Otoko Jyuku on the Game Boy is one of those weird, rough-around-the-edges martial arts games that somehow sticks with you. The pixel art has that classic early '90s charm—blocky but full of personality, like your fighter just walked out of a manga panel.

At first, the controls feel stiff (it is a Game Boy fighter), but once you get the rhythm down, there’s something satisfying about timing those jump kicks just right. The dojo stages are brutal—enemies gang up on you fast, and the AI doesn’t pull punches. I lost my first three matches before realizing blocking was basically mandatory.

What surprised me was the little details: your character actually bows before fights, and some stages have breakable objects (smashed a wooden barrel mid-combo once and felt like a genius). It’s janky in places, but that’s part of the appeal. If you’re into retro brawlers that don’t hold your hand, this one’s a solid deep cut.