In the current era, there’s a multitude of options to play games on the go. From the expensive, powerful Steam Deck, to the hybrid Switch, to emulation machines. Back in the 1990s, there was one console that ruled the handheld market. That was the Game Boy. Nowadays, the console is a bit of a novelty, if you ever see anyone playing a Game Boy iteration on the train, or in the park it’s a rare event. However, that isn’t to say that there still isn’t love for the humble Game Boy. There’s a blossoming mod community out there.
People are enjoying customizing their old Game Boys and other old handhelds by adding custom shells, backlit screens, and more. So, in a way, the Game Boy is still well and truly alive. To add to this activity there are indie games still releasing in physical format for the Game Boy, such as Dragonborne, Infinity, and Cel Story. Some of the classic Game Boy games were hugely ambitious. This list goes through just some of the essential games that you can play on your original classic handheld game console!
Tetris
This is the most well-known, and maybe most addictive, puzzle game that has ever been released. Before the days of smartphones, endless runners, and even snake Nokia games, there was Tetris on the original “brick” Game Boy. This game was packaged with the original Game Boy instead of Super Mario Land, and helped the console sell millions of units, as it wasn’t viewed as something solely aimed at kids. The satisfying simplicity of aligning blocks was super fun, had a competitive element, and of course, had an iconic tune. The Game Boy version used Russian presentation to help market it as an exotic product from beyond the Iron Curtain.
There’s something primal about matching those Tetris blocks. It is just something that you can’t put down once you start chasing your high score. The game hasn’t changed very much since this original release. Even today this version is still where it’s at.
Pokemon Red/Blue
Pokemon is obviously a phenomenon. However, I don’t think it’ll ever reach the levels of mania that occurred around the year 1999. The brand and marketing with the “Gotta Catch Them All” slogan worked amazingly well, and kids everywhere (including myself and others my age) went crazy for both the games and anime. For me personally, I outgrew the series a long time ago, but because I’ve grown up now, I do actually go back and enjoy the past games out of nostalgia.
It’s important to note that on a design level, the original Pokemon games are really ambitious. I mean, a huge, open world with a rich story and deep lore, all of this on an 8-bit handheld system. The games are addictive and work because they tap into the love of nature and cute animals like puppies and kittens. But, even if the games didn’t have 150 interesting creatures that you could collect, the world itself is impressive. The original Pokemon games are really underrated and were amazing for their time.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
The second Super Mario Land on the Game Boy was a real step up from the previous game. It was a jump on the level of what happened when Super Mario World released on the SNES. Much improved graphics, interesting and diverse themes for worlds and levels, a great smart hub world — it had everything. For me, nostalgia plays a huge part because this game and Pokemon were a huge portion of many of my summers as a kid. However, nostalgia or no nostalgia, Super Mario Land 2 is my favorite 2D Mario. Also, I consider it a huge game for the Game Boy.
Interestingly, Super Mario Land 2 didn’t have Miyamoto as the director. It had a new team, and they experimented with new ideas and styles. It worked really well. Super Mario Land 2 had a certain weirdness to it, and it shares both the concept of a new team, and also the implementation of weird ideas with the next game on this list.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Link’s Awakening started off as a part-time project of Takashi Tezuka, who worked on the game in the evenings after working on scheduled games in the daytime. Eventually, he revealed his project to some of the other developers at Nintendo, and they liked its oddness and unique qualities so much that the team decided to make it an official project. As a Zelda game, it is an ambitious adventure, like most of the other games on the list. The game world is well-optimized to run on the humble 8-bit Game Boy.
A Link’s Awakening remake was released in 2019 on the Switch. From the perspective of a Game Boy advocate, there’s some advice that could be given. It is the exact same game, movement square to movement square, as the Game Boy original. That really shows how great and well-designed the original game was when it was remade to exact specifications, just with new shiny graphics.
Nostalgia built on Quality
So, that’s my opinion on some of the most essential Game Boy games that could come in handy if you’re ever trapped on that hypothetical isolated island. While there are (much) more powerful handhelds quite easily available, that doesn’t take away from the fact that many Game Boy games are quality experiences that employ influential gameplay mechanics. These games defined the 1990s for most people. On top of that, the thriving Game Boy modding community means that there are many others out there who share the love for the Game Boy. So don’t be shy to pull a Game Boy out next time you are on the subway!
