RFGen's Top 20 Game Boy games

[shaggy]

I like to think this is a quote from the person who placed it at 11th on their list:


Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan (#20, #11)

"An extremely simple and not particularly noteworthy game

Ha ha, 11 was me.  Another 4 off my list.  I think half my list is gone already.

[MetalFRO]

Dang, 4 more of my picks gone.

[Disposed Hero]

I think that's 6 of mine gone in total. Some were surprising, and some were not.

[Crabmaster2000]

8 of mine are gone. I thought FOR SURE 4 more of my picks that havnt been removed yet would have and stuff like Wario Land II, Mega Man IV, Duck Tales, Dr.Mario and Picross would have been no brianers. Can't wait to see what you weirdos picked.

[singlebanana]

Showing my hand...


20.  Ghostbusters II - With the 2600 and NES Ghostbuster games being a bust, it was refreshing to have GB2 where you could pick your team of the four Busters and use two at a time. Zappin' and trappin' is a good deal of fun.
 
19.  Wario Land - Wario's first playable entry in the Super Mario franchise. A fun game that's only real knock is an overly large sprite. Still, lots of fun.

18.  Bubble Ghost - A lesser known title where you play as a little ghost blowing a bubble across a treacherous obstacle course.  Some neat puzzle mechanics and a game that requires a lot of finesse.

17.  Tetris - Who didn't play hours and hours of this game, or have to keep your Game Boy away from your Mom because of it? I know this will be higher on most people's list, but for me, it's worn out its welcome over the years. Still list-worthy though.

16.  Knight Quest - One of the few RPGs on the Game Boy. Not a difficult game, so it's a great intro RPG for those getting into the genre. Not an elaborate story, but it suffices.

15.  Battle Bull - If you enjoy the game Pengo, you'll enjoy Battle Bull. You play as a bulldozer whose object is to push blocks and crush your enemies. Lesser known, but lots of fun.

14.  Godzilla - Not what you'd expect in a Godzilla title, since it's a cutesy puzzle game.  I'm a big fan of strategy puzzle games and if you are as well, you need to add this cheapo to your collection.

13.  Kirby's Dreamland - This was my first experience with the Kirby franchise and the first one I beat. A really cute and fun game that helped boost the title character to Nintendo stardom.

12.  Avenging Spirit - Another lesser known title on the Game Boy and rather expensive these days. You play as a ghost who can take over your enemies bodies and go into battle. Some decent boss fights as well.

11.  Gradius: The Interstellar Assault - The best space shmup on the Game Boy. Great music and one of the most graphically impressive games on the system.

10.  Trax - A neat vertical tank shooter that reminds me a lot of Firepower 2000 on the SNES.  Probably not a well-known title on the Game Boy, but one every shmup fan should own.

9.    Kid Dracula - A cute little twist on the Castlevania franchise. We didn't get the Famicom port for the NES in the U.S., so it's cool that a version of it made it to a U.S. handheld.

8.    Castlevania II - The best Castlevania game on the Game Boy because it's the most playable.
 And.....it's a Castlevania game. Enuff said.   

7.    Super Mario Land 2 - Graphically impressive and very similar in gameplay to my favorite Mario title, Super Mario World. The incredible difficulty spike at the end drops it a little down the list for me, but still in my Top 10.

6.    Donkey Kong - A breath of fresh air in the DK series.  I love the addition of puzzle elements and happy to see these games continued on future handhelds.

5.    Super Mario Land - I disagree with anyone who says that this isn't a true Mario game.  It's a little odd in spots and too short, but I still think it's a lot of fun. I had a better time with this game than SML2 during our playthroughs, so that's why it ranks higher for me.

4.    Metroid II - Another great game in the Metroid series that really helps to tie the storyline together and set up Super Metroid.  Great concept for a sequel and gamers were fortunate to get this on the handheld. It's no wonder that there has always been a heavy push for a remake.

3.    Gargoyle's Quest - A great action/platformer with some really neat RPG elements.  You don't simply go from stage to stage, but visit towns and NPCs along your way. Really cool concept and a very well-done game.

2.    Final Fantasy Adventure - An incredible action/RPG that's really fun and beautiful. A part of the Mana series and not really a Final Fantasy game.

1.    Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - Played this for the first time a few years ago and I was so impressed by how it pushed the graphics and the gameplay of such a simple handheld. For me, it's just a bit ahead of A Link to the Past, which I know is video game sacrilege.

