If you grew up with Naruto and still have a soft spot for the early days of Team 7, this GBA RPG is a solid little time capsule. You start off running through the Hidden Leaf Village, picking up basic missions, and before long you're throwing kunai and pulling off jutsu in turn-based fights that actually feel like they belong in the ninja world—none of that generic RPG filler.

The sprites are chunky in that classic GBA way, but they nailed Naruto’s goofy run and Sasuke’s brooding stance. Combat’s straightforward at first, but once you start mixing team combos (Sakura’s healing plus Naruto’s shadow clones? Yes please), it gets surprisingly tactical. Some of the mission dialogue is cheesy in that early-2000s anime way, but honestly, that’s part of the charm.

It’s not the deepest RPG out there, but for a handheld Naruto game, it holds up better than you’d expect. Just don’t expect Shippuden-era stuff—this is all classic genin chaos.