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Game Boy

Game Boy logo
"Now you're playing with portable power."

The "classic" Game Boy had quite the library despite such limited hardware! Games can be played on a Game Boy Color, Super Game Boy, or Game Boy Advance but the Super Game Boy both colorizes and even enhances some games!

  • Anything with a star (*) is SGB enchanced, even a few hybrid GBC games! (Or at least given borders and such)

Games marked with Eshop mini logo are available on the 3DS' Nintendo eShop.

Please remember that Game Boy Color-bordered games go in the Game Boy Color page, even if they can be played on the original Game Boy.

The List[]

Box Art Title Genre Description
Adventure island ii Adventure Island II Platformer Despite the name, this is actually a port of Adventure Island 3 from the NES. However, now it has simple 4-number passwords and cheats! Same platformy goodness of its NES variant, just monochromatic here. Even the music is pretty spot-on! The first GB AI (a port of 2NES) is okay, but the music and action are off somewhat. Not here!
562778 7507 front-1- Adventures of Lolo* Puzzle (First off: Play the European version. It has 144 puzzles versus the Japanese 50.) After his NES adventures, Lolo and his family go to an amusement park. But that bastard King Egger shut everything down, so Lolo goes through mazes and stages to get it up and running again. Make your way to the exit by solving puzzles and beating baddies. Features a tutorial mode for beginners to the series and has Super Game Boy support.
Amazing PenguinGB Amazing Penguin Puzzle You're a Penguin. Amazing. Clear the balls in a stage to flip all the tiles. Clearing a tile can KO foes along that tile's lines and corners. The minus balls make foes reverse their movements, while the black balls can be kicked or quickly smashed (the latter good in a pinch, like when you're one ball away from a tile or stage clear). Black balls can only be kicked along their axis (x or y). Stages can get several screens huge, and later foes have different movement patterns, so minus balls can really help later on. Don't get trapped, as foes can come from several sides at once!
Kwirk A-mazing Tater / Puzzle Boy series Puzzle These involve Sokoban-like box puzzles, but also mix things up with stage elements like revolving gates and what not. It starts with Kwirk, which changed the protag from a potato to a tomato in the localization. A-mazing Tater, the 2nd game, changed him back. Spud's Adventure is a so-so Action RPG spin-off, and the least like the puzzle games.
Anotherbible Another Bible* RPG / Strategy The spirtual precursor to Devil Survivor and a spin off of the Majin Tensei series. Plays like a cross between SMT and Shining Force. This features typical Megaten stuff of recruiting monsters (and sometimes humans) to tear shit up alongside you. Much more cute and light-hearted than the aforementioned games, but still pretty tough. Kind of slow, so be sure you have some way of speeding it up. Available in English thanks to a Fan-Translation rom patch.
Avenging-spirit-1- Avenging Spirit Platformer Jaleco takes a twisted inspiration from Kirby. You control a spirit of a recently-killed guy who still needs to sort out whodunnit. Possess enemy characters and control them, with different types having different attributes, such as health, weapons, and skills. A surprisingly solid, although creepy, game.
Eshop mini logo (NA, PAL)
Balloon-kid Balloon Kid Platformer The sequel to Balloon Fight. This more closely resembles the Balloon Trip mode of the original, but is expanded to let you release and re-inflate your balloons to manage the crafty level designs of the worlds you travel in. Has a GBC version only released in Japan which also has save-functions and nicely recolored stages.
Eshop mini logo (NA, PAL)
Batman Gameboy-0
Batman: The Video Game Platformer This is a totally different game from the NES and Genesis versions, and it's damn good. Batman wields a pistol for the whole game, which is pretty funny. It's a solid run-'n-gun platformer that plays like a mix between Contra and Mega Man, and the music is kickass like all great Sunsoft games.
Batman-rotj-game-boy-cover
Batman: Return of the Joker Platformer Once again, this is different from the NES game. In fact, it's more like the first Batman game for that system, where you have a wallkick. There's also a grappling hook that's hard to get used to, but not unintuitive. The graphics are very impressive for the hardware, and it's got an awesome soundtrack by Manami Matsumae of Mega Man and Shovel Knight fame. WARNING: This game is short but ungodly brutal, with no extra lives and limited continues.
Batman TAS GB cover Batman: The Animated Series Platformer Awesome game made by Konami, it's one of the best early Batman games. The game is somewhat similar to the Nes game made by sunsoft. It has wall jumping, sub items, and you can also use the grappling hook. The game manages to capture the "darkdeco" style of the series pretty well too.
BAToshinden GB Battle Arena Toshinden* Fighting A 2D version of the arcade smash hit. The characters are cuter looking and the story is a bit goofier, but this still kicks as much ass as you'd hope. This controls surprisingly solid for a GB game, unlike Takara's previous fighting port efforts. If you've wanted a good GB arena-fighter, give this a whirl.
