Okay, so Planet of the Apes on GBA is way more fun than I expected. You start off as this human astronaut (obviously) crash-landed in ape territory, and right away you’re sneaking past gorilla patrols and climbing vines like some kind of sci-fi Tarzan. The sprites are surprisingly detailed—you can actually tell Charlton Heston’s character apart from the other humans, which is impressive for a tiny screen.

Combat’s a mix of basic platforming and quick melee attacks, but the real challenge is figuring out when to fight and when to just bolt. Some of those apes hit hard. Also, the jungle levels have these weird little puzzles where you move logs or trigger traps, which keeps things from feeling too repetitive. And yeah, there’s definitely some jank—expect a few unfair hits from off-screen enemies—but it’s got that early 2000s handheld charm.

If you’re into the movies, you’ll spot a bunch of references, but even if you’re not, it’s a solid action-adventure with a unique setting. Just don’t expect deep storytelling—most of the plot’s delivered in text boxes between levels. Still, swinging past angry apes never gets old.