What Game Boy game do you love that you never hear anyone talk about?
The more rare, obscure, or just a guilty pleasure, the better. Maybe you grew up with it, maybe it's just the nostalgia talking, any reason is fine.
I'm looking for a new game to play, but I'm running out of games to collect!
My favorite is games for original DMG, but you're welcome to include Color it'll advance games too!
Donkey Kong (1994) - not really rare or obscure, but definitely not talked about enough.
It starts out like regular donkey kong but then it goes somewhat differently.
The colorization is only complete with SuperGameboy so it might be tricky to play that way but there is a colorization hack being worked on.
I played the shit out of Donkey Kong Country 2 on my GBC as a kid. A lot of it with that crappy night light attachment that ate batteries and gave me motion sickness playing at night in the car.
I think he's talking about the game that is the precursor to the Mario VS Donkey Kong series. Sorta a puzzle platformer.
Donkey Kong. I think people just think it's a port of the arcade game because it has the same first few levels but it becomes something more afterward and is incredibly fun.
I was hoping to see this comment. I actually played through it last week. What a great game. Too bad the GBA sequel was trash.
This game was a giant part of my childhood. I fondly remember playing in the car on late night road trips as streetlights went by.
I still have my DMG, and Donkey Kong is still in the slot. It's hands down the most nostalgic piece of my past that I still have.
Bonus points if you play it on the Super GameBoy
As a kid I got a lot of mileage out of The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle. It was honestly nothing special but it was a fun if very basic game. Password-based and not all that difficult for an adult.
Line the crazy castle games, 4 on the gbc is what i grew up with so naturally it's my favourite. 3 isn't far off though she I played that to the end last year for the first time.
Metal Gear Solid for GBC is never mentioned in all time lists for the series, but it’s my favorite, straight up.
I can’t believe they managed to cram a true MGS experience onto a GAMEBOY Color cartridge.
Pocket Bomberman is also legitimately great.
That's the first game I bought for my GBC. I didn't have enough money for a playstation and was jealous of all my friends playing MGS. It's super well done. I just got an analog pocket and I think I'll dig MGS out again after I finish my Castlevania games.
Emphasizing your statement about a true MGS experience. This is literally a full Metal Gear game styled like Metal Gear 2 (MSX) and they do not pull punches with the story, it is up there with the other games in the series. Music and pacing are impressive for the console.
Weirdly enough, my favorite Zelda game of all time is The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Weirder still, it's the story that I really love, driven almost entirely by the fact that it's the least Zelda Zelda game. No, I don't know what's wrong with me.
I mean it's probably entirely nostalgia, but I still hear the in-game ballad in my head from time to time.
Not weird at all! It's actually my favorite Zelda game too. 🙂 I think I'd actually say Majora's Mask is even more not-Zelda. 😄
...also Marin > Zelda 👀
Hah, I actually agree with you now that you mention it: Majora's Mask is indeed even more not-Zelda lol. That game was a hell of a time.
Thank you for your bravery lmao. But I'm 100% with you, Marin a thousand times over Zelda. The fandom will likely beg to differ though hahaha
Oracle of seasons was a masterpiece, oracle of ages and minish cap also were great, some novel ideas and beautiful execution, lots of hours of gameplay if you play casually and explore along the way
Funny enough it was Link's Awakening that led all the games after that being more story oriented. It also started the trope of the long trading quest
The trading part is what got me to buy that game. I was playing it at the store and got through a bunch of it and got hooked.
It's not only my favorite Zelda game. It's probably my favorite game for any system.
Dragon quest monsters (dragon warrior monsters in America)
This game was the bomb, I loved the monster breeding mechanics, you could breed monsters of different types to get entirely new ones.
On December 1st, new dragon quest monsters is coming out for switch
It looks really fun! I have a copy of the Japanese version. I was surprised to find out it was a Game Boy Color launch title!
Just FYI, there's a 3DS remake that has an English fan translation patch.
I haven't played the first one, but Dragon Quest Monsters II was fantastic.
It has randomly generated worlds to explore, awesome monsters to discover by breeding, and a decent "home farm" mechanic.
Plus the core plot is delightfully bonkers.
(But still somehow more realistic than Pokemon's "dog fighting by children is totally normal here" world.)
