Game Boy

Game Boy

The Classic Game Boy had quite the library despite such limited hardware! Games can be played on a Game Boy Color, Super Game boy, or Game Boy Advance but the Super Game Boy both Colors and even enhances some of them!

The List

Title	Genre	Description	Box Art
Alien³	Adventure	This game is played from a top-down perspective, unlike the side-scrolling action of other versions. Your mission is to move around the maze-like rooms of the prison complex to collect items you need to stop the alien. Along the way you will rescue prisoners and view cut scenes based on situations in the movie. I know what you're thinking "LJN?" Give it a chance, it's probably the only decent thing they ever made.
Castlevania: The Adventure	Platformer	A bare bones Castlevania. Your power-ups are lost when you're hit and there's no sub-weapons. The platforming's awkward as well. There's a patch that boosts your movement. It's also on Konami GB Collection Vol. 1 for Game Boy Color, where it's sped up a bit to move faster (with some consequences). This game's saving grace is the soundtrack, especially the first stage's song. A spiritual remake's on WiiWare. It's a new game, but follows the story of this one.
Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge	Platformer	The much improved sequel to the first GB entry. You choose which order to beat the stages in, and each is full of tricks and traps respective to the areas. Two sub-weapons were added, Holy Water and Axes/Crosses (this one depends on which region version you play). Movement is still slow, but the level design now considers this. The soundtrack is also quite good. Arguably the best of the GB Castlevanias, and still worth playing to the end by any Castlevania fan.
Castlevania Legends	Platformer	Castlevania Legends is the third and final Castlevania title released for the original Game Boy. The game does not make use of any sub-weapons, unlike most other Castlevania titles, but relies heavily on the use of magic.
Cosmo Tank	Shoot 'em up	The player controls a tank from a variety of perspectives. The game begins on a planet's surface with an overhead view. When the player enters a tunnel, the view switches to first-person. After destroying the Life Core inside a tunnel, the player travels to a new planet through a vertically scrolling stage.
Final Fantasy Adventure	Action RPG	This is actually the first Mana game, Seiken Densetsu. Its gameplay is similar to that of the original Legend of Zelda game, but with some RPG elements. Sword of Mana is a remake of this, but many fans of the series prefer the original.Released in Europe as Mystic Quest.
Gargoyle's Quest	Action RPG, Platformer	A platform/side scrolling adventure game with some RPG elements from Capcom. You play Firebrand, a gargoyle who has powerful claws that allow him to cling to walls and other surfaces on a vertical plane. Firebrand can also hover and fly for awhile with his wings. Destroy the enemy characters with your fiery breath. The game also contains an adventure type story that is unfolded by interacting with characters from an over-head perspective.
Rolan's Curse II	Action RPG	You play as a cast of characters who you accumulate throughout the game. Each has access to different weapons and skills which are used to navigate through the world in a Zelda-ish manner. Unlike Zelda, you actually can level up. Pretty decent for an old-school romp. Can get hard even if you level up a lot, as strategy and skill play a key part in boss fights.
Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, The	Action-Adventure	The first Zelda for Gameboy, Link's Awakening paved the way for the future GBC Zeldas. It introduced some new items to the series, like the Roc's Feather (which lets Link jump on command;) and reworked some older ones, such as the shield. Released after Link to the Past, this is the Zelda that introduced the type of characters and writing that would become a trademark of the series. A well-known warping glitch using the map screen allows this game to be completely broken, and can be fun to mess around with after you've beaten the game.
Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge	Platformer	The first of the Game Boy Mega Man games, it borrows the bosses and mechanics from the first two NES games. In this Game Boy version, Mega Man must fight against Ice Man, Electric Man, Cut Man, and Fire Man. After he defeats those four he battles Quick Man, Heat Man, Bubble Man, and Flash Man.
Mega Man II	Platformer	Mega Man II follows the same formula as its predecessors, meaning the player has to complete a number of side-scrolling, platforming levels that are guarded by different bosses. Mega Man can only shoot left or right. Defeating a boss rewards him with a new weapon.
Mega Man III	Platformer	Mega Man III follows the tradition of the previous Game Boy games - you must run, jump and blast your way through four boss worlds. This is the first Game Boy Mega Man title to introduce the Mega Buster from Mega Man 4 for the NES. If you hold down the B Button, you'll be able to charge up your cannon for a more powerful shot.
Mega Man IV	Platformer	The gameplay at its core is still the same as previous three Mega Man Game Boy games. There is however a new shop system implemented, by pressing the Select button on the stage select screen, the player can buy various items such as E-Tanks using "P-Chips". This game also has hidden passages where Proto Man gives Mega Man items, often giving Super Capsules that refill all the weapons energy and life energy.
Mega Man V	Platformer	Mega Man V is the fifth and last video game in the Game Boy Mega Man series. This game is notable for breaking an established trend in Mega Man titles released for the Game Boy system. Prior to Mega Man V, Mega Man games on Game Boy featured four Robot Masters from their titular NES counterpart. Mega Man V, however, featured entirely original enemy characters referred to as Stardroids rather than Robot Masters from console installments.
