Okay, so Sound of Thunder A on the GBA is one of those games that nails that old-school arcade feel—like if someone took a forgotten '90s arcade cabinet and shrunk it down to fit in your hands. The pixel art pops with these bold colors, and the chiptune soundtrack? Absolute earworm material.

You start off with this little ship (or maybe it’s a spaceship? Honestly, the manual’s long gone) blasting through waves of enemies that get seriously creative—some split into smaller drones, others zigzag like they’ve had too much coffee. The first boss shows up after like five levels, and it’s this screen-filling monstrosity that makes you realize you’ve been playing way too cautiously.

It’s not just mindless shooting, though. There’s a weirdly satisfying rhythm to dodging and weaving between bullet patterns while your thumbs slowly cramp up. And yeah, it’s tough—expect to replay levels a few times—but in that way where you keep muttering "one more try" until suddenly it’s 2 AM. If you’ve got a soft spot for GBA hidden gems, this one’s a blast.