[Crabmaster2000]

Was listening to the latest episode of Retronauts about the Game Boy Color and they spend some time talking about how great Wario Land II is. So don't take my word for it, listen to experts tell you guys why you should have had it in your top 20 lists. Starts around the minute 39 mark for Wario Land II talk

https://retronauts.com/ar...pisode-303-game-boy-color

[Disposed Hero]

My list:

1.   Pokemon Blue – The first and only Pokemon game I’ve played. I spent many hours playing this and remember trading and battling with my friends. I fell out of the Pokemon craze shortly after, but I still hold the original among the best games I’ve ever played.

2.   The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening – I spent many hours with this game back in the day and have good memories of playing it alongside a friend of mine at the time, and we would often compare notes and help each other along. Revisiting it more recently, the game still holds up great and is one of my favorite entries in the series.

3.   Final Fantasy Adventure – A great action-RPG for the system that is in a similar vein to Zelda.

4.   Metroid II: Return of Samus – It’s quite a bit easier and more streamlined than most other Metroid titles, but I think I really appreciated that back when I was a kid. A very solid adventure title for the Game Boy.

5.   Operation C – A great Contra game that takes heavy inspiration from both NES titles, particularly Super C.

6.   Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge – The most traditional of the three Castlevania titles on GB, and my favorite of the bunch.

7.   Tetris – It’s the iconic puzzle title that everybody has played. Always a fun and addictive game.

8.   Gargoyle’s Quest – A fun and unique game that merges action-platforming with RPG elements.

9.   Ninja Gaiden Shadow – A fair bit easier than the NES titles, but still a fun action game for the Game Boy. This was originally developed as a Shadow of the Ninja title, and the influence from that game can be seen here.

10.   Kirby's Dream Land 2 – A more fleshed out game than its predecessor results in a more ‘complete’ feeling Kirby game.

11.   Castlevania Legends – A good Castlevania game that adds in some new subweapon abilities.

12.   Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 – A good friend of mine owned this as a kid, so I remember borrowing this from him and playing it a ton. My favorite of the Super Mario Land games on GB.

13.   Donkey Kong – I've never been a huge fan of the original DK arcade game, but the Game Boy adaptation puts an interesting spin on it by turning it into more of a puzzle-platformer with some inspiration from Super Mario Bros. 2.

14.   Kirby’s Dream Land – Kirby’s first adventure may not have included his signature ability to copy enemies, but this is still a fun platformer.

15.   Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins – I remember always wanting this game as a kid, but sadly I never got my hands on it until I was an adult. After finally playing it, I see that it’s a pretty good Mario game and more faithful to the series than its predecessor. The controls still aren't great, but they're an improvement over its predecessor, and it doesn't really become a problem until the final stage.

16.   Castlevania: The Adventure – A very sluggish feeling game, but it’s not so bad once you adjust to the pace. My least favorite of the GB Castlevania games though.

17.   Robocop 2 – It’s probably not a great game, and I haven’t played it in probably 25 years, but it was one of the few GB games I owned as a kid, so I’ll always have a soft spot for it. I could never get past that sliding block puzzle, and I still think of this game every time I see one.

18.   Super Mario Land – It’s got some awkward and janky controls, but this was a decent attempt at an early Mario title for the Game Boy.

19.   Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers – It's a huge step up from its predecessor in terms of visuals, but not much else. Still a very simplistic game, but decent enough.

20.   Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan – An extremely simple and not particularly noteworthy game.

@Crabby - Regarding Wario Land II, I actually thought it was exclusively a GBC game and wasn't eligible for this list, so I didn't try it when I was sampling games.

[Crabmaster2000]

