J-League Pocket on the GBA is one of those soccer games that feels simple at first—until you realize how much strategy sneaks in. You pick your favorite J-League team (I always went for Kashima Antlers), tweak your formation, and jump straight into matches that move fast but still give you room to think.

The controls are tight, and the pixelated players actually have some personality—you’ll recognize certain strikers just by how they move. The commentary’s in Japanese, which adds to the charm even if you don’t understand it. And yeah, the goalkeepers are weirdly good sometimes, so you’ve gotta work for those goals.

It’s not FIFA-level depth, but for a handheld soccer fix with a Japanese twist, it holds up way better than it should. Just don’t blame me when you lose track of time trying to win the league.