Masakari Densetsu Kintarou RPG is one of those old-school Game Boy RPGs that just oozes charm. You start off as Kintarou, this axe-wielding folk hero, and right away you're thrown into a world that feels like a mix of Japanese mythology and classic dungeon crawling. The pixel art has that warm, chunky Game Boy aesthetic—lots of greens and blacks, obviously—but the sprites have way more personality than you'd expect.

Combat’s turn-based but snappy, and I remember getting weirdly attached to my party members even though the dialogue’s in Japanese (if you don’t read it, no worries—the vibes carry you). The dungeons are maze-like in that satisfying, slightly frustrating way where you’ll scribble maps on scrap paper. Found myself grinding near rivers just to hear the battle music loop.

It’s not the deepest RPG out there, but there’s something about the pacing—how it throws you into boss fights with giant oni or lets you stumble into hidden shrines—that makes it hard to put down. Perfect for short bursts or those nights when you just want to disappear into a tiny screen for a while.