Metroid II: Return of Samus	Platformer	Samus Aran continues her mission to protect the galaxy on SR-388, the home planet of the Metroid lifeform, which she must now exterminate. Many Metroids have undergone further evolution, creating some dangerous fights. A well-known glitch activated by rapidly switching gun modes lets you access areas outside intended play areas, leading to massive shortcuts and possibly screwing yourself over. Beat the game before trying it, and be careful with where you save.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan	Action	This game is the first in a series of Game Boy games by Konami based on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Gameplay consists of standard side-scrolling jump-and-attack action. Occasionally, hidden bonus games appear to give your turtle bonus health points.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers	Action	The second TMNT for GB brings more of the same action that we saw in the first. Back from the Sewers features 6 side-scrolling levels. In between levels, you are treated to bonus games that allow you to increase your health meter or rescue captured turtles. The music in this game is some of the best you will find on the Game Boy, recreating the theme song from the cartoon almost flawlessly, it also was one of the first games to have voice renditions on the Game Boy.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue	Action	April, Splinter, and all the Turtles except Michelangelo have been imprisoned by Cyber Shredder and his Foot Clan in their massive base! Are you a bad enough reptile to save your bros, master, and gal-pal? Explore the base, find keycards and beat the shit out of bosses to get cell keys to free your captive comrades. After finding another Ninja Turtle, they can swap with Mikey and each has a special ability to help you progress.
Operation C	Run and Gun	Another Contra game and now it's on Game Boy. Pretty short but with good music and framerate for this handheld. This actually looks like Super C but without some weapons. Great game even if you are not Contra fan.
Avenging Spirit	Platformer	Jaleco takes a twisted inspiration from Kirby. You control a spirit of a recently-killed guy who still needs to sort out whodunnit. Possess enemy characters and control them, with different types having different attributes, such as health, weapons, and skills. A surprisingly solid, although creepy, game.
Balloon Kid	Platformer	The sequel to Balloon Fight. This more closely resembles the Balloon Trip mode of the original.
Bionic Commando	Platformer	A futuristic retelling of the NES story. Everything's about the same control-wise, no jumping, swinging only, gun shooting, wire-tapping, and item equipping. However, the game plays much faster and smoother. The soundtrack has NES remixes and some new songs, and despite being on GB, sounds fantastic. There's also passwords if you buy a real cart.
Donkey Kong	Platformer	A remake of the original Donkey Kong for the Game Boy, plus 97 new, original levels. The player takes control of Mario and must rescue Pauline from Donkey Kong (who are both given updated character designs for this game). Donkey Kong Jr. also makes a guest appearance in the game on some levels, helping his father hinder Mario's progress.
Donkey Kong Land	Platformer	Cranky Kong, jealous of all the success Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong have had from Donkey Kong Country states that the only reason their first adventure was such a big hit was because of all the fanciful graphics and sound. He challenges that they'd never cut it on an 8-bit system (Game Boy), and then proceeds to get King K. Rool to steal the banana hoard once again. King K. Rool agrees with Cranky and steals the bananas again.
Duck Tales	Platformer	The game features a 2D side-scrolling platform gameplay very similar to Mega Man. Graphics are cartoonish and well-done, with memorable music, and controls are very simple. Warning: If you've played the NES version, there's a slight difference in jumping that makes this a bit harder
Duck Tales 2	Platformer	A port of the NES version. Scrooge's main attack is his cane - by jumping in the air and holding B, the cane turns into a pogo stick, letting him jump onto most enemies' heads and cross dangerous terrain like spikes with ease. When against a wall or an object, Scrooge can golf-club it with his cane, sending the object flying or occasionally revealing secret items. New to Duck Tales 2 is the ability to push and pull certain objects with the cane after hitting them.
Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters	Platformer	Many say this game is better than it's predecessor, but most will agree the music isn't as good. Never released in Japan strangely.
Kirby's Dream Land	Platformer	The original Kirby title. A short, fun game that can be completed in a few short minutes but the music is killer and it's still a good game! No copy ability though!
Kirby's Dream Land 2	Platformer	Adds Kirby's animal friends to the mix. Each lets him use powers in different ways. Short and easy, like most Kirby games, but the rainbow drops give it some much needed depth.
Super Mario Land	Platformer	A short, easy Mario game. Made by Gunpei Yokoi (the creator of the Game Boy) so you can expect it to be a bit different!
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins	Platformer	Another short, easy Mario game. It introduced Wario. This game improved itself from the last in every way.
The Rescue of Princess Blobette	Platformer / Puzzle	Pretty much plays exactly like A Boy and His Blob on NES, this sequel offers a new adventure for the duo (except now they're stuck in a castle!). As usual, feed jellybeans to Blob to solve puzzles vi his transformations. Easily just as satisfying as the original, give this gem a shot.
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3	Platformer	A great puzzle/platformer game where Wario searches a variety of stages in search of coins and treasure.
Alleyway	Puzzle	A Breakout clone where the capsule is being operated by Mario for a Nintendo touch. Kirby's Block Ball is much better in every way.
Adventures of Lolo	Puzzle	(First off: Play the European version. It has 144 puzzles versus the Japanese 50.) After his NES adventures, Lolo and his family go to an amusement park. But that bastard King Egger shut everything down, so Lolo goes through mazes and stages to get it up and running again. Make your way to the exit by solving puzzles and beating baddies. Features a tutorial mode for beginners to the series and has Super Game Boy support.
Catrap	Puzzle	A deceptively cute and innocent puzzle game that shows it's truly vicious side after the first handful of levels. You really have to bust your brain later on to get through the harder puzzles. Thankfully, it includes an in-game rewind function.
Cavenoire	Roguelike	A Japanese-only, but simple to understand Roguelike puzzler. There are different dungeons with different goals to accomplish. However, the dungeons are randomly generated, and feature many monsters, tricks, and traps to get through. Thankfully, you can find some power-ups to even the score. A nice way to kill time and arguably the roguelike spiritual predecessor to short-burst RPG, Half-Minute Hero, available on PSP.
Game & Watch Gallery	Arcade	This game features 4 classic Game & Watch games. Also available on GBA, with MUCH more games.
Harvest Moon GB	Sim	A farm simulation game for the Game Boy
Mole Mania	Puzzle	A neat two-layer puzzle game that has you playing as a tunneling mole. Get to the exit by pushing and shoving objects, digging underground, and trapping and defeating enemies as you try to one-up an asshole farmer.
