NBA: In The Zone for Game Boy Color is one of those old-school basketball games that somehow makes tiny pixelated players feel like they’ve got real moves. You pick your team—I always went with the Lakers—and jump straight into fast breaks, alley-oops, and those satisfying swishes when you nail a three-pointer.

The controls are simple enough (dribble with A, shoot with B), but timing your shots actually matters—just mashing buttons gets you blocked or airballs. The AI isn’t brutal, but they’ll punish you if you play lazy defense. And yeah, the graphics are obviously dated, but there’s something charming about the chunky sprites and exaggerated dunks.

It’s not the deepest sports sim, but for a quick handheld hoops fix? Still holds up better than you’d expect. Just don’t expect modern NBA 2K vibes—this is pure late-’90s arcade-style ball.