BattleofOlympusGB Battle of Olympus, The Platfomrer / RPG Your gal pal has been kidnapped, and it's up to you to get some help from the Greek gods of Olympus to save her. Plays like Zelda 2 and Faxanadu. Can get pretty hard and confusing early on if you decide to go where you're not recommended to. So while it is non-linear to an extent, you should consider sticking with the advice of others to avoid getting killed. Slightly altered from the NES version, but still pretty damn good.
Battletoads game boy
Battletoads Beat 'em Up Don't be fooled! This is a wholly original title using similar gameplay and visuals to the NES game. And just like the original, this is one hard son-of-a-bitch, though it's a little more fair this time around. Fight your way through nine levels and save your toad bros! There's a "sequel" titled "Battletoads in Ragnarok's World" but THAT is just an inferior console port of the original. Confusing, huh?
BtoadsandDD GB Battletoads & Double Dragon Beat 'em Up THE ULTIMATE TEAM. Pretty much EVERY version of this was the same in the best way possible. Outside of sound and visuals being scaled back a tiny bit, and sadly no multi-player, this is as solid as the console releases.
G09333ulztg-1- Bionic Commando Platformer A futuristic retelling of the NES story. Everything's about the same control-wise, no jumping, swinging only, gun shooting, wire-tapping, and item equipping. However, the game plays much faster and smoother. The soundtrack has NES remixes and some new songs, and despite being on GB, sounds fantastic. There's also passwords if you buy a real cart and can't finish in one sitting.
Eshop mini logo (NA, PAL)
BladesofSteel GB Blades of Steel Sports HOCKEYAN GAEMS. You should know this. If not, give it a (slap-)shot. A pretty good alternative to the NES version. It's a bit scaled-down, but the action's as sweet as ever. (Note: That sweepstakes offer may not be valid anymore.)
BlasterMasterBoy GB Blaster Master Boy / Bomber King 2 Puzzle A lot of people were disappointed that this wasn't a mini Blaster Master (that actually came later, see below). In reality, this was the sequel to Bomber King/Robo Warrior. Like BM though, it uses similar weapons, but like BomberMAN, it also has bombs and hides power-ups similarly. Something of an odd mix, but it works pretty well.
Bonksadv-gb Bonk's Adventure Platformer NOT SO FAST! Before you think this is just a Bonk port, think again! This is actually a remix of the first 2 Bonks, using similar stages and elements found in both. It's still the same Bonk-an action you know, but for some reason they made it a bit easier in the GB process. Oh well.
BonksRevenge GB Bonk's Revenge* Platformer Similar in structure to the first GB Bonk. This time, Bonk can gain power-ups that alter his appearance, and give him skills relative to his new duds. One of the handier ones is the thief, which lets you pick locks, which often are on doors hiding hidden goodies. Like the first, this is also a bit on the easy side.
BoulderDash GB Boulder Dash Puzzle The classic game of Boulder Dash comes to GB! Find loot, avoid enemies, and don't get crushed boulders.
BubbleBobblePart2-Jr- GB Bubble Bobble Part 2 (Junior) Puzzle Something of a remix using similar gameplay from Bubble Bobble Part 2 for NES. Uses similar sized sprites, compensating by using multi-screen stages instead of jamming them all into one tiny screen. Pretty good and thankfully a bit easier than its older counterparts. Sadly though, it's only 1 player.
AtomicPunk GB BomberBoy / Atomic Punk / DynaBlaster Puzzle SAME GAME DIFFERENT NAME. Essentially a sort of Bomberman RPG-esque. Not quite to the levels of Quest and Tournament/Story, but some elements can be found here. You can find money throughout stages to buy upgrades from a shop. If you like Bomberman, give it a shot. It even has passwords to continue on.
69973-7 Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge Platformer The much improved sequel to the first GB entry. You choose which order to beat the stages in, and each is full of tricks and traps respective to the areas. Two sub-weapons were added, Holy Water and Axes/Crosses (this one depends on which region version you play). Movement is still slow, but the level design now considers this. The soundtrack is also quite good. Arguably the best of the GB Castlevanias, and still worth playing to the end by any Castlevania fan. Has an optional patch to increase Christopher's movement here.
The first Adventure and Legends are both kinda okay, and you can still play them, but this is by far the way to go. This and the first game are included on the Konami GB Collection series on GBC, in full color. Although there is a WiiWare spiritual remake under Castlevania: The Adventure, it's more of a brand new game than a remix of the GB titles. Though it does retain similar aspects.
