Best Game Boy Games: Tried, Tested and Rated in 2024

In 1989 a handheld revolution was about to hit the shelves and take over a home video game market that had been dominated by a number of home computers.

The Nintendo Game Boy took on huge computer rivals such the Atari ST and Amiga 500 as well as taking market share of other 8-bit consoles such as the Nintendo’s own NES and the Sega Master System.

The Game Boy launched just before the 16-bit consoles like the SNES started to fall from factory lines and in to people’s homes.

It’s 8-bit green background system looked, on paper at least, to be a general fad people would get bored with easily and quickly.

Thanks to games such as Tetris, this was not to be the case and the Game Boy revolutionised the handheld gaming market paving the way for other handhelds such as the Atari Lynx, Game Gear, Pocket Neo Geo and later the PSP, Gameboy Color, GBA and Switch amongst others.

No one predicted a handheld with only green and black for colour could really hit the gaming industry, and take market share from full colour consoles that connected to home TVs.

The portrait design of the Game Boy, later changed for many handhelds in to a more landscape design, was a joy to hold and play.

Tetris dominated the gaming charts and became the most played cartridge on the device.

Over 118 million Game Boys were sold worldwide in the end.

This is more unit sales than the other 8-bit consoles, Nintendo’s NES and Sega’s Master System, combined!

Despite the small 4.7cm x 4.3cm screen size, development constraints given the pixel limitations and two colours, there were over 1,000 individual game titles that launched on the Game Boy.

With such a huge catalogue of games, finding the best wasn’t easy, but playing so many games in my current back catalogue of titles the weak has been thrown aside to showcase the best on offer.

Here are the best Game Boy games, tried, tested, and rated.

Tiny Toons Adventures: Babs’ Big Break

I didn’t have a Game Boy growing up, my sister did.

I owned my prize possession, an Atari ST with Power Pack, a range of 20 titles that took my love of gaming, and now retro gaming, to a whole new level.

My sisters favourite game on her Game Boy was Tiny Toons Adventures: Babs Big Break.

A night whenever I snuck in her room to swipe it, I didn’t have chance to grab any other cartridge, so this became my game too, and I played in in to the small hours many a night.

Konami’s 1992 title is an addictive little number fuelled by cartoon characters we know and love, albeit in miniature form.

I was always mesmerised how much detail was crammed in to an 8-bit handheld system.

Playing this game today really takes me back to my childhood.

The story sets out with Babs Bunny looking to get a big break in the acting world, with help from Dizzy Devil (Tasmania Devil renamed).

The gameplay is a little slower than I remembered back in the day, but I guess the target younger audience appreciated the slight slowness of the game.

Tiny Toons Adventure plays a little like Mario with boxes to grab bonuses, enemies to jump on when timed well and underground secret levels.

It’s through one such underground level that Dizzy Devil is found, ready to smash through rocks and provide short cuts, so watch out for these.

Even Dizzy’s animation tunnelling through rocks is a little development treasure.

The graphics are great for the Game Boy, and gameplay although slow is responsive and long pause jumps can see the player jump higher and for longer over most adversaries.

It’s unlikely to be a game to test many, and I have completed it many times, but still a fun little game to pick up with the Loony Tunes nostalgia thrown in for good measure.

A hidden gem on the Game Boy.

Batman: Return of the Joker

There were no less than four Batman titles released on the Game Boy, but I think Return of the Joker just pips top spot.

This Sunsoft title from 1993 plays homage to the caped crusader and his ongoing ever endless fight against the mis-understood Joker (as we later found out through Joaquin Phoenix’s amazing take on one of Batman’s arch enemies).

Although we have no particular introduction sequence, it really doesn’t take much to figure out the nature of the game, and that Batman will be up against a number of foes to reach and defeat the elusive Joker.

Batman: Return of the Joker isn’t going to give you an easy ride.

The graphics are great, and incredibly detailed for an 8-bit handheld, but the controls are tricky and just navigating various platform levels can be tricky, without henchmen coming in with a swift right hand.

The game is fast, and at times adrenalin filled when Batman has to make a quick escape, and you’re fiddling around with the various controls on a two button device.

It’s this though that makes the game a particularly tough challenge, but with all hard challenges the rewards are ever so much sweeter.

There are many ports of Batman titles on almost every console, this though should be played at least once.

Speedball 2

Let’s be honest.

No Speedball 2 game will ever beat the true winner of Speedball 2 ports, which is the Amiga 500.

Speedball 2 on the Amiga 500 is simply retro gold.