Puyo Puyo	Puzzle	Stacking Puzzle game. If you've ever played Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine or Kirby's Avalanche, you've played this game. Japanese only. It's on about every system since the MSX but if you like the classic Game Boy go ahead and get this version.
Revenge of the 'Gator	Pinball	A pinball game featuring a kick ass 'Gator theme.
Tetris	Puzzle	IT"S FUCKING TETRIS!!! This is the game you, your sisters, even your mom played endlessly for hours and you loved it.
Motocross Maniacs	Racing	A side scrolling racing game with platform elements.
Final Fantasy Legend II	RPG	The FFL series is known as the SaGa series in Japan. You have 3 basic types of allies: Humans, (balanced fighting and magic) and Mutants/Espers (good at magic), and Robots (good at fighting). A 4th type, Monsters, can eat meat from enemies and change into different critters with different specialties. Has a twisted plot involving a giant tower and killing gods from myth. Has excellent music. A remake for the DS is out in Japan, but a full translation is available.
Final Fantasy Legend III	RPG	Four kids and some "guest" characters, fight monsters and save the world. Business as usual; BUT, you must time travel between Past, Present, and Future, to stop another dimension that's been flooding them. Like FFL2, consuming parts from enemies turns a chosen ally into a critter. The soundtrack is quite good, the gameplay is basic, but the plot gets pretty fucked up. Its spiritual successor is the Romancing SaGa series.
Pokémon Red & Blue	RPG	The first games of the Pokémon franchise. Released simultaneously, both games have exclusive Pokémon that you can trade to complete your Pokédex or evolve certain Pokémon. You can also battle other trainers via the Game Boy Link cable. They received updated rereleases recently as FireRed and LeafGreen for the Game Boy Advance, but if all you have is a Game Boy or Game Boy Color, these are acceptable alternatives.
Pokémon Yellow	RPG	The third version of Pokémon featured updated color (a different palette for each town), and takes story cues from the anime's Kanto arc. Pikachu's sprite and cry was updated, and the little fellow follows around behind you, letting you know what his mood is when you talk to him. It fixed up a lot of things like Charizard can fly now.
Ikari no Yousai 2	Run and Gun	An overhead game that plays like a more action-y Metal Gear. You have weapons with different attributes and two characters to switch between, who also have different attributes. Much-improved sequel to Fortified Zone. Had a SNES sequel, Operation Logic Bomb, but it changed up some things, so beware if you play it after this.
Kid Dracula	Platformer	A pretty badass platforming game made by Konami as a parody of Castlevania. Cute graphics, fun, addictive, and gets challenging. Pretty expensive these days though.
Adventure Island II	Platformer	Despite the name, this is actually a port of Adventure Island 3 from the NES. However, now it has simple 4-number passwords and cheats! Same platformy goodness of its NES variant, just monochromatic here. Even the music is pretty spot-on! The first GB AI (a port of 2NES) is okay, but the music and action are off somewhat. Not here!
After Burst	Puzzle	A strange combination between platformer and puzzle genres. the goal is to defeat all enemies and reach the exit. However, the stage designs for in the enemies' favor, letting them easily dodge your assaults. So outsmart them and catch them off-guard. Though Japanese-only, it's all in English, so no worries there.
Amazing Penguin	Puzzle	You're a Penguin. You solve puzzles by clearing out panels and orbs. There's also enemies in said puzzle stages. You can kick balls at them. There isn't really much to say about this that playing it won't. Regardless of its simplicity, It manages to be pretty fun and even has passwords. Amazing.
BomberBoy / Atomic Punk / DynaBlaster	Puzzle	SAME GAME DIFFERENT NAME. Essentially a sort of Bomberman RPG-esque. Not quite to the levels of Quest and Tournament/Story, but some elements can be found here. You can find money throughout stages to buy upgrades from a shop. If you like Bomberman, give it a shot. It even has passwords to continue on.
Amazing Tater series	Puzzle	Known as Puzzle Boy in Japan. These involve Sokoban-like box puzzles, but also mix things up with stage elements like revolving gates and what not. Kwirk, the 2nd game, changes the character to a tomato. Spud's Adventure is an Action RPG spin off, concentrating more on randomly generated stages, but still retaining the puzzle-solving spirit.
Battle of Olympus, The	Platfomrer / RPG	Your gal pal has been kidnapped, and it's up to you to get some help from the Greek gods of Olympus to save her. Plays like Zelda 2 and Faxanadu. Can get pretty hard and confusing early on if you decide to go where you're not recommended to. So while it is non-linear to an extent, you should consider sticking with the advice of others to avoid getting killed. Slightly altered from the NES version, but still pretty damn good.
Battletoads & Double Dragon	Beat 'em up	THE ULTIMATE TEAM. Pretty much EVERY version of this was the same in the best way possible. Outside of sound and visuals being scaled back a tiny bit, this is as solid as the console releases.
Battle Arena Toshinden	Fighting	A 2D version of the arcade smash hit. The characters are cuter looking and the story is a bit goofier, but this still kicks as much ass as you'd hope. This controls surprisingly solid for a GB game, unlike Takara's previous fighting port efforts. If you've wanted a good GB arena-fighter, give this a whirl.
Blades of Steel	Sports	HOCKEYAN GAEMS. You should know this. If not, give it a (slap-)shot. A pretty good alternative to the NES version. It's a bit scaled-down, but the action's as sweet as ever. (Note: I don't think that sweepstakes offer is valid anymore.)
Blaster Master Boy / Bomber King 2	Puzzle	A lot of people were disappointed that this wasn't a mini Blaster Master (that actually came later, see below). In reality, this was the sequel to Bomber King. Like BM though, it uses similar weapons, but like BomberMAN, it also has bombs and hides power-ups similarly. Something of an odd mix, but it works pretty well.