This game is the bomb. There are translation patches for the JPN 3DS remakes, but I haven’t played them extensively…
Final Fantasy Adventure. Zelda style top view. Absolutely loved it. Music scope and story.. Played through at least a dozen times. A decently high quality remake came out for phones a few years back. I still love it.
I'm with you, it is a great game. There was another remake for the GBA too, named Sword of Mana
Survival Kids
It's a bit of a silly survival game that starts with you being stranded on an island. I got a kick out of it because there were a few different game endings that were dependent on the actions you took earlier in the game.
Thanks for the suggestion! I bought this game back when it came out. Yeah, I was surprised to find out about the Japan-only sequel, it had such a different vibe. 👀
I picked this one up when I was in high school. Never did get rescued... I looked the other day and prices for this one are pretty high, so apparently we're not the only ones who remember it!
Edit: And apparently there's a lot of sequels? Who knew? I guess it was called Lost in Blue later on. They all sound like they have the same basic story...
I just looked at the prices on eBay and I have no idea what's going on over there. Are those accurate going-rate prices? I'm pretty sure I bought mine off the "games no one has ever heard of and will not buy" sale rack once upon a time, haha!
I had no idea there were sequels! Thanks for that bit of info
As a kid, I found Gargoyles Quest infuriatingly addictive. I wasn't good enough to do well at it, it annoyed me, but I kept going back for more.
Gargoyle's Quest has plenty of those weird old game difficulty spikes. Damned fine Game Boy game though. Good call!
Rockman/Megaman EXE
This Beyblade game that was like an obstacle course on checkered platforms. I practiced a lot to beat the par times on each course.
Ayy I loved that game
Took me a while to find the name. Have you played Quarth?
I have! I picked up a copy a couple of years ago. It took me a little while to realize, it's not about clearing the screen, but about getting a high score. It's very clever, and a little addicting!
Yes! Got it as a present so it wasn't on my radar but it was a pretty good puzzle game. I seem to recall playing this way more than I played Tetris.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets.
Are they good games? No
But they are well themed and have chiptune version of Jeremy Soule’s soundtrack. I like replaying the, from time to time.
Pitman, also known as Catrap in US: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catrap
It's not really something special or so, but I had it in my youth and used the level editor to build countless levels with my friend. It's a side scrolling puzzle game, with the abiliy to go back in history with a nice backwards animation.
Pokemon TCG for GB was arguably the best Pokemon RPG. I've not played the English fanlation of 2 yet though, so maybe that's better.
I got this game recently and could not put it down! I ended up accidentally beating it. 😆
And that soundtrack... 😩
It's harder in my opinion. I got it on the miyoo mini plus and it's much harder than the original in how the AI works. Which is nice. Also lots more cards.
Home Alone. Then again I haven't played it since back then lol
😆 I'll probably end up getting it some day, that game is EVERYWHERE.
Qix
Such a good time killer!
Kirby Pinball. Just a chill and fun game.
This is a little off topic for "RetroGaming", but my favorite new soon-to-be-hidden gem for Gameboy Color is "Grimace's Birthday".
https://www.grimacesbirthday.com/
The overall game is only about ten minutes long, but it's just so dang well made for a silly throw-away advertisement, and I just adore that it's a Gameboy Color game released in 2023.
Edit: To be clear, I have no association with anyone involved in the game. It just gives me the giggles to get a new retrogame for a licsned property, for actual classic hardware in 2023.
Azure Dreams
This is the way.
I ahem acquired a copy of Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak from my elementary school lost and found, played it whenever I had a minute for the next few weeks. I don't know if I'd have the patience to play it today, but it's still an adorable little puzzle game. The sound and animation of the actions was spot on.
Heiankyo Alien. It was the cheapest game in the store, so that's the one my parents let me buy. For a long time it was one of only a couple games I owned--that one and whatever it shipped with... Tetris?
Is that the game where you are a feudal Japanese farmer and have to dig holes and bury the aliens?
Bubble Ghost. I had it on a 99 in 1 cart. Might just be that it wasn't popular where I'm from.
That's a great suggestion! I put it on my list.
did anyone else play bonks adventure
I got the sequel, Bonk's Revenge, back when it came out. But more recently I did get Bonk's Adventure and I LOVE it! It's a nice casual difficulty, and lots of replayability.
yeah my brother and I played it non-stop lol.
