Top 16 Game Boy Games Ever

The iconic Nintendo Game Boy, launched in 1989, revolutionized portable gaming and held its reign for nine years until the Game Boy Color debuted in 1998. With its modest 2.6-inch monochrome display, it became a gateway to gaming on the go and laid the foundation for the success of the Nintendo Switch. By the end of its lifecycle, the Game Boy had sold an impressive 118.69 million units, securing its place as the fourth best-selling console of all time.

A significant factor in the Game Boy's enduring popularity was its extensive library of exceptional games, which introduced the world to iconic Nintendo franchises such as Pokémon, Kirby, and Wario. But which of these games truly stand out as the best?

IGN's editors have meticulously compiled a list of the 16 best Game Boy games, celebrating those that have either withstood the test of time or launched some of gaming's most beloved series. To qualify for this list, games must have been released on the original Game Boy, excluding any Game Boy Color exclusives.

So, let's dive into the 16 best Game Boy games of all time.

16 Best Game Boy Games

16 Images16. Final Fantasy Legend 2

Image credit: Square EnixDeveloper: Square | Publisher: Square | Release Date: December 14, 1990 (JP) | Review: IGN's Final Fantasy Legend 2 review

Despite its Final Fantasy moniker, Legend 2 is actually the second installment in Square's SaGa series, known for its complex turn-based RPG mechanics. The use of the Final Fantasy name in North America was a strategic move by Square to establish a direct association with the franchise. As one of the earliest RPGs on the Game Boy, Final Fantasy Legend 2 enhanced its predecessor with richer gameplay systems, graphical upgrades, and a more compelling narrative.

15. Donkey Kong Game Boy

The Game Boy version of Donkey Kong significantly expands upon the original arcade game, incorporating all four original levels plus an additional 97 stages. These new levels take players from construction sites to exotic locales like jungles and arctic regions, featuring a mix of platforming and puzzle-solving enhanced by Mario's new ability to pick up and throw items, reminiscent of Super Mario Bros. 2.

14. Final Fantasy Legend 3

Image credit: Square EnixDeveloper: Square | Publisher: Square | Release Date: December 13, 1991 (JP) | Review: IGN's Final Fantasy Legend 3 review

Final Fantasy Legend 3, known as SaGa 3 in Japan, builds upon the series' turn-based RPG foundation with a deeper, more engaging story involving time travel, where past actions influence the present and future. This narrative complexity echoes elements found in Square's acclaimed RPG, Chrono Trigger.

13. Kirby's Dream Land

Image credit: NintendoDeveloper: HAL Laboratory | Publisher: Nintendo | Release Date: April 27, 1992 (JP) | Review: IGN's Kirby's Dream Land review

Kirby's Dream Land marks the debut of Nintendo's beloved pink hero and the first game directed by Masahiro Sakurai, who would later create the Super Smash Bros. series. This side-scrolling platformer introduces key elements like Kirby's ability to inflate and fly, as well as swallow enemies and spit them out as projectiles. The game, featuring five levels, can be completed in under an hour.

12. Donkey Kong Land 2

Image credit: NintendoDeveloper: Rare | Publisher: Nintendo | Release Date: September 23, 1996 (NA)

Donkey Kong Land 2 adapts the beloved SNES title Donkey Kong Country 2 for the Game Boy, maintaining the original's characters and storyline while adjusting level and puzzle design to suit the handheld's capabilities. Released on a distinctive banana-yellow cartridge, it remains a standout platformer.

11. Kirby's Dream Land 2

Image credit: NintendoDeveloper: HAL Laboratory | Publisher: Nintendo | Release Date: March 21, 1995

Kirby's Dream Land 2 expands on its predecessor by introducing Kirby's ability to mix and match powers with animal friends, a staple feature of the series. This sequel offers three times the content of the original, according to How Long to Beat.

10. Wario Land 2

Image credit: NintendoDeveloper: Nintendo | Publisher: Nintendo | Release Date: March 9, 1998 (NA) | Review: IGN's Wario Land 2 review

Just before the launch of the Game Boy Color, Wario Land 2 hit the original Game Boy, featuring Wario's unique, aggressive gameplay mechanics and his invincibility. The game boasts over 50 levels with diverse boss battles and a complex network of hidden exits and secret paths, leading to multiple endings.

9. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 breaks from tradition by featuring Wario instead of Mario, introducing new gameplay elements like exploration and unique power-ups such as the Bull Cap, Dragon Cap, and Jet Cap, enhancing the platforming experience.

8. Super Mario Land

Image credit: NintendoDeveloper: Nintendo | Publisher: Nintendo | Release Date: April 21, 1989 (JP) | Review: IGN's Super Mario Land review

As one of the Game Boy's launch titles, Super Mario Land was Nintendo's first handheld-exclusive Mario game. It retains the core 2D platforming of Super Mario Bros., adapted to the Game Boy's smaller screen, introducing unique elements like exploding Koopa shells and rubber-like Superballs. It also debuted Princess Daisy.

7. Dr. Mario

Dr. Mario is a Tetris-inspired puzzle game where players clear viruses by matching pill colors. Its engaging gameplay and Mario's doctor persona make it a memorable Game Boy title, with the handheld version creatively adapting the color system for its monochrome screen.

6. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

Image credit: NintendoDeveloper: Nintendo | Publisher: Nintendo | Release Date: October 21, 1992 | Review: IGN's Super Mario Land 2 review

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins significantly improves on its predecessor with smoother gameplay and larger, more detailed sprites. It introduces backtracking, a Super Mario World-like overworld, and six zones players can explore in any order. The game swaps the Superball Flower for the Fire Flower and introduces Bunny Mario, while debuting Wario as the main antagonist.

5. Tetris

Tetris, included as a pack-in game with the Game Boy in North America and Europe, played a crucial role in the console's success. Its timeless puzzle gameplay, available in three modes including multiplayer, helped propel Game Boy sales. With 35 million units sold, it remains the best-selling single Game Boy title.

4. Metroid 2: Return of Samus

Metroid 2: Return of Samus brings the franchise's signature blend of exploration and isolation to the handheld, introducing key weapons like the Plasma Beam and Spider Ball, and setting up the narrative for Super Metroid. Its legacy continued with a 2017 remake for the 3DS, Metroid: Samus Returns.

3. Pokémon Red and Blue

Image credit: NintendoDeveloper: Game Freak | Publisher: Nintendo | Release Date: February 27, 1996 (JP) | Review: IGN's Pokémon Red review

Pokémon Red and Blue launched the global Pokémon phenomenon, introducing players to the world of creature collecting and battling. Inspired by insect collecting, these games set the stage for a media franchise that has grown to include numerous sequels, a trading card game, movies, TV series, and extensive merchandise.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Link's Awakening brings Zelda to the handheld for the first time, with Link stranded on Koholint Island, tasked with collecting eight instruments to awaken the Wind Fish. This game balances traditional Zelda elements with a surreal narrative inspired by Twin Peaks, later remade for the Switch in 2019.

1. Pokémon Yellow

Image credit: NintendoDeveloper: Game Freak | Publisher: Nintendo | Release Date: September 12, 1998 (JP) | Review: IGN's Pokémon Yellow review

Pokémon Yellow enhances the original Pokémon experience by replacing the starter Pokémon with Pikachu, who follows the player in the overworld, and aligning the game more closely with the Pokémon anime. The first generation of Pokémon games remains the best-selling, with the franchise continuing to thrive with recent releases like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Best Game Boy games

I was asked to curate what I think is the absolute finest the Game Boy has to offer. This, to me, includes both Game Boy AND Game Boy Color, because c'mon, the GBC was just a Game Boy with a little extra oomph. Looking for Game Boy Advance? That's a completely different beast with its own charm and legacy. Here's my selection of the best titles:

1. Mario Golf - Camelot

2. Donkey Kong [GB] - Nintendo EAD

3. Shantae - WayForward

4. Tetris DX - Nintendo R&D1

5. Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble - Nintendo R&D2

6. Metal Gear Solid [2000] - Konami OSA (KCEO)

7. Pokemon Pinball - Jupiter

8. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening [1993] - Nintendo EAD

9. Pokemon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition - Nintendo

10. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins - Nintendo R&D1