But, what could a small handheld 8-bit console like the Game Boy do with an incredible game such as this.

Would it even be playable?

Despite the obvious limitations and lacking gameplay, it isn’t too bad a port.

It’s at least a very decent effort.

The graphics are a slight let down compared to the detail set within other Game Boy games, but it must have been a challenge for the developers to get the right balance between graphics and game play with what little they had to work with.

The overall gameplay is a little slower than the Amiga 500, and it can be tricky to keep up with the movement of the ball and players on such a small screen.

Speedball 2 was considered such a breath of fresh air when it landed on shelves back in the 1980s, and those who took to the game with open arms and enjoy playing all different versions will get some enjoyment out of the Game Boy conversion.

Don’t set expectations too high and enjoy the game for what it is. Another retro classic.

Donkey Kong Land

There were two further releases of Donkey Kong Land (2 and 3) but I think the original and first was the best version.

Armed with Diddy, and of course the Rhino, Donkey Kong sets out on his jungle adventure grabbing bananas, throwing barrels and fending off all sorts of jungle creatures.

Now unlike some Donkey Kong Land ports, Diddy and Kong do not follow each other on screen, due to the already pushed graphics on the Game Boy, so are stored ready to take over if either lose a life.

The developers really did try and cram as much in to the game in terms of graphical detail as they could, but sometimes to the games detriment.

The background can horribly clash with the foreground characters and bonuses.

The size of the screen doesn’t help with this either.

Donkey Kong Land on the Game Boy isn’t as fast of course as the 16-bit ports, like found on the SNES, but still, it’s a decent conversion that really tries to stay as true to the game’s identity as possible.

The controls are easy to get along with, and gameplay is really fun.

If you pick up Donkey Kong Land on the Game Boy it’ll be a while before you put it back down again.

Donkey Kong has been around since the dawn of computer games, first seen hurling large barrels from high up platforms to take out poor Mario whilst holding the Princess hostage.

How times have changed for this ever popular ape.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

The follow up to the successful Super Mario Land is the arguably better Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.

I’d love to know who comes up with the full names for these titles!

No Nintendo console or handheld could possibly be complete without a whole range of Mario themed games and sequels.

The Game Boy is of no exception.

The NES may have made the Mario franchise famous, but the Gameboy took it to a different and somewhat parallel level as each title had to be crafted in its own merit steering slightly away from the full colours and sprites offered on the NES.

Despite the screen size limitation, Super Mario Land 2 plays really well on the Game Boy.

It is a little slower than the NES version, but only marginally.

The power ups are true to form as Mario heads on his quest.

The graphics are pretty good for a black and white conversion.

Enough detail to be able to determine each and every character and power up, but not too distracting that it masks elements of the overall scene.

It’s a great fun port that will keep players heading back to play again and again, with enough exciting mystery areas and scenes to keep the game fresh and interesting.

Tennis

This imaginatively no-nonsense title released in 1989 really does explain exactly what this game is about, and no mistaking.

As creative title goes this one lands in the ‘does what it says on the tin’ category.

Despite its lack of name enthusiasm, Tennis on the Game Boy is actually a pretty decent game.

Although platforms, puzzlers and RPGs do well on the Gameboy, it was really better designed for pick and play sport type games.

Tennis fits the criteria very well.

The graphics are good enough without being too detailed or over the top, but such a game is going to strongly rely on its gameplay ability rather than fancy distracting graphics.

The game can be played as one, or two players with connecting Gameboys, with levels ranging from 1 (easiest) to 4 (hardest).

The reality of the situation is the game looks hastily put together by Nintendo, the AI is very poor and hitting ability of the ball very hit or miss.

Even the umpire cameo by Mario doesn’t add to the gameplay.

Tennis is never going to pick up an award, but for the sheer ability for Nintendo to release such a game with little substance is almost worth playing on its own merit.

The beauty with Tennis is once you have mastered the controls, you’ll have the opponent beat a lot, especially on Level 1.

With a spare afternoon ahead this is the type of cartridge I sometimes like to throw on simply because it takes me back to a time when games were not so great, not so spot on, not so AI impressive but were still enjoyable nonetheless.

WWF Superstars

WWF Superstars is another game we owned as a family growing up back in the day.

WWF wrestling (or WWE wrestling as it’s now known) was a big deal in the 80s, even in the UK, and started to overshadow the UK showcase matches starring the legendary Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy on ITV.

Names like Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man Randy Savage, and Mr Perfect became as much household names as Sky television started showcasing WWF wrestling on Sky One in the late 1980s and 1990s.