433979-catrap box art large-1- Catrap Puzzle A deceptively cute and innocent puzzle game that shows it's truly vicious side after the first handful of levels. You have to both break apart and alter the construction of levels made up of blocks and enemies. While some foes are easy to kill, you have to think ahead of how proper placement of obstacles will help you bump off the hard to reach ones. You really have to bust your brain later on to get through the harder puzzles. Thankfully, it includes an in-game rewind function. Here's some gameplay footage to help you visualize what to do: Puzzles 19-21
Eshop mini logo (NA, PAL)
569669 7030 front-1- Cave Noire Roguelike/Puzzle A Japanese-only, but simple to understand Roguelike puzzler. Now has a translation patch! There are different dungeons with different goals to accomplish. However, the dungeons are randomly generated, and feature many monsters, tricks, and traps to get through. Thankfully, you can find some power-ups to even the score. A nice way to kill time and arguably the roguelike spiritual predecessor to short-burst RPG, Half-Minute Hero, available on PSP. Has a spiritual sequel in the Monster Gate series on GBA.
Tumblr mebh22U7lv1qhhv13o1 1280.png-1 Chalvo 55 - Super Puzzle Action Platform / Puzzle A fun experience: You're a robot who can morph into a ball to reach high grounds. Pretty simple,but when it comes to exploration,it works very nice. Puzzles are kinda easy for a game with great potential.If the language barrier is too tough for you,lil' fag,there is a patch made by Lame Boy. Get it here.
Cosmo Tank box art Cosmo Tank Shoot 'em Up The player controls a tank from a variety of perspectives. The game begins on a planet's surface with an overhead view. When the player enters a tunnel, the view switches to first-person. After destroying the Life Core inside a tunnel, the player travels to a new planet through a vertically scrolling stage.
Shinchangb4 Crayon Shin-chan 4* Platformer The best of the GB Shin-chan games. The rest are mediocre platformers or mini-game fests that don't play as well as you'd hope, especially with the need to know Japanese in the minigames. This is a pretty good platformer with power-ups that work akin to Mario. This is short and easy, but pretty fun and has Super Game Boy support. Fun Fact: This was graphics hax'd into the pirate game "Super Mario Land 4" in those wacky 50-in-1 carts you might have seen at flea markets, pawn shops, etc.
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Daisenryaku Strategy For wargames lovers for GB,here is one fun and kinda addictive game. Some features in this one resembles much the Wars franchise on the Nintendo' consoles,but in future entries it has it's own gameplay and feeling. Anyway,it's JP-Onry,but a patch exists.
Gameboy-donkey kong Donkey Kong* Platformer A remake of the original, plus 97 new, original levels. Mario must rescue Pauline from Donkey Kong. Pretty simple, until you have to track that fucker around the world, which is hellbent on killing you. BUT! Mario's much tougher than his arcade days, and now has so many new acrobatic jumping skills, only Mario 64 had more. Level design is KING, since you can do levels normally, or use SKILL to blast your way through most in less than half the time. Due to said fun-tastic design and challenge, it's an amazing game, one of the GB's finest, and worth spending money. Even on the 3DSVC. The spiritual sequel on GBA is not quite as good, but still pretty well-done.
Eshop mini logo (NA, PAL)
Donkey-kong-land Donkey Kong Land* Platformer At first glance, you may think DKL is just Country in GB form with minor changes, but it's actually it's own game built on a similar engine! Some things were left out or modified, true, but some new level themes include a city, a ship level with unique graphics, and sunken ruins different from those in DKC. There's also new enemies and bosses, and a much higher difficulty to make up for the short length. Some say it's the only Land game that's actually worth playing, but at least it's a good one.
DD GB Double Dragon Beat 'em up A mini version of Double Dragon. This one is based on the arcade version so it can actually have multiplayer and you have pretty much every move from the start. Pretty damn tough though as enemies just love to stunlock you into repeated combos, while making it hard for you to do the same. It can be finished, just not easily.
Eshop mini logo (NA, PAL)
Duck tales 1 gameboy DuckTales Platformer The game features a 2D side-scrolling platform that controls very similarly to Mega Man. Graphics are cartoonish and well-done, with memorable music, and controls are very simple, with only a few actions. Thankfully, the well-done level design makes you use everything in your arsenal. Warning: If you've played the NES version, there's a difference in jumping that makes this a bit harder.
654088-dkt2gb0f large Duck Tales 2 Platformer A port of the NES version. Scrooge's main attack is his cane - by jumping in the air and holding B, the cane turns into a pogo stick, letting him jump onto most enemies' heads and cross dangerous terrain like spikes with ease. When against a wall or an object, Scrooge can golf-club it with his cane, sending the object flying or occasionally revealing secret items. New to Duck Tales 2 is the ability to push and pull certain objects with the cane after hitting them.
Final Fantasy Adventure Front Cover Final Fantasy Adventure Action RPG This is actually the first Mana game, Seiken Densetsu. Its gameplay is similar to that of the original Legend of Zelda game, but with some RPG elements. Great story, neat monster designs, and awesome soundtrack. This game pretty much proved to everyone that you can create an involving and captivating epic on a small handheld. Sword of Mana is a remake of this, but several fans of the series prefer the original. Released in Europe as "Mystic Quest".
