It’s not perfect—the translation’s rough in spots, and good luck figuring out some mechanics without trial and error. But if you’re into retro LOTR vibes, it’s a neat little time capsule. Just don’t expect a masterpiece.