Pro Evolution Soccer 6 on the DS is one of those games that makes you wonder how they fit a decent soccer sim into a tiny cartridge. The controls take a minute to get used to—you’ll be tapping the touchscreen for passes and shots—but once it clicks, it’s surprisingly smooth. The graphics are obviously scaled down, but player animations and ball physics still feel satisfying.

What surprised me was how deep the tactics go for a handheld game. You can tweak formations, adjust player roles, and even set up custom set pieces. The AI isn’t perfect, but it’s smart enough to punish lazy defending. And yeah, multiplayer’s a blast if you’ve got a friend with a copy—just don’t expect FIFA-level polish.

It’s not the prettiest soccer game out there, but it plays a mean match when you’re stuck on a train.