Bomb Jack	Puzzle	A mini version of Mighty Bomb Jack. Stages are more concentrated and have less to explore, but the control remains very solid. Diffuse bombs to rack up points and evade enemies until you can turn them into money. Jack's trademark is his super high jump and glide-cape. Mastering the control of both is key to victory.
Bonk's Adventure	Platformer	NOT SO FAST! Before you think this is just a Bonk port, think again! This is actually a remix of the first 2 Bonks, using similar stages and elements found in both. It's still the same Bonk-an action you know, but for some reason they made it a bit easier in the GB process. Oh well.
Bonk's Revenge	Platformer	Similar in structure to the first GB Bonk. This time, Bonk can gain power-ups that alter his appearance, and give him skills relative to his new duds. One of the handier ones is the thief, which lets you pick locks, which often are on doors hiding hidden goodies. Like the first, this is also abit on the easy side.
Boulder Dash	Puzzle	The classic game of Boulder Dash comes to GB! Find loot, avoid enemies, and don't get crushed boulders.
Bubble Bobble Part 2 (Junior)	Puzzle	Something of a remix using similar gameplay from Bubble Bobble Part 2 for NES. Uses similar sized sprites, compensating by using multi-screen stages instead of jamming them all into one tiny screen. Pretty good and thankfully a bit easier than its older counterparts. Sadly though, it's only 1 player.
Buster Brothers	Puzzle	Travel around the world busting balls with your harpoon gun. Be warned that balls split when burst, getting tinier, faster, and bouncing lower with each split. Sadly this version seems to lack multiplayer, but it is pretty fun with a pal. Consider the PS1 "Collection" game. This series also goes by the name, "Pang".
Double Dragon	Beat 'em up	A mini version of Double Dragon. This one is based on the arcade version so it can actually have multiplayer and you have pretty much every move from the start.
Great Greed	RPG	An RPG that uses a streamlined battle system. You assign and activate spells to the control pad, making for a proto-Super Mario RPG type system. This also has a quirky story and setting, neither of which are taken very seriously, despite the cover. A rather neat RPG worth a shot if you want something fun without alot of DRAMA.
Hyper Lode Runner	Puzzle	If you never played a Lode Runner game, here's the "Lode"-down: Find all the treasure and escape while avoiding the goons out to get you. You can trap said goons and/or make a shortcut by making pitfalls. This is as solid as any console release, although it is a bit easier than most.
Kirby Pinball Land	Pinball	3 pinball tables, each with a Kirby theme. Many objects and obstacles are made out of enemies from Kirby's Dream Land. Like that game, you unfortunately can't copy powers. The game is still solid, and plenty of fun. Hey, it was made by the team that did Revenge of the Gator!
Kirby's Block Ball	Puzzle	Unlike his pinball outing, Kirby can now copy powers here! This has a similar theme to Pinball Land, but here the goal is to defeat the enemies scattered throughout stages. There's even boss battles as well! This is one of the better Breakout-esques you can play, mostly due to the powers and overall well-done design of the game.
Knight Quest	RPG	Another RPG. This one is relatively unique though. You have different types of attacks to use on enemies, creating an early example of a variable battle system. It isn't quite real-time action, but its more involving than simplly using "attack". The story is decent, and the difficulty makes it challenging, but far from brutal.
Legend of the River King	RPG / Sports	An RPG about fishing? Yes. Your little sister has a strange illness and needs the magic of a legendary fish to get better. But he's a helluva whopper, and a only master fisher can hope to catch him. So you have to fish about to get experience and make some cash for better gear. You even encounter wild animals who you fight BAREHANDED using a neat system that targets parts of their body. Despite this, its relatively laid back, and good fun. Also has a GBC version available.
Ninja Gaiden Shadow	Platformer	Despite the name, this is most like Shadow of the Ninja for NES, and also made by Natsume. Regardless, it's still a good game. Like Castlevania Adventure, some things were cut back: The only one "sub-weapon" is the Fire Wheel shot, and Ryu can't climb walls. However! He now has a pimpin' grappling hook and can climb on certain ceilings/floors, which can lead to hidden goodies in addition to a new axis in climbing. The music, action, and some cinematics are still plenty ace, making for an enjoyable "gaiden" to the Ninja Gaiden series.
Ninja Taro	Action-Adventure	This is a mid-point between Rolan's Curse 1 and 2, using similar elements found in both. It's also a spin off to the Ninja Jajamaru-kun series, a platfomer/puzzler with a cute widdle ninja. Said Ninja is your character here. The game plays like the Rolan's Curse series, as you level up your stats by finding power-up items hidden throughout. A surprisingly enjoyable game that stayed in the shadows. Worth playing, but be warned, it can get pretty hard at times.
Solomon's Club	Puzzle	A Solomon's Key gaiden game. It plays the same as SK1, where you make and break blocks to beat monsters and make way to the exit, but you can now find shops to buy power-ups from, making it much more accessable to the less challenge-hungry among us. There's also passwords now! If you've ever wanted to get into the Solomon's Key series, this is easily the best one to start with.
Sword of Hope II	RPG	Remember Macventure games like Shadowgate and Uninvited? The team that did the NES versions made an RPG using a similar system. Surprisingly, it ended up pretty good. It can be kinda easy to get lost, but its still solid. Unlike SoH1, you can have a party of characters to fight with. Even though its a normal RPG at its core, the different angle on exploration can give you a new viewpoint on it, allowing an enjoyable outlook on a somewhat short-sighted genre.
Tecmo Bowl	Sports	Tecmo Bowl from the NES remixed to fit in your pocket. Pretty much the same kind of action, even including cutscenes upon events and half-time. There are no game or season stats and no way to save your season, but there are passwords to let you resume tournament play where you left off. There's even 2-player for you and a footbal pal.
