Lothar Matthäus Super Soccer is one of those early SNES football games that somehow nails the chaotic energy of a pickup match with friends. The controls are simple—pass, shoot, tackle—but the ball physics feel just unpredictable enough to keep things interesting. Slide tackles are borderline reckless, and the refs never seem to care.

It’s got that classic 16-bit charm: pixelated crowds, chunky animations, and commentary that’s basically just a German guy yelling player names. The teams are all fictional (no licenses here), but you’ll recognize the playstyles—some squads are all speed, others just boot long balls and hope for the best. First time I played, I picked the wrong team and got absolutely run off the pitch.

Not the deepest football sim, but perfect for quick matches where you just want to smash in a few goals and laugh at the keeper’s weird diving animation. Still holds up if you’re into retro sports games.