The 6 Greatest Original Game Boy Games

Some people might have thought that putting an epic Zelda adventure on the tiny Game Boy would be impossible, but Link’s Awakening proved the doubters wrong. It’s a unique entry in the series that involves Link traveling to the new island of Koholint. There are items that grant different abilities, sidequests, and even sidescrolling sections with some familiar enemies from the Mario games. Of course, who could forget your name changing to “THIEF” when you tried to steal from the merchant? This game is so good that it even got a remake on the Nintendo Switch.

2. Super Mario Land 2: The 6 Golden Coins

Super Mario Land was a fun little Mario adventure that introduced Princess Daisy. However, Super Mario Land 2 was the game that showed Mario’s true potential on the Game Boy. The sprites were larger and more detailed, the levels were longer, and the worlds were more creative. There is one world that takes place in a giant toy Mario, and another world that takes place in outer space. Plus, this game features the first American appearance of Wario, who would become a fan favorite.

3. Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong on the Game Boy takes the winning formula that made Donkey Kong an arcade legend and expands on it. Spanning through nine distinct worlds, Mario can now backflip to reach new heights and lift items and enemies over his head. He can even shimmy through vines just like Donkey Kong Junior. There are also boss battles against Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Junior, or both at the same time. The puzzle-solving element and sense of adventure. make the game extremely satisfying, even more satisfying than the original arcade version.

4. Metroid 2: Return of Samus

Samus Aran’s debut on the tiny screen was spectacular. Her Game Boy adventure features large, crisp sprites, a large world to explore, and some of the best music on the system. Even with the Game Boy’s little green screen, the game still manages to capture the spooky atmosphere and sense of foreboding that Metroid games are known for. While Return of Samus doesn’t quite live up to its NES predecessor or the excellent Super Metroid that would follow, it is a fine game that stands on its own.

5. Final Fantasy Adventure

Believe it or not, there were RPGs on the Game Boy that weren’t Pokemon games, and Final Fantasy Adventure is one of the best. Taking some obvious inspiration from the Legend of Zelda series, this is an action RPG that features excellent music and a massive adventure. Although it began as a Final Fantasy spin-off, it ended up spawning the Mana series, which is still going today. Also, the merchants dance!

6. Mario’s Picross

The Game Boy was ideal for puzzle games since you could spend a few minutes with them on the way to school or at lunch. Mario’s Picross was one of the best puzzle games for the system. The Picross puzzles are simple to learn, but they get more complex as the game progresses. This makes it incredibly satisfying when you finish a puzzle and see the resulting picture. With a stone-cutting aesthetic and great music, this is the perfect game to relax with whenever you have a few minutes to spare.