Tetris Attack / Yoshi de PanePon	Puzzle	That classic block-stacking, high-chain-clearing game from the SNES is also on GB. Match 4 blocks minimum in a pattern and send garbage blocks at your enemy. Chain combo to deal even more damage and also save yourself against enemy garbage threats. Also has a extra modes for more challenge and a VS mode to challenge your buddies.
Tetris Blast / Super Bombliss	Puzzle	A curious version of Tetris that involves bombs to clear out additional pieces. This is further utilized in a enemy-fighting mode where you use explosions to damage a floating enemy. The enemies get tougher as you proceed, some even dodging explosions or disarming your bombs before they go off! Worth a try if you want a remix from normal tetris.
Tetris Plus	Puzzle	Like Blast, this is a variation on Tetris, but stays mostly traditional. The neat mode here is that you try to help an explorer escape a spiked ceiling, featuring different setups each stage. He's always moving, and he'll climb up or down varying heights, so you really have to watch your block placement. Worth playing, but can get a bit frustrating later on.
Trip World	Platformer	Top notch platformer made by the guys who made Mr.Gimmick. Similair in many ways, the graphics and sound are superb and enemy AI is still quite advacnced. Probably the best music on the system! It's way too easy though.

Game Boy Color

The List

Title	Genre	Description	Box Art
Azure Dreams	RPG	A downsized port of the PS1 game. However, it was remixed a bit. For example, there's quite a few new monsters and a "second quest", where you go down the tower in a B01-B99 fashion. Sadly, as mentioned, dating got cut and town editing is limited to donating cash to Nico. But, if you want to tackle the main game, it's still plenty fun. Give it a try, but also consider the PS1 version, but be warned, that one's A LOT harder.
Balloon Fight GB	Platformer	An update to Balloon Kid for GB. This version is nicely colored and also has SAVING. If you played balloon trip mode from Balloon Fight NES, this plays like that, but with more better platforming. You'll even have to deflate and reinflate your balloons, making for an interesting experience.The cart's Japanese, but plays in English.
Blaster Master: Enemy Below	Adventure / Platformer	NOT a straight port of the NES classic. It's a REMIX as several map layouts have been altered, however the general areas and settings remain the same. Pilot your badass tank, Sophia the 3rd, through assorted platforming areas. You even do some on-foot exploration in areas Sophia can't fit in and a good chunk of these end up as overhead segments that control a bit differently. Worth playing through, even if you beat the original.
Bomberman Max: Blue Champion / Red Challenger	Puzzle	A traditional Bomberman taking advantage of the GBC's power. This allows a faster, better looking game. The only major differences between the two are the "charaboms" between them, which is a weird Rock-Paper-Scissors Pokémon-esque minigame that's not all that fun... There's a few exclusive stages between the two of them (IIRC), but not too many. Just choose the hero you want to play as.
Bomberman Quest	Action-Adventure	Bomberman takes a cue from Zelda in this adventure. Bomberman crash lands on a planet and sets loose a bunch of monsters and criminals. To nab them all, he must use his bombs and other gadgets to navigate the planet and pursue the crooks. Not too shabby for his first Zelda-venture, but it has a weird OFFICIAL translation. Protip: Revisit boss fight arenas to fight various Hudson Soft characters for extra life containers.
Bust-a-Move 4	Puzzle	A port of Puzzle Bobble 4 on GBC. Surprisingly well done. Hardly anything is lost in the transition aside from a smaller view point. The plain background makes it easier on the eyes compared to B-A-M Millennium, which has a hard beige. replacing all white colors. There's also multiplayer to take on a pal with.
Crystalis	Action	An action RPG/action-adventure game. Inferior to the NES version, because it clips, has a bad aspect ratio, and takes away some of the initial challenge. Still, if you gotta have Crystalis on a handheld, here it is.
Daikatana	Adventure	John Romero, make you his bitch, etc. Anyways, unlike the console-based version, this game is surprisingly solid. You control various characters as they travel through worlds, fighting anything in their way. Its a hack and slash with Zelda controls and exploration through different stages. You don't get a lot of items or gadgets, just power-ups and weapons to spell out your enemies' doom.
Deja Vu I & II	Point 'n Click	DV1: "Who am I?" Your goal is to find why you forgot this, and fill in the blanks of another mystery... DV2: After DV1, you become a scapegoat in a case involving a huge missing sum of cash. You must figure out what really happened, and you can even re-explore places from DV1! These are mystery games that involve some serious thinking and investigating. However, they're fun as heck, and have numerous weird losing conditions such as being eaten by a gator in the sewers and being arrested for public indecency because you weren't wearing pants.
Shadowgate Classic	Point 'n Click	Like Deja Vu, this game is an adventure. However, unlike Deja Vu, it takes place in a medieval setting, exploring a perilous castle and its caverns, trying to stop an evil warlock from summoning a hell-demon. NEVER LET YOUR TORCHES RUN OUT WITHOUT A SPARE. I can't stress this enough. Other than that it's a pretty fun game. Like Deja Vu though, it's also full of some weird deaths, such as breaking a magic mirror that sends you into space and cannon-balling into a lava pool. Has sequels on various platforms, including the N64 and Turbo CD.
Duke Nukem	Platformer	IT'S TIME TO PLAY DUKE AND CAPS LOCK. A PLATFORMER IN THE STYLE OF THE FIRST 2 DUKE NUKEMS. IN FACT, ITS PRACTICALLY A DUKE REMIX, USING SIMILAR LEVELS, BUT A NEW UI AND STORY. BUT FORGET THAT, IT'S ALL ABOUT DUKE. HE'S GOT THE SKILLS AND THE FIREPOWER YOU'D EXPECT FROM HIM AND HIS BADASS ADVENTURES, AND HE'S ON GBC, READY TO ROCK. GROOVY.
