Nettou Samurai Spirits on Game Boy is one of those fighting games that somehow makes tiny sprites feel brutal. You pick from a roster of samurai (Haohmaru’s my go-to), and within seconds you're trading sword slashes that actually have weight to them—like, you can feel when a heavy hit lands. The screen shakes, blood sprays (well, as much as a Game Boy can show), and suddenly you're sweating over whether to go for a risky special move or play it safe.

It’s stripped down from the arcade version, sure, but they nailed the essentials. The controls are tight, and each character’s moveset has just enough quirks to keep matches unpredictable. I still remember the first time I pulled off Galford’s dog attack—felt like cheating, but hey, all’s fair in love and pixelated sword fights. If you’ve got a soft spot for old-school fighters, this one’s a pocket-sized gem.