Okay, so Kanyoku Kotowaza 210 is this weird little Game Boy gem where you basically learn Japanese proverbs by playing what feels like a cross between trivia and a puzzle game. At first I thought it'd be dry, but the pixel art gives it this warm, old-school charm—like someone turned a dictionary into a cozy retro game.

You get hit with these proverbs (some obvious, some seriously obscure) and have to piece together missing kanji or match meanings. Half the time I was just guessing based on the art clues, which made stumbling onto the right answer way more satisfying. The music’s got that classic Game Boy bleep-bloop vibe too, weirdly relaxing for something that’s technically educational.

Fair warning: if you don’t know Japanese, some puzzles will wreck you. But even failing is kinda fun because you end up learning these little cultural nuggets. It’s like someone mashed up flashcards with a 90s handheld game and somehow made it work. Definitely not for everyone, but if you’re into language or just love niche Game Boy stuff, it’s a neat little time capsule.