Elevator Action EX	Action / Arcade	A remake of a Game Boy remix of an arcade classic. Elevator Action has you choosing one of three agents (each with different attributes) to collect intel from enemy bases. You utilize elevators, escalators, stealth procedures, and powerful firearms to navigate your way to the goods, but most importantly, doors for duck-and-cover crossfire. Simple, and a bit dated, but has pretty good replay value.
Game Boy Wars 3	Strategy	Not quite Famicom or Advance Wars. This is actually based off of Hudson's Nectaris/Military Madness engine. As a result, it follows a hexagonal arrangement, and uses different unit types and names. However, once you get re-adjusted you'll find a pretty solid game in this. There's no CO's, but there are bases, factories, and water & air units like one would expect from the Wars norm. Japanese only, but easy enough to figure out
Legend of the River King 2	RPG	An angel had parts of a heavenly jewel eaten by two mighty King fish. She asks a kid and his older brother, two fishers, to help her out. More or less same circumstances as LotRK1 apply here to be better fishers. You choose who to play as with minor differences between the two, mostly that the brother starts out a bit stronger and has a slightly harder start. As a side note, you can also trade certain items to/from Harvest Moon 2 GBC.
SD Hiryu no Ken EX	Fighting	A fighting game based on the Flying Dragon series. Surprisingly, it controls DAMN GOOD. You'd think you were playing a Neo Geo Pocket Color! But seriously, the controls are responsive, accurate, and great. The music and animations are good too. Japanese only, but who cares, since fighting's about who's KO'd and who's not.
Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, The	Action-Adventure	A remake of the original game with a new color dungeon and a few other minor changes, such as a new camera mode that records various events, from your adventures as detailed pictures. It has the screen scrolling glitch fixed, so you've got to play it straight in this version.
Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, The	Action-Adventure	A Zelda where the primary mechanic from the beginning of the game is Time Travel, Ages is the more puzzling of the Oracle pair. Borrowing much of its style from Link's Awakening, it tells one of the arguably better Zelda stories.
Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, The	Action-Adventure	Seasons is more focused on combat versus Ages' puzzles. The Rod of Seasons lets you change the terrain at will, and while this should have produced better puzzles, it was largely ignored in favor of better bosses. Beat one of these two, then use that password in the other for a New Game +, with extra features, an additional dungeon (Bringing the pair's total to 17 together), 2 new bosses, and a fuckwin bonus ending.
Looney Tunes Collector: Alert!	Action-Adventure (?)	A Zelda clone where you use the abilities of various Looney Tunes characters to explore the world.
Konami GB Collection Vol. 1-4	Platformer, Arcade, Shmup, Racing, Fighting, Puzzle	16 Classic Konami Game Boy titles for the price of 4! While a few games on the collections are duds, these 4 carts contain Gradius/Nemesis I & II, Castlevania: The Adventure, Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge,[1]Motorcross Maniacs, Contra/Probotector, Frogger, Ganbare Goemon, Twinbee, Parodius, Antartic Adventure, & more in color!Be sure to grab the European copies for total GBC support.
Mega Man Xtreme	Platformer	As the Rockman WORLD (GB Mega Man games) are to the NES series, so are the Mega Man Xtreme games to the Mega Man X Series. This game also features some new plot-relevant bosses to fight. Features new "auto-save points" that allow you to pick up where you left off. While you are unable to use Zero, you can later get the ability to summon him to deal an attack to one or many enemies (depending on the summon used).
Mega Man Xtreme 2	Platformer	See above. This game lets you use Zero, instead of just summoning him. He has different bosses to fight who don't appear in X's mode. An unlocked mode lets you switch between X and Zero at will, and lets you take on both boss sets, along with the true final boss. Features a shop that lets you buy upgrades. Some of X's obtained weapons act a bit differently, and Zero gets to learn attacks based on the PS1 games he's been in.
Metal Gear Solid (released as Metal Gear: Ghost Babel in Japan)	Stealth	A non-canonical 2D Metal Gear game. Plays more like the original MSX Metal Gear games. Very fun and a great entry into the series even if it has non-canon status. If you like the console versions, it's definitely worth a try.
Mission: Impossible	Action (?)	Expect the impossible!
Donkey Kong Country	Platformer	GBC port of the SNES classic with some useless extra features and minigames. If you have to have a handheld version, it'd be preferable to go with the GBA version, but this is acceptable at least. Better than the monochrome Gameboy version, anyways.
Ganbare Goemon: Hoshizorashi Dynamites Arawaru!!	Platformer	A GBC remix of the SNES games. Revolves more around platforming than exploration, but there are still towns to buy goods at. Features the same old goofyness you'd expect from the series, but sadly, only Goemon and Ebisumaru are playable. However, there's still a few Impact battles, so don't get too sad. No translation available, but it's not like this game would make sense with one, and its easy to figure out anyway.
Hunter X Hunter: Kindan no Hihou	Platformer / Action RPG	A Castlevania-esque game with some Metroidvania elements. It controls alot like the NES titles, with whip-cracking and similar physics, except you use skills and magic, instead of subweapons. Even though the game's in Japanese, and based on an anime/manga, you don't need to know either to enjoy this and complete it. There doesn't seem to be a translation patch or any FAQs on this game, but it doesn't really need one.
Return of the Ninja	Platformer	The spritual successor to Natsume's Shadow of the Ninja. Attempts to be less like Ninja Gaiden, and focuses more on ninja-ing through stages using gear such as claws, wind cloaks, and such to manuveur on ceilings and what not. Sadly, with all these cool tools, the game loses a bit of challenge, but its still pretty fun to play.