Final Fantasy Legend II Coverart Final Fantasy Legend II / SaGa 2: Hihou Densetsu RPG The FFL series is known as the SaGa series in Japan. You have 3 basic types of allies: Humans, (balanced fighting and magic) and Mutants/Espers (good at magic), and Robots (good at fighting). A 4th type, Monsters, can eat meat from enemies and change into different critters with different specialties. Has a twisted, but well-told, plot involving a giant tower and killing gods from myth. Has excellent music and quite unique gameplay: no level ups, stat gains and spell learning happen based on your fighting methods. A DS remake is out in Japan, with a full English translation patch available for the ROM. It's easier, but also changes a few things for the better.
Final Fantasy Legend III Coverart Final Fantasy Legend III / SaGa 3: Jikuu no Hasha RPG Four kids and some "guest" characters fight monsters and save the world. Business as usual, BUT you must time travel between Past, Present, and Future, to stop another dimension that's been flooding time itself with demons. Like FFL2, consume parts from enemies to turn a chosen ally into a critter (although you can revert them, too). Good aesthetics, solid gameplay mixes SaGa and the actual Final Fantasy series, and the plot gets pretty fucked up. This also has a remake for the DS, with an English translation patch being worked on. The remake is more akin to other SaGa games (i.e. no level ups and random stat bootsts), but also has use-based skill-learning (the more you use a weapon, the more skills you can learn and use).
The SaGa continues in the Romancing SaGa series for SNES/SFC.
782343-game watch gallery coverart large Game & Watch Gallery* Arcade This game features 4 classic Game & Watch games, plus a secret unlockable one. Each are available in classic and modern variations, with modern having familiar characters from the Mario universe and some neat little twists of their own (such as a stun attack in Octopus). There's sequels on GBC and also available a 4th on GBA, which has more games than the GB ones. All have different games to choose, but there are a small few that pop up again in some.
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Ganbare Goemon - Sarawareta Ebisumaru! - (GB) - 01
Ganbare Goemon: Sarawareta Ebisumaru! / Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon Action-RPG It's friggin' Goemon. This uses similar gameplay to the Famicom games, but many would say this is much better than those. There's a large variety of enemies and bosses, and you need to do little subquests for side characters before you can move to the next level. Sequels and spinoffs are on GB/GBC, though of varying quality. Included on Konami GB Collection Vol. 3 for GBC, fully translated and colorized.
Gargoyles-quest-cover Gargoyle's Quest Action RPG / Platformer A platform/side scrolling adventure game with some RPG elements from Capcom. You play Firebrand, a gargoyle who has powerful claws that allow him to cling to walls and other surfaces on a vertical plane. Firebrand can also hover and fly for awhile with his wings. Destroy the enemy characters with your fiery breath. The game also contains an adventure type story that is unfolded by interacting with characters from an over-head perspective.
Eshop mini logo (NA, PAL)
GBbox Harvest Moon GB* Sim A farm simulation game for the Game Boy. Manage your farm with crops and animals, court a gal and get married, and make your dead grandpa proud by living a rich, vitamin-filled life. There's a number of events for you to attend and take part in and weather conditions that you must consider. Sorta like... a simulation of life? Sequels are on GBC and expand your options further.
HyperLodeRunner GB Hyper Lode Runner Puzzle If you never played a Lode Runner game, here's the "Lode"-down: Find all the treasure and escape while avoiding the goons out to get you. You can trap said goons and/or make a shortcut by making pitfalls. This is as solid as any console release, although it is a bit easier than most.
IkarinoYousai2 GB Ikari no Yousai 2 Run and Gun An overhead game that plays like a more action-y Metal Gear. You have weapons with different attributes and two characters to switch between, who also have different attributes. Much-improved sequel to Fortified Zone. Had a SNES sequel, Operation Logic Bomb, but it changed up some things, so beware if you play it after this. Even though its a Japanese exclusive, the first game was released in America and Europe as "Fortified Zone", and is almost as good. Has a ROM translation patch to change the text to English
KaerunoTameniKanewaNaru boxart Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru / For the Frog the Bell Tolls Action-Adventure A Japan-Only Nintendo classic. This combines overhead and platforming exploration to test your wits and magic items. This game's engine was modified to make Link's Awakening, so it should be no surprise! Fights are oddly automatic without your input (although you can use certain key items). This is meant for checking every nook and cranny for level-up items to get stronger. A translation patch is finally finished! Get it, because the flavorful characters add to the experience.
Kid Dracula (cover) Kid Dracula Platformer A pretty badass platforming game made by Konami as a parody of Castlevania. Cute graphics, fun, addictive, and gets challenging. Pretty expensive these days though.
Kid Icarus OM&M boxart Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters Platformer The music isn't quite as good, but the action's better than ever. Gone are the cheap bottomless pits of death, instead replaced with cylindrical like levels for vertical stages, though the horizontal ones stay similar and solid. The power-ups never get disabled like the first, so you can notice your progression as you power-up through this tough game. The bosses are a bit tougher than the first, too. The last one is colossal, taking up over two screens! Never released in Japan before the Virtual Console.
