Summary
The best Game Boy games represent bestsellers, exclusives, and excellent ports that made the system revolutionary.Kirby’s introduction to the world,Super Mario LandandSuper Mario Land 2’s best-selling debuts, andPokemon’s creation are some of the biggest reasons why the Game Boy became legendary enough to spawn a lineage of hit consoles.
But some games that didn’t make the best-seller list are still considered the best the Game Boy has to offer North America. Games likeYu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, unfortunately, didn’t make it across the sea, butCastlevaniaand other titles did and heavily influenced NA game development. Moreover, some games that aren’t on the best-sellers list cause visceral nostalgic memories to come out that no other games could.
Release Date (North America or Worldwide)
Developer
Minakuchi Engineering
Also known asRockman Worldin Japan,Mega Man: Dr. Wily’s Revengeis a classic example of aNintendo Hard platformer. Although not as nightmarish asHyper Lode Runner,Mega Man’s first venture on a portable console was challenging, especially for its child-oriented audience.
Despite the challenge, gamers still fondly remember maneuvering the various traps around stages to get to robot masters. Acquiring these masters’ powers was also a highlight, as certain powers made other levels easier. Many players at the time, and even now, fondly remember strategizing the order of stages to beat and arguing which “Man” was the best.
Gamers, and even non-gaming folk, all lost their minds a little playingDr. Mario,Mario’s venture into the puzzle genre. Its wide appeal is thanks to its easy gameplay: players need only rotate the pills Dr. Mario throws into a giant pill bottle to match four of the same colors and eliminate viruses.
What’s neat about the Game Boy version is players can set game speed, the height level viruses start at, and even the BGM at the starting menu. Players can even challenge friends via link cable, and in the modern port for the Nintendo Switchvia online multiplayer.
Run and gun
Konami
Contrais a darling on whatever platforms it landed on, butOperation Cis special on its own. The firstContrainstallment in the series,Operation Cfeatured fast and fun side-scrolling action. Then, just when players are getting used to the POV, it switches things up by going top-down for stage 2 and 4.
Operation Calso introduced upgrades for the Spread Shot and a new Homing Gun that became a series staple. And despite the changes,Contra’s Game Boy debut was faithful tothe series’ spiritand provided arcade action at home.
Bubble Bobblewasn’t just a fun platformer with crazy mechanics at the time; it had certified bops in its soundtrack. Its soundtrack is catchy even when compared to Taito’s other classics. A great soundtrack isn’t just what it’s known for, however, because its mechanics are as enduring.
Trapping enemies in bubbles evolve from a quick way out to a strategic choice in later stages. Single or co-op, timing bubbles, and bubble pops become crucial to clearing hallways that drop gauntlets of enemies in a snap. Collecting E-X-T-E-N-D bubbles and enough fruits and snacks to earn extra lives are also a must and earn players bragging rights.
True-to-cartoon soundtrack aside,DuckTalesfor the Game Boy was animpressive Disney-branded game, especially when comparing its value for money to the NES port. Game Boy’sDuckTalesfeatured simpler controls than the NES version, which worked to its advantage.
Having fewer controls to think about means players can focus on timing their attacks or solving relatively easy puzzles. Players can also take a breather and look aroundDuckTales’ surprisingly detailed levels. NESDuckTalesfans would also get a kick out of exploring these levels as they’re slightly remixed from the home console version.
Still treated as one of the bestclassicCastlevaniagames,Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revengewas a compact jaunt through Dracula’s castle. Gamers can breeze through the game on the Nintendo Switch inCastlevania Anniversary Collectionto see how short it is compared to otherCastlevaniatitles.
But even as a short game,Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revengeis a great introductory game for the series. Christopher Belmont can wield sub-weapons like holy water and axes and use them in any level the player chooses to tackle first. Thanks to its clean and cool looks, the action also looked crisp on the Game Boy and still looks fetching on the Switch.
Square
The Final Fantasy Legenddoesn’t fit into theFinal Fantasycanon the same wayFinal Fantasy Adventuredoesn’t.Legendis thefirstSaGagame, rebranded with theFinal Fantasymoniker to boost sales in North America. This trick probably led to a lot of players dismissing the game at the time of its 1989 release sinceSaGaandLegendare a little more difficult to play thanFinal Fantasythen.
Weapons and spells degrade with use, so buying or finding more is critical. Monsters can be brought into the party and evolved depending on the monster meat it’s fed. Luckily, players can save any time except when they’re in combat, saving them a lot of trouble in the long run.
Hudson Soft
Bombermanneeds no introduction. It’s simply a game series about a little guy who blows things up with his bombs. Yet its simplicity endures today withSuper Bomberman R 2.
Bomberman GBadded a little twist to the formula by making Bomberman an Indiana Jones-type explorer. Levels are appropriately desert and ruins-themed, with bosses taking the form of giant scorpions and an Aztec god. Gameplay-wise, Bomberman moves quickly; stacking bombs is as quick as a press of a button, and hiding from the bomb range is half the battle.
Metroid 2: Return of Samuswas an improvement from the first title in almost every conceivable way. Controls and graphics are a lot tighter, whereas the new save system was a blessing for kids who were still grappling with games. Quality of life improvements like the Spring Ball and ammo refills also made trekking a lot easier.
Even with improvements,Metroid 2was still a challenge to complete. Timing morph ball jumps to avoid foes, making it through space jumps, and surviving dense bosses took skill and a lot of patience. Despite it all,Metroid 2provided a greatbase for the seriesand a clear way forward.
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3was a surprise to anyMariofan who anticipated more of the same. Although it fundamentally plays the same asaMariogame,Wario Landhad interesting concepts unique to it at the time.
Players were encouraged to backtrack levels to seek Gold Coins, which can unlock courses and even levels. Aiding Wario in his capitalist journey were his ground pound and brute strength, plus some fun transformations. Fans also had fun figuring out how to deal with common enemies, some of whom can be touched and thrown at other goons.