1. Donkey Kong 94 - Long before Resident Evil 2 Remake and Final Fantasy VII Remake were blowing our minds with their reimaginings of great games of the past there was Donkey Kong for the Game Boy. Took a classic and expanded on the solid core into something truly special.
2. Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening - For me this was the first game that proved that handheld gaming could hold its own against consoles. This game was every bit as good as the Zelda games that had come before it and wasn’t a watered down version to suit the platform.
3. Wario Land II - An amazing take on puzzle/exploration platforming. So many secrets and reasons to replay stages and experiment. One of the best Wario games of all time and I’d even rank it extremely highly in the general Mario pantheon.
4. Kirby’s Dream Land - One of the greatest gaming soundtracks of all time. As with most game boy games it’s short and not overly challenging, but it has so much charm and character that it’s always a pleasure to play.
5. Kirby’s Dream Land 2 - the addition of animal companions adds some extra depth to the original Kirby formula. Doesn’t quite have the same appeal as the original game though and definitely doesn’t have quite as strong of a soundtrack.
6. Tetris - Still a great version of Tetris to play. I enjoy a lot of the modern comforts that have been added to the series, but for its time this was one of the best!
7. Mega Man V - Mega Man IV and V are not as good as the best Mega Man games on the NES, but they are better than the worst Mega Man games on the NES. Since Mega Man is better than pretty much everything else this are really good
8. Mega Man IV - Mega Man IV and V are not as good as the best Mega Man games on the NES, but they are better than the worst Mega Man games on the NES. Since Mega Man is better than pretty much everything else this are really good
9. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins - A massive improvement over Super Mario Land. Cool new villain with Wario, neat new power up with the Carrot and some interesting levels and secrets. First solid Mario entry on a handheld.
10. Batman:The Video Game - If you can ignore the fact that batman uses a gun through the whole game this is a really fun action platformer with great music.
11. Looney Tunes - A rare licensed gem. Each stage focuses on a different Looney Tunes character so you get a great variety of stage designs from using Bugs’s jumping to Speedy’s size/speed and why not put Porky in a shmup?
12. Gargoyle's Quest - The perfect length and challenge for a handheld RPG. Not overly long or complicated. And takes the lore of classic Ghosts n Goblins and expands it into new territories. More spin offs should be as bold.
13. Kid Icarus: of Myths and Monsters - Better than it’s console counterpart is pretty much something you can never say about the handheld version. Kid Icarus is an exception to that rule in every way.
14. Metroid II - This isn’t the best Metroid around, but it’s still a good entry. Worth playing for fans of the series, but probably not the best one to start with if you’re new.
15. Pokemon Blue - An RPG that’s shallow in story, but deep in mechanics. Still my personal favorite Pokemon game as they get far too involved in other systems later on for my tastes.
16. Duck Tales - Close enough to the console version that it’s still a lot of fun to play
17. Dr. Mario - Not quite as good as it’s console counterpart, but a decent version if you need your Dr. Mario fix on the go
18. Picross - One of the great chill out puzzlers of all time!
19. Revenge of the Gator - In the vein of video pinball games like Alien and Devil’s Crush Revenge of the Gator is a unique pinball table made just for this game. Some fun gimmicks and secrets make this a personal favorite.
20. Adventures of Star Saver - There are better action games. This one is pure nostalgia for me though. And it does have one of the best jams on the system: https://youtu.be/6yfKXkx2ZNE


All you Super Mario Land 3 fans need to do yourselves a favor and play Wario Land II!!

[Crabmaster2000]

@disposed Hero - I was worried about that. It had an original game boy release and then they re-released it the following year with extra GBC features. So it's kind of on both.

[shaggy]

1. Tetris - I remember playing this game for hours on end and my mom even enjoyed playing this.  There was no other choice for my number one given how much time I played this game.  Nintendo did the system right by making this the pack in game.
2. Metroid II
3. Nemesis
4. Sword of Hope - I've been a fan of Kemco ever since playing Shadowgate and a fan of the "point and click" genre.  I knew once I saw this game in Nintendo Power I had to get this and I was not disappointed and loved every minute of it.
5. Donkey Kong - This game starts out like the original Donkey Kong but after that it's a great puzzle game.  I remember after getting through the original levels of the game and getting to the puzzle levels how much I enjoyed this game.  I would definitely seek this out and give it a try.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
7. Final Fantasy Adventure
8. Final Fantasy Legend
9. Batman
10. Castlevania
11. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan
12. Super Mario Land 2
13. Solomon's Club
14. Super Mario Land
15. Gargoyle's Quest
16. Operation C
17. Mega Man II
18. Kriby's Dream Land
19. Milon's Secret Castle
20. Baseball

[MetalFRO]

Okay, here we go!

1. Tetris - I don't think there was any question this would be #1. Not only is it one of the best selling video games of all time, but as a frequent player of the game, this version in particular, I think I've clocked more hours into Tetris on the Game Boy than any other console or portable game, save for a handful of perpetual mobile games. This is the very definition of an evergreen game. The fact that this pack-in is still held up as a definitive version of the game speaks to its quality, and to the simple joy of playing Tetris.

