Ever played a Game Boy Color game based on a German children's book? Yeah, me neither until I stumbled on this one. Janosch - Das Grosse Panama-Spiel is this weird little adventure where you play as a bear and a tiger (classic Janosch characters) trying to reach—you guessed it—Panama. The pixel art's actually charming, with that chunky GBC color palette, and the gameplay's a mix of simple puzzles and light platforming.

First thing you'll notice? It's very... German. Like, the dialogue and menus haven't been localized at all, so if you don't speak the language, you're basically guessing your way through. But hey, that kinda adds to the charm? The bear moves like he's got weights in his shoes, but after a few screens you get used to it. Found myself laughing at some of the bizarre item combinations—turns out you can use a fishing rod in ways the author probably didn't intend.

Definitely more of a curiosity than a hidden gem, but there's something oddly cozy about it. Probably the nostalgia goggles talking.