Play Brave Saga - Shinshou Astaria (Japan) Online

Game Overview

Brave Saga: Shinshou Astaria is one of those Game Boy Color RPGs that somehow flew under the radar—which is a shame, because it’s got this weirdly satisfying mix of chunky pixel robots and turn-based battles that just clicks. You start off with a ragtag crew of mechs (they call them "Braves" here) that look like they walked straight out of a 90s anime, and the first few fights already force you to think about positioning and which attacks to conserve.

The sprites have that classic Super Robot Wars vibe, but with a cozier, more colorful palette. And the music? Surprisingly catchy for a GBC title—I caught myself tapping my foot during random encounters. The customization isn’t overwhelming at first, but once you start tweaking your Braves’ loadouts and unlocking new abilities, it’s hard not to get attached to your weird little metal squad.

It’s not perfect—some of the grinding feels very much of its era—but if you miss the days when handheld RPGs had weight to their mechanics and charm in their pixels, this one’s worth dusting off your Game Boy for.