On the TurboGrafx-16!
Played it for GameBoy, solid and fun game
Here's one that came to mind: Heiankyo Alien for the Gameboy DMG. I remember playing this a ton in the car as a kid. It's a game where you have to dig holes for aliens to fall in and bury them to kill them.
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The metal gear solid game was pretty awesome actually
Gonna have to be Kirby and the Amazing Mirror and MegaMan Battle Network 6 for me on the GBA.
Alfred Chicken. Impossibly difficult, with a ridiculous plot.
Played this on SNES and it's way underrated
I actually got a copy of it last year! I fell in love with it on the first stage. I was like, why haven't I heard of this game before??
I remember the adverts. They were pretty funny.
Sneaky Snakes!
From the creators of Donkey Kong Country. 😅 I tried it out and was surprised how fun it was. I'll put it on my list.
Yes! This game was the fucking jam.
Had an epic BMG soundtrack too
Donkey Kong. Not Donkey Kong Country. The original arcade Donkey Kong, until you realize after beating the original levels that there is SO MUCH MORE to it!
Just one thing. Fuck that level with the long bridge of disappearing floor tiles. That was the worst!!
Gotta go with "skate or die: bad n rad"
That was actually one of the first games I ever got! I've been meaning to try it again as an adult. It's so hard, but the music and graphics are outstanding.
James Bond: 007 was a surprisingly good game that I enjoyed way more than expected. I don’t know why I got the game, I was and have never been a fan of the series.
That game is so good! "Zelda with guns". I got it back when it came out and have played through it many times. It has such a good vibe.
I'll throw Boxxle on the list. It's one of the earliest GB games, so the graphics are pretty much what you'd expect. But it's a great puzzle game that has a very simple premise, but requires you to perspective-shift and learn new strategies many times over as the difficulty progresses.
Yep, Boxxle perfects Sokoban. Worth the play, if nothing for the catchy tunes and being rewarded with "YEAH!!" when you get it right
Probably doesn't hold up anymore, but no one really talks about "Kingdom Conquest Crusade". It's like a really tight minimalist version of the combined live action melee and big battle strategy of the Dynasty Warriors series - compressed to fit on a classic Gameboy.
Did you mean Kingdom Crusade?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiwuRlvXM_c
I actually have a copy, but haven't really played it yet. It looks incredible!
Yes, I did!
It takes a minute to figure out the combat, and map contains, and which characters are strong against which. After that, it's a great little time passer with a bit of strategy.
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Radar Mission. I can hear the music in my head from both game types whenever I think about it, right down to the music when the carrier launches the fighter. I enjoyed both game types a lot, though I remember getting frustrated as a kid until I learned the nuances of the opponents.
Radar Mission is the only US game I have a boxed copy of, it's one of my favorite pieces in my collection. ❤️
And yes, the music gets stuck in my head every time I play it!
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I'm so happy someone other than me remembers Radar Mission. I too still get the music stuck in my head from time to time.
I only ever really had the basics with my Gameboy sadly, but I had a lot of fun with Pokemon Red and Zelda Links Awakening (which I prefer to the DX version where they removed the fun teleporting glitch). Now I went this thread for other systems like PSX, lol.
But the DX version supported the Gameboy printer. How can you not love the Gameboy printer?!
In all seriousness though, the color dungeon and the tunics were fun additions.
Wario Land 2 + 3 Were the first games I ever played on a Nintendo handheld. I still play them through once a year because of nostalgic reasons. Plus they are one of the most enjoyable Jump and Runs for me.
Dragon Warrior Monsters.
I think I'm the only person who's beaten the Monster Master fight enough times to know there's a bug in it where he eventually gets strong enough that you get one shotted by him even if you're cheating and using a Gameshark to keep your health in the 1024 hp range...
Aside from a few classics I'm sure you've already played, I remember playing Wario Blast and Taz-Mania fairly often.
I haven't played either one in years, so I don't know how well they still hold up.
Is Taz-Mania for the Game Boy different than the Game Gear version? I had that one as a kid and I thought it was a really terrible game, even back then. But being a kid I played it because I only had a handful of games and driving to grandma's house took a long time...
