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 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."
"The very first portable Mario. Four exotic kingdoms (Birabuto, Muda, Easton, Chai), Daisy to rescue from Tatanga, platform levels and submarine/plane shoot stages. Shorter and more arcade than a console Mario, with Hirokazu Tanaka's unforgettable OST. A historical Game Boy pillar. Essential."
"Third DKL with Dixie and Kiddy. Frozen continent, Baron K. Roolenstein, refined tag mechanics. Shorter and slightly less inspired than DKL 2, but still excellent. Presentation remains impeccable for Game Boy. Chain it after DKL 2 if you want more, no regrets."
"Game Boy Mega Man IV. First original Game Boy Robot Masters (not from NES), new item system via Eddie's shop. Polished presentation, smooth scrolling, fair balancing. An excellent portable Mega Man, almost on par with Mega Man V. A real gem for franchise fans to discover."
"Japanese Pokémon Yellow, a Pikachu special edition inspired by the anime. Pikachu follows the player outside its Poké Ball as in the show, with extra dialogue and interactions. Game Boy Color compatible with proper colorization. The definitive first-gen build, to pick for the freshest experience."
"Nintendo's Picross, and one of the greatest Game Boy puzzlers. Nonogram grids solved by logical deduction, perfect learning curve, colossal content. Archaeologist Mario adds a light narrative touch. Once you're in, you can't leave. Essential for brainy puzzle fans."
"Nintendo/HAL's first Kirby. A pink ball that inhales, spits and floats through Dream Land. No absorbed powers yet (those arrive with Adventure on NES), but the concept and gentleness are already there. Short, accessible, brilliant for first-time gaming. One of the greatest Game Boy games, essential."
"European version of Contra The Alien Wars (id 196) with robots replacing the human soldiers, a PAL tradition. Same content, same mechanics, just the skin changes. Still a compressed Game Boy Contra; the run-and-gun works. Generously rated 92 here for its content and ambition."
"A noticeably more convincing DKL sequel. Diddy and Dixie tag-team, DKC2-inspired levels (pirates, lava, mines), impeccable animation. More generous, more varied, fairer level design. The best Donkey Kong Land on the system, few Game Boy platformers match it. Recommend without hesitation."
"A Capcom action-RPG starring Firebrand from Ghosts'n Goblins. Side-view RPG exploration, 2D action levels, magic to unlock. More mature and dense than a simple Capcom platformer, and the gothic mood lands surprisingly well in monochrome. A real Game Boy masterpiece unjustly forgotten, essential."
"Sunsoft's portable Batman, adapted from Burton's film. Platforming, gadgets, Batmobile and Batwing sections. Naoki Kodaka's score holds its own despite the Game Boy chip. More ambitious than Return of the Joker, this is the Batman to pick on the system. Solid for its era."
"Third Game Boy TMNT/TMHT, and a real surprise: Konami goes Metroidvania. One playable turtle at the start, you free the others through exploration, each with specific abilities. Excellent design for the machine, the true franchise peak on Game Boy. Absolutely recommend."
"Spiritual sequel to Balloon Fight by Nintendo. Alice floats on two balloons through right-scrolling levels, sharp enemies to dodge, satisfying pop mechanics. Short but rare in elegance. A genuine forgotten Game Boy masterpiece, absolutely worth rediscovering."
"Japanese version of Gargoyle's Quest (same game as id 361). Same absolute takeaways: Capcom masterpiece starring Firebrand, side-view action-RPG, gothic mood. Original Japanese text. For fans in the Japanese original, otherwise the Western Gargoyle's Quest is strictly equivalent. Essential."
"Game Boy R-Type. R-9 ship, signature attachable Force, Irem horizontal levels condensed. The Game Boy engine obviously can't do justice to the legendary arcade, but the tactical Force play works. Shorter and harder to read than a SNES R-Type. For demanding portable shooter fans."
"Game Boy James Bond by Saffire/Nintendo. Top-down view, signature gadgets, espionage missions, blackjack casino included. Surprisingly ambitious for a 1998 handheld, stylish writing. More original and free than expected, worth a curious look for Bond or quirky action-RPG fans."
"Game Boy adaptation of Donkey Kong Country by Rare. SGI-style pre-rendered sprites, polished Game Boy animation. Levels inspired by the SNES but compressed, level design sometimes punishing (millimeter jumps). Solid, but clearly outdone by Donkey Kong Land 2."
"Nintendo's Picross sequel (after Mario's Picross). 200+ grids, no-time-limit mode, smoother marking. More generous and accessible than the first, perfectly tuned curve. Still a top Game Boy puzzler, ideal for nonogram purists. Essential if you loved the first."
"Kirby as breakout. Kirby bounces like a ball, with special powers based on the absorbed element, brick boards to clear. Clever concept, polished Game Boy animation. More original than average portable breakout, the franchise's bubblegum-pink charm. Recommend for puzzle-action fans."
