New Chessmaster on Game Boy is one of those "just one more match" kind of games. You boot it up, pick your difficulty (I started on medium and got wrecked—rookie mistake), and suddenly an hour’s gone. The AI actually plays smart, not just predictable, so you’ve gotta think ahead.

The tutorials are surprisingly decent if you’re rusty—none of that "here’s how a pawn moves" hand-holding, but actual strategy tips. And yeah, it’s chess, so you know what you’re getting, but the Game Boy’s chunky pixels make it weirdly satisfying when you pull off a sneaky checkmate. Perfect for bus rides or pretending to be a grandmaster in your pajamas.

Also, no lie, the hardest part was figuring out the tiny menu controls at first. Once it clicks, though, you’re set. Still trying to beat the highest difficulty without throwing my Game Boy across the room.