Jaleco J.Cup Soccer is one of those early Game Boy sports games that somehow nails the simplicity of arcade-style soccer while still feeling satisfying. You pick from a handful of international teams (Japan, Brazil, etc.), and matches are fast—like, really fast. The controls are basic—pass, shoot, tackle—but the ball physics have this weirdly addictive bounce to them.

At first, I thought it was too stripped down, but after a few matches, the speed of it grew on me. The AI isn’t exactly tactical geniuses, but they’ll punish you if you just charge in blindly. And yeah, the graphics are pure Game Boy chunky pixels, but the animations for sliding tackles and goal celebrations have this goofy charm.

It’s not deep, but if you want quick, no-frills soccer action from the handheld’s early days, this one’s a solid pick.