Madagascar: Operation Penguin on GBA is one of those weirdly fun licensed games that actually gets the vibe right. You play as Private, the little penguin from the movie, sneaking around the zoo and later Madagascar while avoiding guards, zookeepers, and other hazards. The controls take a minute to get used to—you’ve got this awkward waddle-run and a belly slide move that’s weirdly satisfying once you nail the timing.

First level drops you right into the zoo at night, dodging spotlights and collecting fish (of course). The animations are surprisingly smooth for a GBA game, and the penguins look just like their movie counterparts. Some of the platforming bits can be janky, but there’s a weird charm to it—like when you accidentally belly-flop into a crate and it just works. Later levels get more creative, with vine-swinging and lemur distractions. Not gonna lie, the soundtrack’s got that bouncy, sneaky-mission vibe stuck in my head.

If you’re into early 2000s licensed platformers with a bit of jank, this one’s a solid time-waster.