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe	Platformer	Remake of the original Super Mario Bros with saving. It also includes The Lost Levels as an unlockable! In addition to that, there's some really quirky extras, such as a mini music composer, pictures to print out, and a fortune telling mode with a secret . Also, Luigi is playable at any time by pressing select on the map.
Shantae	Platformer / Metroidvania	A cult classic, with nicer looking graphics than any GBC game. A Metroidvania with a sexy-cute half-genie who can change into animals and use alot of skills later on. Rare and expensive as fuck, but fortunately for you a much improved (albeit shorter) sequel is available on DSiWare for only $12
Wario Land II	Platformer	More Wario Land goodness. In this game, Wario is invincible, but don't expect it to be a cakewalk. Some of the treasures and secrets are extremely difficult to get.Also Available in non-GB Color
Wario Land 3	Platformer	Very similar to Wario Land 2. Has a day/night feautre that alters stages.
Game & Watch Gallery 2	Arcade	This game features 6 classic Game & Watch games.
Game & Watch Gallery 3	Arcade	This game features 11 classic Game & Watch games.
Harvest Moon GBC	Sim	Remake of Harvest Moon GB for the Game Boy Color.
Kirby Tilt 'n Tumble	Puzzle	Think proto-Super Monkey Ball. Uses tilt control in the cartridge. It's worth it to find an actual cart though. You can play it in Visual Boy Advance using the Numpad, though it's not quite the same.
Little Magic	Puzzle	Little Magic borrows some aspects from Sokoban and Lolo in placing certain items in slots. However, you also have a magic bubble which, upon exploding, can push objects around. The first levels are cake, but after that you need mastery of the bubble and careful planning if you even think about getting through stages. Japanese only, but a translation patch is available for the rom.
Monster Rancher Explorer	Puzzle	Has very little to do with Monster Rancher. Regardless of that, this is actually a Solomon's Key spinoff. For those not in the know, you go through a series of puzzle rooms, where you must escape and slay monsters. You do so with your magic wand/pickaxe which lets your create or destroy climbable blocks. This also has a few fairly clever "giant monster" boss fights that require some strategy and quick fingers.
Pocket Bomberman	Puzzle	The action in Pocket Bomberman follows the rules of most other Bomberman games. However, this game is also a platformer. In that regard, it is arguably the spiritual predecessor of Bomberman Hero. The game as a whole is short, but sweet. Although it still has passwords if you can't beat it in one go.
Pocket PuyoPuyo Sun	Puzzle	Sequel to Puyo Puyo 2. Same match 4, aim for high-chain action as you'd expect. But! This now has "Sun Puyo", which when cleared, can cause heavy garbage damage to your opponent. Has an arcade mode with 3 difficulties where you take on computer characters and versus mode to challenge a puyo pal of yours.
Pokémon Puzzle Challenge	Puzzle	Sequel-Spinoff to Pokémon Puzzle League. This takes place in the Johto country with GSC monsters and trainers to face. Match color-blocks and combo your way to victory. Lacks most of the N64 modes, sticking with more basic SNES stuff, but still pretty enjoyable. Features some heavy difficulty on the harder modes.
Pokémon Pinball	Pinball	Pinball featuring Pokémon. Actually has a built in Rumblepack. Delicious!
Tetris DX	Puzzle	It's the Tetris you love, IN COLOR!!! What more do you want?
Toki Tori	Puzzle	Puzzle game that is as cutesy as it gets brutally hard, you are a chick out to rescue your egg-napped brethren in a style reminiscent to Lost Vikings. This gem was released at the death of the Game Boy Color and was largely ignored. Still, it proved enough of a concept to warrant rereleases and updates for WiiWare and Iphone.
Driver	Racing	Port of the playstation game.
Another Bible	RPG / Strategy	The spirtual precursor to Devil Surviror and a spin off of the Majin Tensei series. Plays like a cross between SMT and Shining Force. This features typical Megaten stuff of recruiting monsters (and sometimes humans) to tear shit up for you. Much more cute and light-hearted than the aforementioned games, but still pretty tough. Kind of slow, so be sure you have some way of speeding it up. In English thanks to a Fan-Translation rom patch.
Dragon Warrior I & II	RPG	A port of Dragon Quest 1+2 Remix for the SNES. The gameplay and graphics are improved and streamlined from NES days (no more CLIMB STAIRS/OPEN DOOR here), but the goofy Old English translation has been dropped. This also adds stat-boosting seeds and a quick save option.
Dragon Warrior III	RPG	A port of Dragon Quest 3 Remix for the SNES. This adds better graphics (compared to the NES) streamlined gameplay, quick save, and stat-boosting seeds from 1+2, the Thief class (which is pretty powerful) and a rather enjoyable bonus dungeon. Many consider it to be the best version for good reason.
Dragon Warrior Monsters	RPG	Think Pokémon, but you have (up to) 3 monsters with (up to) 10 moves on the field, as does your opponent. Includes a Breeding aspect, where 2 parent monsters give their skillsets to the child monster.Classic RPG overworld with turn-based battles, with a somewhat complex hierarchy of elements. Host world has Dungeon subworlds where you can tame more monsters. Surprisingly addictive.
Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Cobi's Journey & Tara's Adventure	RPG	Sequel to Dragon Warrior Monsters. Same gameplay and mechanics as before, but with a different story and various changes to the overworld maps. A wholly different experience from DWM without making it a bad experience. Most people consider these two games the best of the DWM/DQM series. Give these a try if you're tired of Pokémon.
Lufia: The Legend Returns	RPG	A black sheep in the Lufia series. Foregoes the puzzle elements of the first two games in favor of rogue-like styled dungeons. Pretty good, despite what the purists say, but the new battle system takes some time to get used to.