As a result, not only were WWF games incredibly popular in North America, but the fan base was growing rapidly in Europe, especially in the UK.

Trying to pack a wrestling game in to a Gameboy is a tough challenge.

You won’t find a multitude of wrestlers to choose from, and no Royal Rumble option here I’m afraid, but one on one challenges with some top wrestlers of the day can be had instead.

The controls are ok, although sometimes you feel the AI is taking over a little and you as a player are hitting and hoping.

The graphics are pretty good, and all wrestlers are easily recognisable, even in the ring.

This is another Game Boy title that isn’t going to win any awards, but still it’s a bit of creative 8-bit gaming that should be admired for what it is, and what is was back in 1991 when released.

Robocop

Now I am a massive fan of Robocop and the Robocop gaming franchise.

My favourite port has to be the Atari ST version, a true classic, and a game I have completed on many occasions.

As a Robocop fan, I love playing all port variations.

The ZX Spectrum was quite a fun conversion, and I was keen to set the Game Boy port through its paces.

I was pleasantly surprised.

Ocean Software have done a really good job with this version.

Some of the graphics are incredible, and considering there is a lot of detail on screen at almost all times, it has been created in a way to prevent clashing of pixels.

Everything feels fresh, clean and a joy to play.

Now, Ocean did not make the Game Boy port easy.

It isn’t. It’s very hard and much harder than the Atari ST conversion.

It can be downright brutal at times.

Many enemies on screen at any one time whilst Robocop tries to dodge and duck over 10 bullets on screen at any one time.

It is a challenge and a half!

No easy game was worth playing and devoting time to though.

Robocop on the Game Boy is a great port and well worth adding to any collection.

Final Fantasy Legend 3

Square Co’s Final Fantasy Legend 3, released ion 1993, is the second sequel to the original and last in the trilogy released on to the Game Boy.

RPGs were all the handheld rage in the early 1990s as they finally allowed people to immerse themselves in to the full nature of an RPG without hogging the TV all day, unless of course they were fortunate enough to have one in their room.

As like most Final Fantasy games, there is an immense back story here, which I will spare you the full history and details (something you can explore for yourself) and instead focus on the aesthetics, gameplay and ability of Final Fantasy Legend 3 to draw players in to the creators world.

Unlike most Final Fantasy games though, this version gives no immediate introduction as to how to play the games and conduct fight sequences, but instead puts you straight in to battle!

For those familiar with the franchise, this should be easy, but newcomers may wonder what on earth is going on here.

That said, the opening battle sequence is really being played out on a holographic device for practise, it’s just not known at the time until after the first battle is won.

Although everything about Final Fantasy games is around the gameplay, the graphics here are quite cute.

Backgrounds are removed from battle sequences as to not deter from the main action, but detail is added when required.

The controls are easy enough to get along with.

Final Fantasy Legends 3 on the Game Boy is most definitely a game Final Fantasy fans need to try out.

Pokemon: Blue Edition

With an almost infinite amount of Pokemon games across almost every console and device, there were sure to be a few released on Nintendo’s Game Boy.

As I already mentioned, the Game Boy was a great device for immersive RPGs.

To be able to pick and up and play, whenever and wherever, especially for those youngers growing up not allowed to have a TV or console in their bedroom.

The Game Boy filled this gap brilliantly.

Oak, the Pokemon professor, is there to greet you again in Pokemon: Blue Edition.

I do like the innocent touch of Oak not remembering his grandsons name until you choose, or type it!

Just reading the introduction from Oak welcoming you in to the world of Pokemon, and the grand adventure that lies ahead, would probably have sent small chills to many a youngster with a Game Boy under the sheets at 11pm.

Now, as the Pokemon series doesn’t often blow you away with hard system pushing graphics, the conversion to the 8-bit Gameboy is pretty close to those found on the NES and even SNES, albeit without colour.

The detail, characters, definition, and gameplay are all there.

In fact, playing on a NES and then playing on the Game Boy really offer the same experience, and just the sacrifice of colour comes at the benefit of portability.

It’s also funny how the characters mum tells him to leave the house, go see Oak and have an adventure, as she saw it mentioned on TV!

In any case, the world is certainly immersive and Pokemon fans young and old will simply love this retro portable port.

Tetris

No Best of Game Boy list could be complete without the game that sent Game Boy sales in to the stratosphere, and became the best selling and most played game of the 1980s.

Tetris was incredibly unique at the time, and everything came together beautifully.

