Okay, so Mahou Sensei Negima! Private Lesson 2: Ojama Shimasu is one of those GBA games that feels like it was made specifically for fans of the anime. You play as Negi, this tiny wizard teacher who’s basically just trying to survive his chaotic class at Mahora Academy. The whole thing plays like a mix of light strategy and puzzle-solving—you’re moving around grids, casting spells, and occasionally getting ambushed by students who just won’t leave you alone.

At first, I thought it’d be a straightforward RPG, but there’s actually a surprising amount of depth to the spell system. Fireballs are great until you realize you’ve cornered yourself, and some of the later stages really make you think about positioning. The sprite work is charming, though—it nails that early 2000s anime aesthetic, right down to the exaggerated reaction faces when someone gets hit with a sleep spell.

Fair warning: if you’re not familiar with the series, some of the jokes might fly over your head. But if you’ve ever wanted to fling magic at a bunch of troublemaking students, this is weirdly satisfying. Just don’t expect it to hold your hand—some of those later puzzles get brutal.