Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island is one of those GBA gems that still holds up. You play as Yoshi carrying Baby Mario through these wild, pastel-colored levels—jumping on enemies, turning them into eggs, and tossing them at stuff. The art style’s got this crayon-drawn charm, and the music’s weirdly catchy.

First time I played, I got stuck on that level where you have to chase down Baby Bowser’s floating ghost thing. Took me way too many tries to figure out the timing. But even when it’s frustrating, it never feels unfair. The controls are tight, and finding all those hidden flowers and red coins? Way more satisfying than it should be.

If you missed this back in the day, it’s basically a perfect portable platformer with way more personality than most.