Madagascar - Operación Pingüino is one of those licensed GBA games that actually surprised me. You play as Skipper and the penguin squad sneaking through levels with some decent stealth mechanics—way better than I expected from a movie tie-in. The pixel art’s got charm, especially the way Rico just casually chews through locks like they’re made of paper.

First mission drops you right into a zoo breakout, and the controls feel tight for a GBA platformer. You’ll switch between penguins to use their unique skills—Skipper’s the all-rounder, Kowalski handles gadgets, and Private… well, he’s mostly there to look cute. The later Madagascar levels get weirdly creative, like dodging lemurs in a disco or hijacking trucks. Not gonna lie, it’s janky in spots, but the humor and short missions make it a solid pick for a quick playthrough.

If you’re emulating, the colors pop nicely even on a small screen.