A vertical handheld device was perfect for playing Tetris, the timing and strategic placing and rotation of the falling pieces as well as that iconic soundtrack make for the most perfect title for the Gameboy.

Everyone knows exactly what Tetris is, so it would be pointless a long explanation.

The short version is falling different shaped bricks need to be positioned and aligned against the other falling pieces at the bottom of the screen to complete rows of blocks.

Each block disappears.

By not completing blocks, and leaving gaps, your tower of blocks then begin to rise to the top of the screen.

Once the block hit the top of the screen it’s game over.

It may sound straight forward, but Tetris became the foundation for a ton of other puzzle games in all different shapes, sizes and sounds.

Everything about Tetris works.

If though you have never played Tetris on a Game Boy, you simply must.

It’s almost a crime not to!

Prince of Persia

My first fond memory of Prince of Persia was back in the early 1990s at a friends house, who’s father had a brand new Windows PC from work.

Prince of Persia must have been a bundled game, but I stood in awe.

I already owned a ZX Spectrum, Atari 2600 and an Atari ST, but there was something incredibly magical about seeing this Arabian platformer come to life.

Partly because my friend liked to show it off and hogged the PC 90% of the time, but still, it has incredibly fond memories for me as I entered the world of gaming.

So, seeing a Prince of Persia port on the Game Boy really piqued my interest.

Fans of Prince of Persia, particularly the real retro versions from 1989 onwards, are notoriously slow, methodical, and frustrating.

Each step requires much precision in order to jump to the next ledge, or up a platform level.

Nonetheless Prince of Persia defined a new era of platforming gaming and did so in a recognisable Arabian Knight type of Aladdin based adventure.

The game though is unforgiving, and hard, which is its downfall as stopped many players progressing as far as needed to keep the interest alive.

One fatal slip can see the hero plummeting to a life loss and the game to start again.

The wonderous thing the developers did here was to manage to create such an underground platforming system in so much meticulous detail without though deterring from the focus of the character or letting the background clash with the foreground.

There is an incredibly amount of graphical detail in every piece of the game.

A true testament to design ability on a handheld 8-bit with a small screen.

The game play and controls are good but are in typical early day Prince of Persia frustration.

Fans of the series would love this conversion.

Disney’s Aladdin

I am a recent fan in to the Aladdin game series after playing it for the first time on the Mega Drive / Genesis not that long ago.

The Mega Drive version blew me away.

Much better than the SNES incarnation that followed, there will not be another system to match the gameplay, controls and design of the Mega Drive version.

How could though such a well thought out game be designed for such a small screen 8-bit system.

Aladdin is a platformer of course, but it is a platformer on many different levels.

Virgin Interactive decided to stay true to the Aladdin game based on the 16-bit versions rather than create a watered down version exclusively for the Game Boy.

They need not have feared, this turned out to be a cracking port.

The controls are great, the graphics are really well designed and developed for an 8-bit device and although the game can run a little sluggish compared to the 16-bit versions, the gameplay is incredibly immersive.

Sometimes I forgot I wasn’t playing my beloved Mega Drive version, and actually playing a black and white conversion on a tiny screen.

It’s an addictive game even on the Game Boy and one that I will now certainly be picking up on a regular basis.

Suggested Reading: Attention Game Boy fans, if you love Game Boy games, you’ll love the Best Game Boy Color games, tried and tested selection!

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

No Nintendo Game Boy list could be complete without the title that appears on almost as many best game lists as the Final Fantasy series.

The Legend of Zelda is back, and on the Game Boy, and this version we are going to cover is Link’s Awakening.

The opening sequence is often overlooked by many Game Boy developers, but this Legend of Zelda has a good albeit short storytelling sequence opening animation and is cleverly designed for such a small screen.

All Legend of Zelda titles are about exploring, adventure and putting yourself in another world for a short moment in time.

Some have tutorials and gameplay to help you ease in to the surrounding world, whilst others throw in you in at the deep end.

A nice touch about Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is the little hut to the south of home where Ulrira is on the other end of a telephone set in a small room which is there on hand to answer questions about the Island the player is on.

It’s a novel way to provide a help guide or tutorial for the game.

As with most RPGs, everything is in the detail, and here no expense has been spared.

The Island has been drawn out to incredible depths and lengths to really draw the player in.

As a result the graphics are a delight, the gameplay is great and controls are as easy as any other Legend of Zelda title I’ve played.

If RPGs are your genre of choice, this game really must be in the back catalogue somewhere.