I’ve had the Miyoo Mini Plus for a few months now, and if you’ve watched or read my full review, you’ll know that I absolutely love this little guy. It’s been a regular member of my EDC, and has allowed me to play so many amazing games. From classics that brought me back to my childhood to underrated gems that not enough people talk about. Doing so while on-the-go or just whenever I’m bored idling on the couch. Seriously, this thing has been such a champ at fighting my addiction to doom-scrolling.

So, today, I thought it’d be fun to tell you about the games I’ve been playing on my Miyoo Mini Plus. I have a lot of games installed, but I decided to boil my picks down to six of my favourites across three consoles. The Game Boy Advance, the SNES, and the PS1. Some of these games I’m sure you’ve heard about and are possibly playing on your own Miyoo Mini, but I think there are a couple that have slipped under the radar for many and deserve to be given a shot.

The Legacy of Goku II & Buu’s Fury

If you’ve been watching or reading my stuff for a while, you’ll know that I love—and I mean love—Dragon Ball. I’ve watched the anime, watched the movies, read the manga, and have played every mainstream (and a couple not-so-mainstream) video game. Yes, even Ultimate Battle 22. Though I love the straight up fighting games like Budokai Tenkaichi 3 and FighterZ, I’ve always had an affinity towards games in the franchise that allowed me to step into the shoes of the Z Warriors in an action/adventure or RPG. And the games that do that best are not only a couple of the best Dragon Ball games of all time, but debateably a couple of the best games on the Game Boy Advance.

I am, of course, talking about The Legacy of Goku II and Buu’s Fury. Top-down action-RPGs that take you through the Cell and Buu sagas, respectively, allowing you to switch between most of the Z Warriors as you fight your way through the story. Yes, the original Legacy of Goku exists, which takes you through the Saiyan and Frieza sagas, but developers Webfoot didn’t have a lot of resources to work with when starting this project, as such the first game is far from a polished experience.

The second and third games, however, are genuinely masterful. From the wonderful re-imagining of the worlds and characters into a charming 16-bit art style to the addictive moment-to-moment action combat and decently implemented RPG mechanics to the classic Faulconer soundtrack tickling your ears throughout your play-through, this is Dragon Ball at its best. The breadth of these games is impressive, too. Not only do they cram in hundreds of episodes of story into streamlined, 15-hour experiences, but they also have a decent amount of side-quests and collectibles.

Both of these games look and play wonderfully on the Miyoo Mini Plus. I highly recommend giving them a shot, even if you’re not a fan of Dragon Ball.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

I’ve always had a problem with the Zelda franchise. Though I’ve played almost a dozen entries within this series and can acknowledge most of them as great games, I’ve only ever finished a couple. The reasons as to why I’m going to explain in a longer video essay, but today I’m happy to report that I can add one more to the list of the ones I’ve been able to complete, in large part thanks to the Miyoo Mini Plus. That game is The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap.

First of all, this might be the prettiest Game Boy Advance game. The pixel art is on another level; the environments, sprites, and effects all pop in a way I’ve never seen from a game on this platform. Much of this is, of course, helped by the fact that I’m playing on a modern handheld with a much better screen compared to the original GBA. As for the game itself, The Minish Cap doesn’t quite reach the highs of other 2D Zelda titles like Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds, but it’s still a solid entry. Exploring Hyrule and finding all of the little secrets through the use of the Minish cap never gets old, and the game keeps things varied with the impressive amounts of tools at your disposal.

It has its quirks, some of the side content can be repetitive, and a couple of the solutions to puzzles were a little too obtuse for my liking, but this is still one of the better Zelda experiences I’ve had. Being able to pick it up on the bus or while standing in line went a long way in helping me save Hyrule, and I think this is a worthwhile addition to your Miyoo Mini.

