Play Nettou King of Fighters '97 Online

If you grew up mashing buttons in arcades, Nettou King of Fighters '97 on Game Boy feels like finding a secret pocket version of your favorite fighter. Yeah, the sprites are tiny and some moves got simplified, but somehow it still feels like KoF—that same rush when you land Kyo’s uppercut or barely dodge Iori’s flames. The 3v3 team battles are here too, just squished down for the little screen.

What’s wild is how well the controls work. You’d think special moves would be impossible on a Game Boy D-pad, but nope—fireballs and dragon punches come out smooth once you get the timing. I spent way too many bus rides trying to beat my own high score with Terry’s Power Wave. The roster’s smaller than the arcade, but they picked all the right characters (sorry, Chang).

It’s not perfect—sometimes you’ll swear that hit shouldn’t have landed—but for a portable KoF in 1997? Absolute magic. Still holds up if you’ve got a soft spot for pixelated roundhouse kicks.