Koukou Nyuushi Rika is one of those weird little Game Boy gems that makes you go, "Wait, why wasn't this more popular?" At first glance, it's just another school sim—until you realize you're basically running a cutthroat academic boot camp where every decision matters.

The pixel art has that perfect early-90s charm, all chibi students shuffling between classes. You're juggling everything from cram sessions to club activities, and somehow even the lunch break choices feel tense. Mess up a student's schedule, and suddenly their test scores tank. Forget to balance sports and studies? Enjoy your school full of burnt-out zombies.

What really got me was how sneaky the strategy layer is. You think you're just assigning study hours, but then you notice certain students perform better in specific subjects, or that some clubs give hidden stat boosts. Took me three playthroughs to realize the art club was secretly OP for science-focused students. Go figure.

It's janky in that classic Game Boy way—menus take some getting used to, and the translation (if you're playing the fan patch) has moments of pure nonsense. But that's part of the charm. You'll either bounce off hard or suddenly realize it's 2AM and you're optimizing exam schedules like some kind of deranged principal.