Play Brother Bear Online

Brother Bear on the GBA is one of those Disney platformers that somehow slipped under the radar—which is a shame, because it’s way better than it had any right to be. You start as Kenai, this guy who gets turned into a bear (thanks, magic), and suddenly you’re clawing your way through forests and sliding down icy slopes like some kind of fuzzy acrobat.

The cool part? You can switch between human and bear forms, and each one handles totally differently. Human Kenai climbs vines and throws spears, while Bear Kenai smashes through obstacles and mauls enemies (in a very Disney-appropriate way, of course). The pixel art’s gorgeous, especially when you hit those sunset-lit forest levels—feels like someone squeezed the movie’s animation into a tiny cartridge.

It’s not a long game, but there’s something satisfying about the way it mixes platforming with little puzzles. And yeah, teaming up with Koda for certain sections is weirdly charming, even if he occasionally gets in the way. If you ever wished The Lion King had more bear transformations, this one’s for you.