Terranigma

For me, storytelling is one of the most important parts of a video game. I’m always on the lookout for a game that uses this medium in creative ways to tell compelling narratives. For the longest time, I’ve heard or read the name Terranigma be tossed around within gaming circles as one of the greatest examples of storytelling in video games. It’s taken a while, but with the Miyoo Mini Plus in hand, I’ve finally gotten around to starting my journey through this SNES classic.

I’m only a couple of hours in, and though things are slow-goings as of now, if the opening cinematic is anything to go by, I’m excited for what’s in store. I’ve held off on reading anything about the game, only knowing that this is a classic action-RPG with a very Chrono Trigger-esque aesthetic. It’s a little more obtuse in its mechanics and a bit rougher around the edges, but the story is what I’m here for, and I’m looking forward to hopefully doing a video essay in the future to get into the weeds of what Terranigma is all about, and tell you whether or not it lived up to the hype.

Super Mario World 2

I’ll be honest, I’ve never gotten into the classic 2D Mario games. I’ve tried multiple times, from the original NES title to World, but for whatever reason, none of them ever stuck. That is, until now. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island is a prequel to Super Mario World. Actually, it might be a prequel to all Mario titles as the game has you play as Yoshi who, alongside his dinosaur pals, have to deliver Baby Mario back to Luigi, who has been captured by Kamek.

From the very first level, I was hooked. The mechanics of Yoshi, from gulping up enemies and making them into eggs to use as projectiles to floating in the air to reach additional platforms to being careful not to drop Mario, all make for a far more robust and tactical playing experience that goes beyond just straightforward platforming. There’s also a zaniness to the game’s art style and overall tone that’s more wacky compared to most Mario titles. A goofiness that makes it very different than your usual Mario affair.

As you might imagine, a classic platformer like this is a perfect match for a compact handheld like the Mini Plus. Of all the platformers I’ve played on this handheld, however, Yoshi’s Island is easily my favourite.

Brave Fencer Musashi

When I think of the PlayStation One, I often don’t think of platformers. I also don’t think of games that rival The Legend of Zelda in its visual and gameplay design. Well, that’s exactly what Brave Fencer Musashi is. An action-platformer that takes many cues from Nintendo’s tunic-wearing mascot, but has a little more fun with its writing as even within the first few hours I saw myself laughing out loud more than once.

The story follows Musashi, a young swordsman summoned to an alternate universe to defend the Allucaneet Kingdom from the Thirstquencher Empire (see what I mean when I say the game has fun with its writing?). He’s tasked to search for the Five Scrolls in order to enhance the powers of his sword and face the big baddie. Again, Zelda.

Some of the mechanics are a little odd and the visual cues during combat aren’t always obvious, but neither take away from the thrilling, charming, and flat-out fun time this game provides. An underrated gem that you should definitely look into for your Miyoo Mini.

Xenogears

Last but absolutely not least: Xenogears. The first and third Xenoblade Chronicles games are both in my top 10 JRPGs of all time (we don’t talk about the second game). They are remarkable titles that explore a variety of themes, one of the more overt ones being the military-industrial complex. What I love most about the first and third games is how character-driven they are. Telling grand, thematically dense stories through intimate character interactions.

I’d heard that the Chronicles games were successors to the classic Xenosaga series, which themselves were successors to the PS1 classic Xenogears. Though they aren’t related narratively, they’re all the brainchildren of writer/director Tetsuya Takahashi, who left Squaresoft after developing Xenogears to start his own company, Monolith Software—I am only now realizing the tongue-in-cheek reference of that name; well done, Mr. Takahashi.

I’m only about three hours into Xenogears, but already I can tell this has the potential to be an all-timer. The game has already managed to get me misty-eyed and feel very attached to its protagonist, Fei. Did I mention this is easily one of the most gorgeous PS1 games I’ve played? Also, the game features some awesome FMV animated cutscenes, which, when paired with a nice CRT filter on the Miyoo Mini, look incredible. They’re very well done, too, and add immensely to the narrative.

There you have it, some of my favourite titles I’ve been playing on the Miyoo Mini Plus. Let me know if you’ve played any on this list and what some of your favourites are in the comments below!