Play Nettou King of Fighters '95 Online

Nettou King of Fighters '95 on Game Boy is one of those "how did they fit this much chaos into a tiny cartridge?" kind of ports. You still pick three fighters—I always ended up with Terry because his Power Wave just feels right on those chunky buttons—and then it's straight into pixelated mayhem. Yeah, the sprites are super basic compared to the arcade, but after a match or two, you stop noticing. The important stuff’s all there: the special move inputs, the team dynamics, even that little victory pose at the end.

What surprised me was how well the controls translated. The Game Boy’s d-pad isn’t exactly arcade-perfect, but pulling off Kyo’s flames or Iori’s slashes still clicks after some practice. It’s definitely a stripped-down experience, but there’s something weirdly charming about hearing those crunchy sound effects through the speaker. If you’ve got nostalgia for either KoF or handhelds that fit in your back pocket, this one’s a fun time capsule.