Eshop mini logo (NA, PAL)
Kirby's Block Ball Kirby's Block Ball* Puzzle Unlike his pinball outing, Kirby can now copy powers here! This has a similar theme to Pinball Land, but here the goal is to defeat the enemies scattered throughout stages. There's even boss battles as well! This is one of the better Breakout-esques you can play, mostly due to the powers and overall well-done design of the game.
Eshop mini logo (NA, PAL)
Kirbys-dream-land-gb-cover-front Kirby's Dream Land Platformer The original Kirby title. A short, fun game that can be completed in a few short minutes but the music is killer and it's still a good game! No copy ability though! The "extra mode" you unlock makes the game more challenging with extra enemies and reduced vitality.
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61-1 Kirby's Dream Land 2* Platformer Kirby keeps his copy skill from his NES adventure. Adds Kirby's animal friends to the mix. Each alter his powers in different ways making for a hefty number of power+pal combinations. Short and easy, like most Kirby games, but the rainbow drops give it some much needed depth, especially to unlock the last boss, who can be a bit challenging.
Eshop mini logo (NA, PAL)
Kirby-pinball-land Kirby Pinball Land Pinball 3 pinball tables, each with a Kirby theme. Many objects and obstacles are made out of enemies from Kirby's Dream Land. Like that game, you unfortunately can't copy powers. The game is still solid, and plenty of fun for both Kirby and Pinball fans. Hey, it was made by the team that did Revenge of the Gator! The main menu theme is now infamous on /v/ thanks to this anon's story.
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Legendoftheriverking Legend of the River King* RPG / Sports An RPG about fishing? Yes! Your little sister has a strange illness and needs the magic of a legendary fish to get better. But he's a helluva whopper, and a only master fisher can hope to catch him. So you have to fish about to get experience and make some cash for better gear. You even encounter wild animals who you fight BAREHANDED using a neat system that targets parts of their body. Despite this, its relatively laid back, and good fun. Also has a GBC version available.
563277 88256 front Legend of Zelda, The: Link's Awakening Action-Adventure The first Zelda for Gameboy, Link's Awakening paved the way for the future GBC Zeldas. It introduced some new items to the series, like the Roc's Feather (which lets Link jump on command) and reworked some older ones, such as the shield. Released after Link to the Past, this is the Zelda that introduced a focus on characters and narrative that would become used more often in the series. A well-known warping glitch using the map screen allows this game to be completely broken, and can be fun to mess around with after you've beaten the game. Many consider it one of the best 2D Zeldas, and that ain't just nostalgia talkin'. An enhanced GBC version is available.
1240479197-00 Lucky Luke Action / Platformer Based on the French comic books, this game fares pretty well on its own. Solid platforming in the wild west, with tight graphics and music for the Game Boy. Gameplay is varied, and while the first few levels are fairly easy, it gets quite tricky in the later ones. An updated version exists for the Game Boy Color.
Makaimura Gaiden The Demon Darkness GB cover Makai-Mura Gaiden: The Demon Darkness / Gargoyle's Quest 2 Action RPG / Platformer An "enhanced port" of Gargoyle's Quest 2 for NES but with 2 new levels and some differences here and there (like near identical graphics to the above and more limited hover). J only, but has a translation patch!
MarioPicrossG Mario's Picross / Picross 2* Puzzle Plenty of picross puzzles to plunder. The Japanese only sequel adds puzzles 4 times the size. Play with the sound off to save your ears.
Eshop mini logo (NA, PAL)
Mega Man in Dr. Wily's Revenge Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge Platformer First of the GB Mega Man games a.k.a the Rockman World series. Uses bosses and mechanics from the first two NES MM games, where your run, jump, shoot, and gain the powers of defeated bosses. It also remixes elements. Stage design is all new and even though you fight Ice Man, Elec Man, Cut Man, and Fire Man from NESMM1, you'll find various bosses from NESMM1 have been replaced by Quick Man, Heat Man, Bubble Man, and Flash Man, all from NESMM2. Unique to this Game Boy series is a powerful new boss unique to each game in the series. Even though the series is a remix of the NES games, it's still worth playing even if you played those.
Eshop mini logo (NA, PAL)
70-1 Mega Man II Platformer This GBMM remixes Mega's NES games of 2 and 3. Sliding has been added, and there are E-Tanks from 2 and 3. Mega's robo-dog, Rush, can also be rescued, and he can transform to assist you. The second set of bosses also have their own stages now. The music and melodies for each stage is completely new and different from the NES versions, with varying mileage of enjoyability amongst fans and listeners. The Metal Blade and casual level design makes this the easiest of the 5 games.
