Play Tecmo Cup (Japan) (Proto) [b] Online

Ever dug through old Genesis prototypes and found something weirdly fun? Tecmo Cup (Japan) (Proto) is one of those—a scrappy, unfinished soccer game that somehow nails that arcadey Tecmo feel. The players move like they’re on fast-forward, tackles are hilariously aggressive, and the whole thing has that chunky pixel charm the '90s did so well.

It’s definitely rough—some animations cut off weirdly, and the AI occasionally forgets it’s supposed to defend—but there’s something addictive about it. Like if someone took Tecmo Bowl’s energy and mashed it into a soccer game last minute. Perfect for when you want something chaotic that doesn’t take itself seriously.

Not gonna lie, half the fun is imagining what this could’ve been with more polish. Still, for a prototype, it’s got more personality than some finished games.