Karate Joe on the Game Boy Color is one of those weird little gems that slipped under the radar back in the day. You play as this blocky little karate dude (hence the name) punching and kicking your way through waves of enemies—some of them straight-up bizarre, like floating heads and guys with extendable arms. The controls are simple—just two buttons—but timing matters more than button mashing.

First thing you’ll notice? The music. It’s got this weirdly catchy, repetitive chiptune track that either gets stuck in your head or drives you nuts. And the backgrounds? Super basic, but there’s something charming about the way your tiny fighter moves through them. It’s not deep, but it’s oddly satisfying when you land a perfect combo and send some goon flying off-screen.

Definitely a game you play in short bursts when you want something mindless but weirdly fun. The lack of a proper save system means you’re either finishing it in one go or replaying the early levels a lot, though.