Eshop mini logo (NA)
Megamaniii-gb Mega Man III Platformer This entry remixes NESMM 3 and 4. Unlike 2, the melodies and music are faithful to their NES versions. This also adds the Mega Buster from NESMM4. If you hold down the B Button, you'll be able to charge up your cannon for a more powerful shot. Protip: The Megaman Killer here can be a bit challenging, due to his powerful weapon which can kill you in 3 hits. So save up those E-tanks. Arguably one of the hardest of the 5 due to him and some tough level design.
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Mm4 Mega Man IV Platformer This last "standard" entry remixes NESMM 4 and 5. A new shop system is implemented. Press the Select Button on the Stage Select screen, and you can buy various items such as E-Tanks using "P-Chips" found in stages. This game also has hidden passages where Proto Man gives Mega Man items, often giving Super Capsules that refill all the weapons energy and life energy. There's a small kickback from fully-charged buster shots, so beware when firing near a pit. Despite that, it's probably the most well-rounded of the 5, and most worth playing, due to great level design, a sympathetic rival, and some fucking awesome music.
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1155834856-00 Mega Man V* Platformer NOT an NES remix, but an all-new adventure! The all-new Stardroids take a stand, and Mega upgrades his buster to rocket his fist through them (no kickback either). Also, you start with a robo-cat, Tango, who can buzz-saw through foes. The level design, music, and bosses all work the Game Boy's specs to their limits. The longest game of the 5, with the most action. The shop even lets Mega power-up his fist further (along with a secret trick to boost it more so, but it makes the game way too easy). A thrilling conclusion that wraps up the series nicely and is easily on par with the best NESMM games. Best played after beating the first 4 in the series!
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Mercenary Force GB cover Mercenary Force Shoot 'em Up It's a different take on the shoot-'em-up genre. Rather than controlling a spaceship or something like that, this game lets you control four diufferente mercenaries at the same time. You can create your party choosing out of five different classes; Samurai, Peasant, Ninja, Monk and Shrine maiden. Each class has their own strenghs and weaknesses. You can also change the formation of your characters wich affects the gameplay heavily.
Metroid2 Metroid II: Return of Samus Platformer/Adventure Samus Aran continues her mission to protect the galaxy on SR-388, the home planet of the Metroid lifeform, which she must now exterminate. Many Metroids have undergone further evolution, creating some dangerous fights. A well-known glitch activated by rapidly switching gun modes lets you access areas outside intended play areas, leading to massive shortcuts and possibly screwing yourself over. Beat the game before trying it, and be careful with where you save. Now has not one, but TWO remakes: one for PC by a fan in the style of Zero Mission, and one for 3DS by Nintendo.
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Mole mania boxart-1- Mole Mania* Puzzle A neat two-layer puzzle game that has you playing as a tunneling mole. Get to the exit by pushing and shoving objects, digging underground, and trapping and defeating enemies as you try to one-up an asshole farmer. Probably the only game by ol' Shiggy that wasn't a smash hit. That said, it's as good as anything else he's done!
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MotocrossManiacs (11) Motocross Maniacs Racing A side scrolling racing game with platform elements. That's pretty much it, but it's still fun for a simple concept! Sequels are on GBC/GBA. Included on Konami GB Collection Vol. 3 for GBC, in full color (retitled "Bikers") BUT that version is missing multiplayer, so be warned.
Nemesis II
Nemesis II: The Return of the Hero / Gradius: Interstellar Assault Shoot 'em Up The first Nemesis was a so-so remix of Gradius levels, but this is a wholly original title. A solid shmup that's visually impressive for the Game Boy, and with some neat cutscenes between levels. Not much else to say. This and the first game are on the Konami GB Collection series for GBC, in full color (retitled "Gradius" for both).
Ninja Gaiden Shadow Ninja Gaiden Shadow Platformer Despite the name, this is most like Shadow of the Ninja for NES, and also made by Natsume. Regardless, it's still a good game. Like Castlevania Adventure, some things were cut back: The only one "sub-weapon" is the Fire Wheel shot, and Ryu can't climb walls. However! He now has a pimpin' grappling hook and can climb on certain ceilings/floors, which can lead to hidden goodies in addition to a new axis in climbing. The music, action, and some cinematics are still plenty ace, making for an enjoyable "gaiden" to the Ninja Gaiden series.
250px-Operation C Coverart Operation C Run and Gun A very good (given the hardware) pocket spinoff of the Contra series. Less exasperating than the original, but still pretty challenging. Included on Konami GB Collection Vol. 1 for GBC, in full color (retitled "Probotector" but nothing else is changed).
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Penta Dragon Shoot em' Up / Run n' Gun A strange shoot em' up, but it works! The story goes that a human had a baby with a dragon (no, seriously), and the child needs one of her mother's eyes in order to reach adulthood and defend a kingdom. Yeah, it's bizarre, but the game is good. As for the gameplay, well, it's basically a cross between a top-down Run n' Gun like Mercs or Commando, and a shmup. You move the character like in the aforementioned games, but you shoot at waves of monsters (like a shmup) and you also find power-ups and items around, which makes you want to explore.

