Top 50 Game Boy Games
Epitome: Nintendo Life / Damien McFerran

Fri 21st Apr 1989 — the day that the Game Boy launched in Japan. 33 years ago the video gaming mural would be forever inverse as Nintendo opened up the new frontier of portable gaming to the masses. The company'due south Game & Sentinel line let you take limited gaming experiences on-the-go, but the Game Boy was a dissimilar animal entirely.

The eight-bit motorcar with the 160x144 pixel LCD screen might have been modest in the specs department, but information technology was but powerful plenty to offer deep gaming experiences, with the best examples rivalling those on dwelling house consoles. More chiefly, its limitations proved to be strengths in the long run; that blurry monochrome screen used significantly less ability than a backlit colour equivalent, and therefore gave the portable decent battery life – an essential factor to consider when your handheld relies on AA batteries to function away from a wall socket.

Gunpei Yokoi's blueprint philosophy – using proven, inexpensive components in new and interesting ways – connected through Nintendo'south handheld line

Primarily the work of Satoru Okada and Gunpei Yokoi, the console was designed to a specific toll signal and goal; to exist a practical portable device. Rival companies got carried away with the technical possibilities and contemporary handheld consoles with far superior specs savage by the wayside equally Game Male child marched on. Gunpei Yokoi'south design philosophy – using proven, inexpensive components in new and interesting means – continued through Nintendo's handheld line and carried over to its dwelling house consoles with Wii. The Switch itself, and novel experiments such as Labo VR, show that this arroyo continues to keep the Kyoto company in rude health.

Of class, it'due south software which makes or breaks whatsoever console and the humble Game Boy could never have endured so long without its catalogue of incredible games. Obviously, it had the archetypal killer app in Tetris, and many notwithstanding insist it's the finest version of Alexey Pajitnov's puzzler. The story of its convoluted journey to the console is well worth investigating – a thrilling combination of guile, subterfuge and blind luck that went on to shape Nintendo and the video game industry at large.

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Epitome: Nintendo Life / Damien McFerran

Any video game company would be overjoyed to have a game with one-half the entreatment of Tetris on its books, but after seven years – when you'd await the panel to be winding down – the Game Boy got the biggest second wind in video game history with the Japanese release of Pokémon Red & Green in 1996. A smaller, lighter revision of the hardware, the Game Boy Pocket, also arrived that year, and the console's true successor – the Game Boy Colour – would launch worldwide 2 years later alongside the western release of Pokémon. Although this marked a transition away from the OG hardware, the Game Boy line continued to enjoy almost 100% backwards compatibility up until the Micro variant of the Game Boy Advance in 2005.

While Tetris and Pokémon were the organization sellers, there's a vast library of games released for the system

While Tetris and Pokémon were the system sellers, there's a vast library of games released for the organisation. The post-obit list showcases the very best titles. You're sure to find lots of 'lands' hither — someone at Nintendo HQ decreed that the diminutive handheld just couldn't contain massive 'worlds', and so Super Mario State ushered in an era of 'State' games from the likes of Kirby, Donkey Kong and Wario.

Every bit with our lists of the 50 best Switch games and other Nintendo panel Meridian 50 lists, the ranking here is governed past the game'south user rating on this very site. Just as earlier, logged in users can interact and charge per unit the titles directly on these pages by hovering over the rating, or alternatively from each game'due south private page. To be clear, the games listed here are for the original Game Boy simply — there are no backwards compatible 'black cart' Game Boy Color games included (unless they happened to also receive a divide release for the original). If it says 'Game Male child Color' on the box, you won't discover it beneath!

Can't see your favourite on the list? Use the handy search bar below to detect Game Male child games and input your own ratings. Already rated your collection? Without farther ado, let's dive in…

Note. In gild for games to become eligible, they need a minimum of 30 User Ratings in total.

50. Double Dragon (GB)

Double Dragon (GB) Double Dragon (GB)

Publisher: Arc Organisation Works / Developer: Technōs Japan

Release Date: Aug 1990 (USA) / 1990 (UK/EU)

With a few different moves and weapons to experiment with, Double Dragon keeps the fighting interesting as you piece of work through its varied environments. The beginning part of the game is a bit besides easy, but it does a proficient task of preparation yous upward for the tougher 2nd half. On the downside, using the jump attack to clear gaps takes a bit of getting used to and the music isn't always dandy (sometimes it's far from great). Even so, this is an offering that may appeal to fans of the series or genre. Overall, a short yet sweet experience.

