Nintama Eawase is one of those Game Boy gems that feels simple at first—just matching hiragana cards—but gets surprisingly intense when the timer kicks in. The art has that classic 90s Japanese charm, with little details like the way the cards flip or the tiny animations when you get a match.

At first, I thought it’d be a breeze, but trying to remember where the あ or か cards are while the seconds tick down? Way harder than it sounds. And there’s something weirdly satisfying about the way the game speeds up as you clear pairs—it lulls you into a rhythm, then suddenly you’re scrambling. If you’ve ever played those old-school matching games but wanted something with a bit more personality, this one’s got it.

Also, pro tip: start slow. The early rounds feel easy, but that’s just the game lulling you into false confidence.