Indestructible and universal, the Game Boy made gaming portable with monuments: Tetris, Pokémon Red/Blue, Zelda Link's Awakening, Super Mario Land. This Top 50 gathers the best of Nintendo's handheld, re-tested and re-ranked by RomWize, each title with its re-evaluated score, its versions, their rarity and their collector value.
"The legendary Tetris bundled with the Game Boy. Tetrominoes, lines to clear, endless A-Type or goal-based B-Type. Iconic OST by Hirokazu Tanaka, link-cable versus revolutionary for 1989. One of the greatest games ever, period. The cartridge that sold the Game Boy to the world."
"Donkey Kong Game Boy 1994, and arguably the best game on the system. The original four arcade screens explode into 100+ true puzzle-platform levels, Mario learns to swing, climb and carry. Absolutely prodigious Nintendo work. Essential on Game Boy."
"The Game Boy Zelda, and one of the greatest games ever released. Link washed up on Koholint, eight dungeons, dreamlike writing that haunts. Level design mastered to perfection, OST burned into collective memory. Shorter than a console Zelda but absolutely elegant. Essential, full stop."
"A Japan-exclusive Nintendo gem, the missing link between Zelda and SaGa. Prince Sablé turns into a frog to swim or a snake to crawl. Cutscene-style auto-combat, Metroidvania exploration, irresistible humor. A real little Game Boy wonder, absolutely worth discovering even in Japanese."
"First true Wario solo adventure. Heavier than Mario, shoulder charge, transforming helmets (Jet, Bull, Dragon). Kitchen Island to explore for lost fortune. More demanding than Mario Land 2, secrets everywhere. An excellent platformer, the foundation of the Wario franchise. Essential for GB platform fans."
"A Game Boy masterpiece. Christopher Belmont rescues his son Soleil, four castles in any order, level design of rare finesse. The scrolling is finally smooth, the whip responsive, the gothic mood unforgettable. Legendary OST. Essential, one of the greatest Game Boy games."
"An overlooked Nintendo puzzler supervised by Shigeru Miyamoto himself. Muddy the mole digs, pushes barrels, swaps between surface and underground. Original dig mechanics, levels with perfectly dosed logic. Charming, clever, unjustly forgotten. A real Game Boy gem to absolutely discover."
"Japanese Pokémon Red, mother of all Pokémon. 151 creatures to catch, evolve, trade, battle. Turn-based combat, mature writing for Game Boy, smart map economy. The Red/Green/Blue cartridges launched a global tidal wave. Essential, the starting point of a legend."
"Japanese Pokémon Blue, originally distributed via CoroCoro magazine subscription. Slightly different roster from other Japanese versions (Aka/Midori), rarer Pokémon. Later put on regular sale. For Pokémon collectors, otherwise Aka or Midori cover the essentials. A historical Japanese niche."
"Wario Land II, and it's a revolution: invincible Wario (no more lives to lose), multiple transformations by contact (fire, zombie, spring, etc.), non-linear structure. The gameplay becomes a puzzle where dying changes the environment. Inventive, charming, one of the greatest Game Boy games. Essential."
"Japanese Pokémon Green, released alongside Aka in February 1996. Never sold internationally (replaced by Blue worldwide). Roster identical to other Japanese versions with a few exclusives. A franchise cornerstone of major historical value."
"European title of Final Fantasy Adventure. Not the SNES Mystic Quest (Final Fantasy USA), but the first Mana on Game Boy renamed for Europe. Same absolute qualities: an action-RPG masterpiece, sublime Ito OST, absolutely worth discovering. A classic name mix-up, genuinely a great game."
"Game Boy Metroid II, direct NES sequel. Samus Aran on SR388 to eradicate the Metroids, non-linear vertical-labyrinth structure. More ambitious than the NES, more claustrophobic, a minimalist OST that sticks. Sometimes confusing readability due to monochrome, but one of the greatest Game Boy games. Essential."
"First Mana, dressed as Final Fantasy for the US. Real-time action-RPG, free exploration, crystal saves, OST by Kenji Ito (sublime on Game Boy). The hero saves the Mana tree from an evil empire. An absolute Game Boy masterpiece that birthed a great franchise. Essential."
"Sequel with Wario's grand debut. Six non-linear zones (Tree Zone, Macro Zone, Pumpkin Zone...), more agile Mario, more modern structure. Widely considered a Game Boy peak. Wario's first appearance, which would spawn his own saga. Chain it without hesitation after Mario Land 1."
"Konami's Game Boy Gradius. Vic Viper, options, classic capsule power-ups, horizontal levels flowing nicely on the system. Shorter than arcade Gradius but the spirit is there, and the bosses are well thought-out. Excellent portable shooter, one of the best on Game Boy. For Konami fans without hesitation."
"Square's SaGa II on Game Boy. Multiverse, MAGI pieces held by deities, a hybrid system of humans, monsters and robots evolving differently. More mature than the first, writing surprisingly dense for Game Boy. Long, demanding, deeply satisfying. One of the great portable JRPGs."
"A rare Jaleco platformer, now a collector cult favorite. Shapy morphs into several forms to cross a fantastical world. Animation exceptionally polished for Game Boy, nonviolent writing, dreamlike atmosphere. Short but beautiful. Today the cart sells at a hefty price. Absolutely worth discovering."
"The absolute Game Boy Mega Man peak. Fresh alien Stardroids, Mega Arm as the main weapon, presentation that's impressive for the machine. Minae Fujii's OST is moving. Perfect level design, epic writing. One of the great Game Boy games full stop. Essential."
"First portable Konami Gradius, named Nemesis in the West. Vic Viper, classic capsule power-ups, horizontal levels flowing well for Game Boy. Shorter than arcade Gradius but the formula is instantly recognizable. A very good portable shooter, chain it with the Nemesis II and Interstellar Assault sequels."
