World Cup Soccer on the Genesis is one of those early sports games that somehow nails the chaotic energy of actual soccer while still being arcadey enough to pick up and play. The pixelated players have this weirdly satisfying weight to them—when you boot it up, you’ll immediately notice how sliding tackles send guys tumbling in exaggerated flips. No fancy licenses here, just generic teams (though you can probably guess who "West Europe" or "Latin" are supposed to be).

First match in, the controls feel clunky by modern standards, but there’s charm in how frantic it gets. The ball physics are hilariously unpredictable—sometimes a weak tap sends it flying halfway across the pitch, other times your striker just whiffs entirely. And that crowd noise? Pure 16-bit hype, all tinny cheers and whistles. It’s not the deepest soccer sim, but for a quick nostalgia kick or some couch multiplayer chaos, it still holds up.

Fun fact: The Japanese version has slightly different team names and a totally over-the-top intro sequence. Worth digging up if you’re into regional quirks.