I just looked it up since I didn't know but the Game Gear version definitely looks different from the Gameboy one I remember.
Yes, Wario Blast! It was actually my introduction to Bomberman.
For mine, I always enjoyed the original Mario Land and Kirby's Dreamland, and always wanted the sequel to each, but never got them.
Thanks for the suggestions! I bought Taz-Mania back when it came out. I've enjoyed playing through it multiple times, and the sprites are really nice looking.
I think I have 3 out of the 5 Bomberman games for Game Boy... What makes Wario Blast stand out to you?
It's the one I owned, haha.
I never played any of the other Bomberman games (until Super Bomberman R) so I'm not sure how it compares.
A whole back when I got a Miyoo Mini, I went looking for original GB games that I missed. I found Cave Noire and it quickly became my favorite ways to kill time. It's simple (but not easy), being a Roguelike offers some variety, and it's just fun.
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Ninja 5-0 for the GBA. I got out my collection recently and had no idea I owned it. It's Elevator Action, but you're a ninja.
Also pretty much the highest valued Game Boy Advance game at this time! 🤯
Oh wow. The box is long gone and I'd rather keep it, but that's awesome.
This is one of my favorite GBA games. The controls are so good.
Yeah it's ridiculous how many ranges of movement they fit in. And I have no idea how I got it. I'm guessing it was a drunken stumble to the mall.
It looks so much like Shinobi 3, which was my favourite Genesis game.
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Boomer's Adventure in ASMIK World
I never figured out why they gave the world such a weird name, or didn't just call it Boomer's Adventure
Holy hell a little corner of my brain just lit up seeing "ASMIK World". The cart is buried in boxes but I know what I'll be emulating this weekend!
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The Moomin game is great but nobody talks about it. The two Survival Kids games are incredible as well but damn they can be depressing. They really out a full on survival game on a Game Boy. Complete with multiple endings, open world and hunger and thirst mechanics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6rFyPKXGaw
Moomin's Tale is beautiful.
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Cosmo Tank. Got it as a gift from my dad and loved it when I was a kid. I may have to revisit it myself.
Ooh, I've been tempted to get this one! I love the psuedo 3D. But it always looked too hard.
I'll put it on my list. 🙂
This one! Played as a kid and didn't get it. Played again later when I discovered emulation and smoked it. I was a stupid kid.
The Machine (2021). It’s not so much obscure as it is just niche. It’s wonderful. Multiple playthrough, knowledge retains between runs, so you can unravel more and more of the mystery of The Machine. Highly recommend for anyone interested in political games. I bought the actual cartridge, but you can also buy the rom for like $1, and there’s a demo on itch.io I’m pretty sure.
Vegas Stakes - simple casino games, perfect time-killer for the format.
Wendy Every Witch Way - concept of reversing gravity has been used in other platformers since, but this might be the OG, and is very solid.
I actually got Vegas Stakes a few months ago! It's such a relaxing game to waste some time with. :)
Rebelstar: Tactical Command, In a nutshell it's X-COM for the gameboy advance.
I had an Itchy and Scratchy game (from the Simpsons). It was a mini golf game that was a lot of fun.
James Bond 007 was one of my favorite Gameboy games.
I spent countless hours as a 4 year old trying to solve the puzzles and got through it by sheer determination.
I can still probably remember every path in the desert mission.
That was a great game. Played lots of it on my gameboy pocket, I remember there was a lot of spamming checking for hidden items and doors haha
Yup! There was a secret door you had to find in the first mission to continue. It was on the top right side of rectangular room.
There was also a secret GPS you can find in a mission before the desert one. It would let you know exactly where you were in the full desert map so you wouldn't be lost.
I had so much playing that game.
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Warlocked for GBC - it was ambitious as hell, and has some quality scenario ideas.
I was trying to remember the name of this as soon as I saw the thread!
Played the heck out of this ... gem?
God Medicine. Genuinely one of the best classic style JRPGs and the best RPG on Gameboy in my opinion. Absolute travesty that the west never ended up getting it originally.
Here's one I played a lot of and loved that I never hear about anywhere... Bionic Commando - 1992. A port of a Nintendo game I only got to try a few times, but the game boy version was better to me.
Plus it has a sweet soundtrack