49. Motocross Maniacs (GB)

Motocross Maniacs (GB) Motocross Maniacs (GB)

Publisher: Konami / Developer: Konami

Release Engagement: Jan 1990 (Us) / 1991 (UK/EU)

A side-on motocross platforming game from Konami, Motocross Maniacs blends classic Excitebike-style controls with tricky courses to negotiate that position it as a forerunner to Ubisoft'due south Trials games. The simple but addictive gameplay suits the handheld very well, although it's a shame that the cartridge's lack of onboard retention means your best times are lost every fourth dimension y'all switch the console off. Notwithstanding, this is a very fun manner to pass an hour or ii.

48. Solar Striker (GB)

Solar Striker (GB) Solar Striker (GB)

Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1

Release Date: February 1990 (USA) / 28th Sep 1990 (United kingdom/EU)

A first-party vertical-scrolling shmup, Gunpei Yokoi and Satoru Okada - the 2 designers primarily responsible for the Game Boy itself - were securely involved in the development of Solar Striker. Released in the Game Boy's outset year on sale, its hectic action showed just what the small machine was capable of and, while it hasn't gone down as a celebrated classic in Nintendo's register, information technology's notwithstanding a quietly solid game with an excellent soundtrack.

47. Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman! (GB)

Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman! (GB) Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman! (GB)

Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Hudson Soft

Release Date: Nov 1994 (Usa) / 29th Jun 1995 (UK/EU)

Wario Nail is a Bomberman crossover that sees the our favourite antihero dropped into the world of Hudson Soft's vivid top-down bomber. Released in Nihon as Bomberman GB, you become the classic maze combat of Hudson'due south game with a dusting of Nintendo'south IP and Wario'south dastardly antics. Sounds good, no? Yes, it is.

46. Pinball: Revenge of the 'Gator (GB)

Pinball: Revenge of the 'Gator (GB) Pinball: Revenge of the 'Gator (GB)

Publisher: Nintendo / Programmer: HAL Laboratory

Release Date: Mar 1990 (U.s.) / 1990 (Great britain/EU)

Pinball: Revenge of the 'Gator may lack the refinements showcased past modern pinball games, merely that doesn't mean it should exist ignored if y'all're a fan of the genre. The simplistic nature of the tables ways you can give high-score chasing your full, undivided attending without being waylaid past distractions, and the ball physics are respectable plenty to ensure you lot don't lose any games through annihilation but your own fault. HAL's effort may have been improved upon in recent years, but information technology's still an appealing and addictive pinball outing.

45. R-Type (GB)

R-Type (GB) R-Type (GB)

Publisher: Irem / Programmer: B.I.T.Southward.

Release Date: 1st May 1991 (USA) / 1st December 1991 (Britain/EU)

Equally with any port to the Game Boy, cuts are inevitable, but this still delivers an authentic R-Blazon feel. A slower speed, fewer enemies on screen and the omission of 2 levels make for an easier version. Nonetheless, this port still manages to provide a claiming and it works well on the hardware it was designed for, with good controls and articulate visuals. It may exist a shorter gaming experience on the Game Boy, merely it'due south nonetheless a very good one.

44. Tiny Toon Adventures: Babs' Big Break (GB)

Tiny Toon Adventures: Babs' Big Break (GB) Tiny Toon Adventures: Babs' Big Break (GB)

Publisher: Konami / Developer: Konami

Release Appointment: Feb 1992 (U.s.a.) / 1992 (UK/EU)

A fabulous portable cartoon platformer, Tiny Toon Adventures: Babs' Large Break is another example of a fine licenced game with first-class audio and solid visuals on the Game Boy. The charm of Tiny Toons might be the thing that grabs your attention, only the gameplay is remarkably good and Konami once again demonstrates why we're then sad they don't actually brand video games any more. Looney, indeed.

43. Balloon Kid (GB)

Balloon Kid (GB) Balloon Kid (GB)

Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Pax Softonica

Release Date: 5th Oct 1990 (Us) / 31st Jan 1991 (UK/European union)

Sequel to the NES game Airship Fight, Airship Kid isn't without its charms, but those charms are undeniably superficial: the graphics are nice and the music is fun, and the nods to Balloon Fight are all worth a grinning, just there's not a huge amount of depth. That said, it nails the mechanics of the original game and expands on its endlessly replayable Balloon Trip fashion, making information technology ideally suited as a portable experience.

41. QIX (GB)

QIX (GB) QIX (GB)

Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Minakuchi Engineering

Release Date: 24th May 1990 (U.s.a.) / 28th Sep 1990 (United kingdom/Eu)

QIX is a archetype game that suffers — if it suffers at all — from existence born too presently. You substantially draw lines to cordon off areas of a rectangle for points - the larger the area, the better your score. Sounds simple but it'southward a slap-up deal of fun, and satisfyingly simple to acquire. This is definitely a game that some volition find divine, while others will be puzzled by its popularity. Information technology's quick to acquire, easy to play and impossible to truly chief. We can't hope yous that you'll like this game, but if the game sounds even slightly highly-seasoned to y'all, we'd confidently say that it'southward worth the risk.