Magi Nation	RPG	Imagine Final Fantasy mixed with Pokémon mixed with a card game, and you'll pretty much have Magi-Nation. Features a pretty cool battle system.
Metal Walker	RPG	It's an RPG with rock-paper-scissor styled mechanics, but plays like biliards where you ram your robot into the enemy bot. You start off with a neutral robot with no real strengths or weaknesses. In the traversable overworld, you find parts to upgrade it, which gives it traits, but also abilities, such as sea travel, hovering, and shoving power. These abilities help you find more parts for more power. Surprisingly, alot more fun than it sounds.
Pokémon Gold & Silver	RPG	The second generation of Pokémon games, often touted as the best gen because of its improved gameplay and features. Released simultaneously, both of these games are similar fare to the first gen. Once the Johto region is completed, the player can travel to Kanto and take the gym challenge there, then face down the protagonist from the first game. You can even trade with 1st gen to get your old party back!
Pokémon Crystal	RPG	An updated version of Gold and Silver, featuring slightly improved graphics and the ability to catch Suicuine without mucking about trying to find where the hell he is. Also, the first Pokémon game to allow the option to play as a girl (a feature that was planned for the first games, but scrapped). If you want a second-gen Pokémon game, Crystal is probably your best bet.
Quest: Brian's Journey	RPG	This has NOTHING to do with that fuck-awful GBC puzzle game. This is a re-telling of the N64 game, Quest 64/Holy Magic Century. This has the same mechanics and spells but uses overhead view to simulate the 3D fields. Some spells have been re-balanced, and there's a few new bosses, but most importantly, DON'T DIE. Unlike the N64 game, dying means game over, so be careful when taking hits or raising your defense stat.
Revelations: The Demon Slayer	RPG	Aside from Jack Bros, this was the first Megaten game to hit US shores. Plays like the usual SMT fare, with demon negotiations and fusion, but draws inspiration from Dragon Quest in that the game isn't in first-person POV, but overhead. It's a bit aged, but remains very solid and quite impressive for an early GB title (this is actually just a colored version in English). However, the soundtrack is the JAMS.
Revelations 2/ Megami Tensei: Last Bible 2	RPG	The sequel originally unreleased in English shores finally got a complete fan-translation (rom patch). This game improves the systems of the first, allows monsters to equip gear as well, and is notably more difficult. Unlike the first, this has a fairly engaging narrative that won't leave you wondering what the hell you just played. The soundtrack, however, went for a more aesthetic take and is far less groovy. Note: Last Bible 3 is on the SNES, but currently does NOT have a translation patch.
Robopon Sun/Star/Moon Version	RPG	Overlooked in the past as a Pokémon knockoff. Honestly, they're not all that similar. The battles resemble that, but you can actually improve your bots in various ways with parts, software, RAM, etc. There's even a few unlockables by using a remote control on the GBC in certain events. Worth playing, along with the GBA sequel. Sun was the Only one realesed in America, Moon has the most content with 18 extra robopon.
Survival Kids	RPG	You're a young kid who gets lost at sea. You're all alone on a deserted island, and you have to find some way to get off. Surprisngly accurate for a GB game in featuring various states of hunger, thirst, and health- all of which can be affected by animals, food, and weather/climate of the island areas. You can also rig some basic tools together to increase your chance of surviving the wilds. Had a successor in the Lost in Blue series.
Wizardry 1, 2, 3	RPG	If you say you know hard RPGs and never played or even heard of Wizardry, you don't know SHIT about HARD. Wizardry was first made in the GLORIOUS 80's to digitally capture the feel of Dungeons and Dragons. It's first person, and has NO DUNGEON MAP. There's ALWAYS high odds of death, and no 100% guarantee that you'll revive when killed. If that hasn't scared you off, then there's good news if you beat the first/second. Your saves can transfer to the sequel(s), giving you control of your descendants, who have skills similar to your previous parties.Although these ports are in Japanese, the full English versions are included in them.
Magical Chase	Shoot 'em up	A pretty good port of the PCEngine/TurboGrafx-16 Cute'em up. Horizontal, so you'll have a few obstacles outside of enemies to deal with. Features two star-options that can be changed abit for different firing styles.
R-Type DX	Shoot 'em up	The classic fight against the Bydo empire on GBC! Use your invincible "Force pod" option to take out enemies in hard-to-reach places, shield yourself, and combine for concentrated attacks. The enemies and atmosphere are creepy as hell, but sadly a tiny bit squished here. This still looks and plays great though!
Mario Golf	Sports	Port of the N64 version with all of the fun + a career mode where Mario is Jesus and invites you to his mansion "clubhouse". Has I dare say some of the catchiest and mellow music on the system.
Mario Tennis	Sports	Tennis game with a career mode and RPG elements. Unlike the N64 version it's from a top-down perspective, but it retains the playability and fast pace you expect. It's compatible with the 64 version via transfer pak for extra characters.
Pokémon Trading Card Game	Strategy	Even though every kid collected Pokémon trading cards, no one ever played the card game. Now you can. Very fun game that kind of plays like other Pokémon games, but obviously follows the card game's ruleset. It can either be really easy or really challenging, there is no middle ground.
Worms Armageddon	Strategy	Use your little cartoon worms to blow up your opponent's little cartoon worms. Hilarity and rage ensues when you miss and kill yourself. Has a lot less content than Worms games for other systems, but still decent.
X-Treme Sports	Sports	A sports mini-game collection involving a competition. There are five different sports with various maps, arenas, and difficulties between them. It's ALOT better than it sounds. If you've played California Games, then you should be quite at home with this. In addition, there's actually a plot! Unlike your standard "mini-gamean" game, this was made by WayForward, and as a result, alot of polish and effort was put into controls, graphics, and music. A sadly overlooked page in WF's past that really deserves revisiting. So bone up on that past and get shreddin'.