2. Donkey Kong '94 - When Nintendo released a game in 1994, supporting their new Super Game Boy peripheral, sporting simply "Donkey Kong" as a moniker, many people probably assumed it would just be a slicker, lightly tweaked version of Nintendo's classic arcade game. They were only marginally correct. Instead, Nintendo took the levels from the original game, and fleshed out those ideas, creating an experience that spans 101 levels, and oozes with so much charm, it's hard to argue that this isn't a superior experience to the arcade original in almost every way.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - For a guy who took more than a couple decades for this series to "click" for me, I have become an unabashed apologist for this particular entry in the series. I didn't "get it" at first, and even when I bought and played the Game Boy Color redux version, it didn't grab me, like I hoped it would. Now that I've played through it 3 times, including once on the Nintendo Switch remake, I can say I'm a true fan. What Nintendo accomplished with this game, both in terms of subtle storytelling, technical achievement, and sheer enjoyment, is hard to quantify.

4. Super Mario Land 2 - I've said for years that one of my personal favorite Game Boy games is the original Super Mario Land. While that remains my own pick, I have to objectively give the nod to its sequel for taking nearly everything that was good about the original, and improving upon it, while also taking what were seen as flaws in the original, and eliminating those things. As a game, it's so much bigger, has more personality, and perfectly distills the "Super Mario Bros. 3" experience down to something that still works in the handheld format.

5. Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge - Konami's 1st foray into miniaturizing the Castlevania experience on Game Boy was an admirable attempt, but was fraught with problems, many of which caused the game to be looked at with much disdain. Not so with this sequel, however. Not only did they address most of the criticisms leveled at the original, but this sequel also proves to be a longer game, with a better balance of challenge, and even more impressive graphics and sound.

6. Gargoyle's Quest - Capcom's spin-off game, from the Ghouls 'n Ghosts/Makaimura series, this action adventure title shifts the focus from hero Arthur, to Firebrand, one of the Red Arremers depicted in the original Ghosts 'n Goblins. This prequel combines an overhead world, and light RPG elements, with methodical action platforming, and does so in a package that is quite impressive on the hardware. One of the finest early titles on the handheld.

7. Final Fantasy Legend II - Known as SaGa II in Japan, this is arguably the finest RPG on the Game Boy. It took the framework established by the original, and built upon it, with a more cohesive story, and more expansive world. Many of the elements from the 1st game are here, but they're just done better in this sequel.

8. Metroid II: Return of Samus - Nintendo took a risk with a couple of their franchises, moving them from the home console to the handheld, including Kid Icarus, and this, the 2nd game in the Metroid series. While I have a lot of nostalgia for the former, this game gets the nod for pushing the formula in a bold direction, while still maintaining the feeling of loneliness and isolation that the original was known for. This sequel does a fine job of straddling the line between homage to its predecessor, and improvement in how it approaches the game play.

9. Gradius: Interstellar Assault - The Game Boy isn't known much for shooters, but this original entry by Konami is quite possibly the finest example, at least what made it out of Japan. The graphics and sound are improved over the already solid Nemesis, and with all original levels and designs, it helped to further establish the Gradius series lore.

10. Wario Land - Rather than continue to iterate on the Super Mario Land formula, Nintendo decided to try something new, and instead, allowed the player to take control of the 2nd game's greedy figure, Wario. By changing up the approach and dynamics, you get an experience that has a mildly familiar feel, but also charts its own course, and offers a very distinct style of game play that went on to be more influential than the series from which it spun out.

11. Fortified Zone - This overhead action/adventure game takes familiar elements from the original Metal Gear NES game, but simplifies the experience somewhat. The inclusion of male and female protagonists, both of whom are necessary to use during the course of the game, due to their unique skillsets, helped set the game apart, and brought a unique experience to the handheld.

12. Heiankyo Alien - Originally a 1979 arcade game, this version just over a decade later, updates the formula with new graphics and sound, and new mechanics that help it keep its status as the seminal "trap 'em up" game.

13. Kirby's Dream Land 2 - The original Game Boy game was a lot of fun, but when Kirby made his debut on the NES a couple years later, it added new elements that really took it to the next level. When Kirby came back home to the Game Boy, those elements came with him, and elevated the experience above its predecessor to be the definitive handheld take on the character.

