Play Rockman X5 Online

Rockman X5 (or Mega Man X5 if you grew up outside Japan) is one of those Game Boy Color ports that somehow makes the tiny screen feel like a full-on console experience. You pick X or Zero—I always go Zero because that saber just feels too good—and then it's the usual Maverick-hunting chaos, except now there's a space colony hurtling toward Earth and you're racing against a literal doomsday clock. No pressure, right?

The GBC version surprisingly keeps most of what made the PS1 original great: the weapons feel chunky (Dark Hold freezing everything never gets old), the armor upgrades change how you play, and yeah, Duff McWhalen's water stage is still obnoxious in the best way. What I didn't expect was how well the branching paths work—mess up too many missions and the story actually shifts. First time I got the bad ending, I immediately replayed the whole thing.

It's not perfect—the screen crunch means some jumps feel blind—but for a pocket-sized X game, it nails that mix of speed and strategy. You'll be grinding bosses for their weapons at 2 AM before you even realize it.