What Game Boy games should I get?

[Grey]

So at the Retro Games Expo, I found this custom Revy Game Boy with a new screen & speakers, and I've been playing Link's Awakening on it. It's been amazing.



But I'm now realizing that my Game Boy collection is pretty lacking. It can't play the GBC games, so I've only got a handful of games I can play:

• Link's Awakening
• Donkey Kong Land
• Super Mario Land 2
• NFL Blitz
• Resident Evil (the almost-finished attempt to port RE1 to Game Boy)

(I also could have sworn I owned the Pokémon TCG but I can't find it anywhere.)

Any suggestions that aren't freaking expensive (Pokémon, basically) would be much appreciated!

 

[ZelDan]

One of my favorite games on the Gameboy after Link's Awakening is definitely Donkey Kong '94. Would HIGHLY recommend it, especially if you are into puzzle platformers.

beyond that, I'd also recommend Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land and Wario Land 2 (I think it was on the regular gameboy?) . I kinda wanna recommend the first couple Game and Watch gallery games (the second I believe has a regular gameboy version) but I feel alot of my appreciation for those games is nolstalgia lol. STill if you don't mind something simpler and score-based maybe you'll like it.

I don't know the prices on any of these games physical copies, but these are some of my favorite games for the handheld atleast.

 

[Grey]

I'd also recommend Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land and Wario Land 2 (I think it was on the regular gameboy?)

Yeah, Wario Land 1&2 both work, so naturally the one I have is Wario Land 3. I also have RE: Gaiden, Zelda Oracle of Seasons and Bionic Commando. None of them work on the hardware, sadly.

I never knew Donkey Kong's GB version was so dramatically different from the arcade version. I'll keep an eye out.

 

[ZelDan]

Yeah, Wario Land 1&2 both work, so naturally the one I have is Wario Land 3. I also have RE: Gaiden, Zelda Oracle of Seasons and Bionic Commando. None of them work on the hardware, sadly.

I never knew Donkey Kong's GB version was so dramatically different from the arcade version. I'll keep an eye out.

yeah, funnily enough I also figured Donkey Kong's GB was just a somewhat longer expanded upon take on the arcade game back in the day when first looking at it, but when I decided to give it a shot on the 3DS VC I was stunned out how much more bigger and different the game was from the arcade game and how hard Nintendo went with it.

 

[Grey]

Well hopefully it's not one of those rare expensive games. I'm gonna go hunting on Wednesday.

Naturally my dream list would be like... Metroid 2, Pokémon Silver and Kid Icarus, but I'm pretty sure all of those are too expensive.

Maybe I can find a Game Boy Camera and Game Boy Printer...?

 

[Fly]

The Game Boy Camera is still awesome, very worth it. Hours of fun and good memories with that thing and it's packed with crazy secrets.

I have a huge soft spot for the Game Boy port of Killer Instinct as well - the music is great and they made a really fun game with the limited tech, though at the cost of Cinder and Riptor.

Kirby's Block Ball is the first game I ever officially owned.

Kirby's Dream Land 2 is one of my all-time favorite Kirby games!

Power Quest is a GBC game that can be played on the regular GB. I have a huge soft spot for it; it's basically a fighting game/RPG hybrid and the soundtrack is one of my all time favorites.

 

[ZelDan]

Oh damn can't believe I forgot about Kirby's Dreamland 2; I grew up with that shit. yeah that's another good game to look out for.

 

[Grey]

Well it turns out Game Boy games on the whole aren't as high priced as I assumed. Some are kinda high, but most are reasonable?

I can get Metroid 2 for like $25-30. But Bionic Commando is $50+. That's not worth it lol. Pokémon Silver's $60+, but DK94 is like $20-30, that's not that bad!

 

[Fly]

A few more to suggest!

Tetris - Of course! Game Boy Tetris is a classic. I mean, it's probably not a must-own since there are a million great ways to play Tetris including a new collection for Switch that will have this game included (I think) but it's super nostalgic for me. Apparently my mother would play this game while pregnant with me, so that explains how I turned out.

Mole Mania - I've never played it, but I'm mentioning it to make @Opossum proud.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - I have a huge soft spot for the first game, Fall Of The Foot Clan, but by all accounts this one is way better.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure - Okay, it's not that great, but it's probably cheap. I played it a ton as a kid. It's a fun, basic puzzle platformer where you collect glowing orbs.

The Mega Man GB games are pretty good too, and there's the Final Fantasy Mystic Quest games as well.

 

[Grey]

What are the FF Mystic Quest games about? I've never played any of the old FF games.

 

[Hinata]

What are the FF Mystic Quest games about? I've never played any of the old FF games.

Mystic Quest is a watered down, easier version of FF, designed for us dumb Americans who don't know what an RPG is and are too scared to learn.

To put it less sarcastically, it was designed as an entry level RPG to be released in NA during a time when a lot of RPGs, including many FF games, were Japan-exclusive, as a way to introduce the American market to the genre and hopefully widen its appeal.

 

[Fly]

I also meant Final Fantasy Adventure which are reskinned Mana and SaGa games. I think.

 

[Hinata]

I also meant Final Fantasy Adventure which are reskinned Mana and SaGa games. I think.

I was about to mention that I don't think that Mystic Quest was on the Game Boy, so that makes sense. Although, I didn't know there were any FF games on the Game Boy, either.

 

[ZelDan]

A few more to suggest!

Tetris - Of course! Game Boy Tetris is a classic. I mean, it's probably not a must-own since there are a million great ways to play Tetris including a new collection for Switch that will have this game included (I think) but it's super nostalgic for me. Apparently my mother would play this game while pregnant with me, so that explains how I turned out.

Mole Mania - I've never played it, but I'm mentioning it to make @Opossum proud.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - I have a huge soft spot for the first game, Fall Of The Foot Clan, but by all accounts this one is way better.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure - Okay, it's not that great, but it's probably cheap. I played it a ton as a kid. It's a fun, basic puzzle platformer where you collect glowing orbs.

The Mega Man GB games are pretty good too, and there's the Final Fantasy Mystic Quest games as well.

Oh yeah the gameboy Megaman games are fine too. Played the months ago on NSO.

I ESPECIALLY dug Megaman V on the Gameboy. I like that one the most because it was actually willing to have its own unique robot masters and also I'm pretty sure it's the only classic Megaman game where Wily ISN'T the final boss

 

[Opossum]

Seconding Mole Mania! It's a very charming little action puzzle game.

 

[Grey]

Mystic Quest is a watered down, easier version of FF, designed for us dumb Americans who don't know what an RPG is and are too scared to learn.

I weirdly feel both targeted and comforted by this description.

 

[Grey]

So an update:

Turns out my brother owns Metroid 2 so I'm playing that before buying anything else, save money. But I've got a OneNote list of about 20 games I'm gonna go hunting for later. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Fly]

One of them had better be Godzilla!!! It has 64 screens!!!