The screen scrolling is kinda choppy, but has good music and the visuals are similar to Final Fantasy Adventure. JP-Only, but has a translation patch.

Get it here.

Pokemon red box Pokémon Red & Blue* RPG The first games of the Pokémon franchise. Released simultaneously, both games have exclusive Pokémon that you can trade to complete your Pokédex or evolve certain Pokémon. You can also battle other trainers via the Game Boy Link cable. They received updated rereleases as FireRed and LeafGreen for the Game Boy Advance, but if all you have is a Game Boy or Game Boy Color, these are acceptable alternatives.
61ph3g5r9ml Pokémon Yellow* RPG The third version of Pokémon featured updated color (a different palette for each town), and takes story cues from the anime's Kanto arc. Pikachu's sprite and cry was updated, and the little fellow follows around behind you, letting you know what his mood is when you talk to him. It fixed up a lot of things like Charizard can fly now. Enhanced on both SGB and GBC, though it's better on the latter.
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Quarth Shoot 'em Up / Puzzle Tired of Tetris? Want something a little different? Then here comes Quarth. Just say it out loud. QUARTH. Space Invaders meets Tetris. You shoot blocks until they make rectangles, and making bigger ones nets you a higher score. Also on Famicom, but this has 6 selectable ships and a unique soundtrack by Norio Hanzawa. Included on Konami GB Collection Vol. 2 for GBC, in full color (retitled "Block Game") BUT that version is missing multiplayer, so be warned.
RescueofPrincessBlobette frontcover Rescue of Princess Blobette, The Platformer / Puzzle Pretty much plays exactly like A Boy and His Blob on NES, this sequel offers a new adventure for the duo (except now they're stuck in a castle!). As usual, feed jellybeans to Blob to solve puzzles via his transformations. Easily just as satisfying as the original, give this gem a shot.
GB-RevengeOfTheGator-vgo Revenge of the 'Gator Pinball A kickass pinball game featuring a kickass 'Gator theme. Made by HAL, who did the later Kirby Pinball Land, so you know this is good.
G09320h2skh-1- Rolan's Curse II Action RPG You play as a cast of characters who you accumulate throughout the game. Each has access to different weapons and skills which are used to navigate through the world in a Zelda-ish manner. Unlike Zelda, you actually can level up. Pretty decent for an old-school romp. Can get hard even if you level up a lot, as strategy and skill play a key part in boss fights. The first game is okay and you can play it if you want, but this one is much better.
Skate or Die Bad N Rad GB cover Skate or Die: Bad 'N Rad Platformer A spin-off of the main SoD series. You skate, jump, and crouch through stages. Fast reactions are a necessity to avoid both damage and death from foes and environmental hazards alike. Normal levels have you skate along a single plane (with stuff like pitfalls and low ceilings/tunnels) and overhead levels have you go downhill with more room to move, but more obstacles to avoid as well (manholes, spikes, waves, etc.).
There's some neat aspects to stages, like high-speed ramps in the city and a sewer stage where you slow down when trudging in water, making travel tricky, but keeps things interesting. Oh, and there's also bosses like a deranged clown (protip: jump on his balls) and diver who attacks you with trained flying fish. The sparseness of checkpoints makes mastering this a challenge, but it's perfect for thrill-seekers.
SolomonsClub GB Solomon's Club Puzzle A Solomon's Key gaiden game. It plays the same as SK1, where you make and break blocks to beat monsters and make way to the exit, but you can now find shops to buy power-ups from, making it much more accessible to the less challenge-hungry among us. There's also passwords now! If you've ever wanted to get into the Solomon's Key series, this is easily the best one to start with.
Super-mario-land Super Mario Land Platformer A short, but fun Mario game. The challenging level design in the second half is why there's only 4 worlds! This is the brain-child of Legendary Nintendo Innovator Gunpei Yokoi, so you can expect it to be a bit different, such as the SuperBall power, newer and stranger enemies, and the cool shmup-like vehicle stages! Be wary of the altered gravity, or else you may find yourself leaping into an easy death! The unlockable Hard Mode makes things even crazier due to more enemies and clever/dickish placement.
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100-1 Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins Platformer Another Yokoi Mario game. This revamped itself considerably, using SNES-like graphics, a spin jump, and unique, expansive, and FAIR level design. This also introduced Wario, who robs Mario of his vacation-spot castle! Beat the 6 bosses, steal their golden coins, and reclaim your keep from that greedy fuck. But be careful, game over means having to reclaim those coins! Thankfully, the new Bunny-Ear power lets you slow your falls considerably, which is great for tricky areas/bosses.
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SwordofHopeII GB Sword of Hope II RPG Remember Macventure games like Shadowgate and Uninvited? The team that did the NES versions made an RPG using a similar system. Surprisingly, it ended up pretty good. It can be kinda easy to get lost, but its still solid. Unlike SoH1, you can have a party of characters to fight with. Even though its a normal RPG at its core, the different angle on exploration can give you a new viewpoint on it, allowing an enjoyable outlook on a somewhat short-sighted genre.