14. Mercenary Force - It would be easy to merely call this game a shoot-em-up, but that's far too reductive. Rather, this game adds new elements, like controlling an entire team of people that walk along and shoot, and as these mercenaries take damage and die, it significantly alters the way you play the game. You have to balance your approach, and be mindful of the different types of mercenaries you hire, because their unique skillsets change the dynamics of how you are able to attack enemies. Very innovative for its time.

15. Mega Man V - Most of the Blue Bomber's handheld games were smaller takes on the NES entries, often consisting of a combination of bosses from previous games. The 5th and final entry is the lone innovator of the bunch, with a unique set of bosses, and new elements added. It still brings the Mega Man formula to the Game Boy with competence and style, but the new robot masters and environments help push this one to the top.

16. Contra: The Alien Wars - The lone port on this list, its inclusion is primarily because of what Konami managed to accomplish with this game on the hardware. The previous game, Operation C, had been a fine redux of Super C in some ways, with some new and original locations, but the sheer audacity of Konami to take their Super NES game and cram it into the hardware is on full display here. There's no reason this should be as good as it is, but it works.

17. Revenge of the Gator - During the Game Boy's lifespan, there were a surprising number of pinball games released. This particular game took the limitations of the handheld, and managed to still make a fun game that approximated the pinball experience, while including elements that had started to become staples in video pinball games by that time, such as moving enemy characters, or bonus rooms. A very charming and fun game.

18. Double Dragon II - The first appearance of the Lee brothers on the Game Boy was a conversion of the NES game, somewhat trimmed down, but with unbalanced difficulty. This 2nd game is a unique experience, however, and is better for it. Not content to be a port of the NES sequel, Double Dragon II on the Game Boy is its own thing, and ends up being a fun game in its own right, and a solid beat-em-up.

19. Trax - This unsung game takes the vertical scrolling shooter formula, and does something unique with it. Trax sees you piloting a tank, and giving you the ability to change your direction of fire, and deal with various obstacles on the ground that you have to maneuver around, along with some you can blow up, all while avoiding enemies and enemy fire. It's a clever little game that definitely needs more exposure.

20. F-1 Race - I'm not a big racing game fan, because I'm rather terrible at them. But Nintendo provided an experience with F-1 Race that is hard to deny. I bought this as a kid, and had the opportunity to race against friends, which changed the way I saw the genre, having mostly played single player racers up to that point. I never got the chance to do a full-on, 4-player race, but it was a solid enough experience to think that it's probably the best original racing game on the handheld.

[EZ Racer]

8 of mine are gone. I thought FOR SURE 4 more of my picks that havnt been removed yet would have and stuff like Wario Land II, Mega Man IV, Duck Tales, Dr.Mario and Picross would have been no brianers. Can't wait to see what you weirdos picked.

Now that the final list is out, what were the four games you thought for sure would be removed?

[Crabmaster2000]

8 of mine are gone. I thought FOR SURE 4 more of my picks that havnt been removed yet would have and stuff like Wario Land II, Mega Man IV, Duck Tales, Dr.Mario and Picross would have been no brianers. Can't wait to see what you weirdos picked.

Now that the final list is out, what were the four games you thought for sure would be removed?

Batman for sure surprised me. Gargoyle's Quest and Kid Icarus too. Not sure which the 4th one I meant was though, lol. Might have just been surprised to have seen Revenge of the Gator on another list also even though it didn't make the final cut.

[shaggy]

8 of mine are gone. I thought FOR SURE 4 more of my picks that havnt been removed yet would have and stuff like Wario Land II, Mega Man IV, Duck Tales, Dr.Mario and Picross would have been no brianers. Can't wait to see what you weirdos picked.

Now that the final list is out, what were the four games you thought for sure would be removed?

Batman for sure surprised me. Gargoyle's Quest and Kid Icarus too. Not sure which the 4th one I meant was though, lol. Might have just been surprised to have seen Revenge of the Gator on another list also even though it didn't make the final cut.

Gargoyle's Quest was the only game I played in the series.  I believe I rented this one and had to have and went out and bought it when I was a kid.  It's a great game.

[MetalFRO]

I was a little surprised to see Batman on the list, as well. I'm guessing that's a nostalgia pick. It's a solid action platformer, but I would think that Batman: The Animated Series would have been the choice, instead. Gargoyle's Quest is a fantastic game, and it's been highly lauded for a long time, so that was no surprise for me. And as much nostalgia as I have for Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, I don't feel it's enough of an improvement over the original game that it warranted inclusion.