Shisenshou: Match-Mania is one of those Game Boy puzzlers that looks simple at first—just match the tiles, right?—but then suddenly you're sweating over whether to clear the bamboo or the kanji first. The pixel art has that cozy, slightly chunky early handheld charm, and the music loops in a way that somehow never gets old, even after way too many bus rides spent playing it.

What I like is how it messes with the usual match-3 formula. Some tiles only clear if you connect them in specific patterns, and later levels start hiding symbols under others. I definitely got stuck a few times trying to brute-force matches instead of actually planning ahead. Still, there's something satisfying about finally clearing a messy board down to the last pair.

If you've got a soft spot for 90s handheld puzzle games, this one's a solid time capsule. Just don't blame me when you realize you've been playing for an hour straight.