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TecmoBowl GB Tecmo Bowl Sports Tecmo Bowl from the NES remixed to fit in your pocket. Pretty much the same kind of action, even including cutscenes upon events and half-time. There are no game or season stats and no way to save your season, but there are passwords to let you resume tournament play where you left off. There's even 2-player for you and a football pal
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers Platformer April has been kidnapped (again) and you gotta go rescue her! Fight your way into the Technodrome and kick the shell out of Krang. This is one of the most graphically and audibly impressive games in the entire GB library. Unlike the first entry which was short, easy, slow and shallow (though fun), this is a much more realized game. Each turtle has different stats and abilities this time, and the stages have a lot more variety with things like climbable ceilings, vertical sections, vehicle sections, good stuff. It also has probably the cutest pause screen of all time.
758645-teenage mutant ninja turtles iii radical rescue coverart large Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue Platformer/Adventure April, Splinter, and all the Turtles except Michelangelo have been imprisoned by Cyber Shredder and his Foot Clan in their massive base! Are you a bad enough reptile to save your bros, master, and gal-pal? Unlike the last two, this is more of a Metroidvania title. Explore the base, find keycards and beat the shit out of bosses to get cell keys to free your captive bros. After finding another Ninja Turtle, they can swap with Mikey and each has a special ability to help you progress through various obstacles.
Tetris-nintendo-game-boy-25-ans Tetris Puzzle IT'S FUCKING TETRIS. This is the game you, your sisters, even your mom played endlessly for hours and you loved it. Hell, this game alone helped the GB sell as well as it did. (Seriously, look it up.) If you haven't played this, you're either a liar or a sick fuck. Even if it isn't as good as later versions, you ought to experience this at least once and attempt to grasp what all the hype was about.
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Tetrisattack-gb Tetris Attack / Yoshi de PanePon* Puzzle That classic block-stacking, high-chain-clearing game from the SNES is also on GB. Match 4 blocks minimum in a pattern and send garbage blocks at your enemy. Chain combo to deal even more damage and also save yourself against enemy garbage threats. Also has a extra modes for more challenge and a VS mode to challenge your buddies.
Tetris-blast Tetris Blast / Super Bombliss Puzzle A curious version of Tetris that involves bombs to clear out additional pieces. This is further utilized in a enemy-fighting mode where you use explosions to damage a floating enemy. The enemies get tougher as you proceed, some even dodging explosions or disarming your bombs before they go off! Worth a try if you want a remix from normal Tetris.
TetrisPlus GB Tetris Plus* Puzzle Like Blast, this is a variation on Tetris, but stays mostly traditional. The neat mode here is that you try to help an explorer escape a spiked ceiling, featuring different setups each stage. He's always moving, and he'll climb up or down varying heights, so you really have to watch your block placement. Worth playing, but can get a bit frustrating later on.
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Tiny Toon Adventures: Babs' Big Break Platformer This is one of those short, easy, but fun and well-executed platformers for the system. You control Buster, Plucky and Hamton, switching between them to use their different weapons. Unlike the NES game which was pretty straightforward, the level design has a bit of nonlinearity to it which makes it stand out as being even better than the console version.
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Tiny Toon Adventures 2: Montana's Movie Madness Platformer This is more of a straightforward platformer than the above, but it's just as good, and a bit more challenging. You only control Buster this time, but his friends can help out at certain points. This time you can do a pseudo-spindash to make Buster run and jump higher/farther, which you'll need to master for some of the trickier levels.
Trip world Trip World Platformer Rare and overlooked. This Sunsoft's game is short and not very hard until the last bosses. You'll find unique enemies every few seconds, that most of the time won't attack you. If you enjoyed Sunsoft's Mr. Gimmick, you will enjoy this one. It has some of the best soundtracks, AI and graphics the system has to offer.
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69973-13 Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 Platformer Wario was so popular he got his own game! This is a great platformer game where Wario invades an island with a variety of stages in search of coins and treasure. Like Mario, he uses different types of power-up hats, such as a dragon, bull, and jet. What's cool about this game is that some previously-beaten stages can be affected by your progress, which lets you find previously inaccessible treasure! Wario Land for Virtual Boy plays a lot like this one, while the others on GB/GBC each do other cool stuff.
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Fourth Generation
Consoles Philips CD-i - Commodore CDTV - Pioneer LaserActive - Sega Mega Drive - SNK Neo Geo - Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Funtech Super A'Can - NEC TurboGrafx-16
Handhelds Bit Corporation Gamate - Nintendo Game Boy - Sega Game Gear - Hartung Game Master - Atari Lynx - Welback Mega Duck - Watara Supervision
Computers Commodore Amiga - Atari ST - BeOS - Fujitsu FM Towns - Sharp X68000