Ronaldinho Soccer 97 on SNES is one of those hidden-gem football games that somehow flew under the radar back in the day. The controls feel surprisingly smooth for a 16-bit soccer sim—you can pull off little flicks and quick turns that actually make dribbling fun instead of just mashing the pass button.

Matches play fast, almost arcade-style, but with just enough tactical depth to keep it interesting. The pixelated Ronaldinho sprite even does his signature no-look passes if you time it right, which blew my mind as a kid. Graphics are typical SNES-era, but the animations have this weirdly satisfying weight to them when you nail a long-range shot.

It’s not perfect—the AI defenders sometimes move like they’re stuck in mud—but there’s something about the chunky sound effects and simple joy of breaking ankles with stepovers that still holds up. If you dig retro sports games, this one’s worth firing up on an emulator.