Game Boy Games - ranked by preference

Release Date: October 15, 1996 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Game Freak
Genre: RPG

Not really sure what to say that I haven't already said in the post below with Pokemon: Red Version. The differences between the two are minuscule - mostly just percentages of how often certain Pokemon appear and areas. But the great thing about Pokemon games is that they're fun enough to play both games from beginning to end, and you probably won't get bored...And, since you can trade with friends, you're not necessarily stuck doing all the work if you want to catch 'em all. By the way, like I said, the differences between Red and Blue are minute - the only reason Blue is above Red in this list is because I adore Squirtle in any form.

Release Date: February 27, 1996 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Game Freak
Genre: RPG

Pokemon: Red Version is the first Pokemon game that I beat...And that was only within the last two years or so. So I was late to the Pokemon party, what of it? Anyway, this game, along with Blue, was a fantastic first game in the series. This unique RPG with a "Gotta catch 'em all" gimmick is highly addictive. I found myself wandering around areas for hours just to run into a rare pokemon to nab for myself. The games have evolved since the days of the originals, but that doesn't make this game any less fun today.

Release Date: June 14, 1989 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Bullet Proof Software
Genre: Puzzle

This is the game that made the Game Boy. Without Tetris, I'm not confident that Nintendo's handheld would have flourished like it did. That little opinion out of the way, I don't think I need to say a whole lot about Tetris. You probably know all about it. Tetris is one of those great games that just does not age. It's just as fun to play today as it was when it was first released and in 100 years, it'll still be just as good. Some say that Tetris is video game perfection. I wouldn't go that far, but it's pretty dang close.

Release Date: April 26, 1996 (JP)
Publisher: Takara
Developer: Gaibrain
Genre: Fighting

King of Fighters '95 plays like a console fighting game, not a game you'd find on a handheld. It's also got a team arcade mode to go along with the regular one-on-one arcade mode, as well as a versus mode for both styles as well...Back when this was released, most console fighters didn't have this many modes, let along handheld fighters. The end result is a smooth-playing fighting game that is to Game Boy games exactly what the title states it to be - the King of Fighters.

Release Date: November 28, 1989 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Sports - Golf

Before Mario Golf provided us with one of the best golf games of all-time on the Game Boy Color, this title, simply called "Golf," was the game that caused people to sit on their toilets well after they were done going potty, simply because they wanted to finish "just one more hole." If you don't like how most modern golf games automatically choose the best golf club to use and want a more strategic game of golf, this little handheld gem is for you.

Release Date: November 27, 1993 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Hal Laboratories
Genre: Pinball

Kirby's Pinball Land is one of my favorite pinball games that I've ever played. You can traverse through three different tables, with boss fights and hidden rooms awaiting you. Each table is designed well enough where it takes a while before you get bored...And when you do get bored, you just have to manipulate Kirby enough in a certain area to trigger a star that will transport you to the table selection screen, where you can enter a new table. I wish more pinball games were as fun as this fantastic addition to the Kirby franchise.

Release Date: March 14, 1995 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Jupiter Multimedia
Genre: Puzzle

Mario's Picross is a puzzle game that challenges your brain a bit more than most other puzzle games. Checking the numbers before each row and column, your goal is to determine which square to open and which ones to leave closed. If you can recognize the picture you're making, that can help a little in the process, but otherwise, it's all in using the logic of the numbers. It's a great little brain-teaser for Game Boy owners.

Release Date: April 27, 1992 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: HAL Laboratories
Genre: Platformer

The first Kirby game I played was Kirby's Adventure on the NES, so when I went back and played the original game on Game Boy, I'll admit, I was a little disappointed with the lack of being able to absorb new abilities. That said, if you actually stick with this game and play through to the end, you're rewarded with a charming platformer and a very solid Game Boy game. If you find it too easy, you can always hit up, select, and A at the same time on the title screen, which allows you to play the game on a much harder difficulty, giving you a little more bang for your buck.

Release Date: July 27, 1990 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Puzzle

Give Mario a clipboard, toss a white coat on him, strap a pizza cutter to his head, and suddenly he's a doctor. In Dr. Mario, your goal is to eliminate the viruses in the level by using the correct-colored pills. I think it's a really neat concept for a puzzle game...And while the game is definitely good, I've never really been big into it. I had this and Tetris as my portable puzzle games growing up, and nine times out of ten, I'd play this for a little bit and quickly realize I'd rather be playing the Russian game of falling blocks. But still, Dr. Mario is a quality puzzle game with a neat premise and it's well worth your time to play it.

Release Date: April 21, 1989 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Platformer

Super Mario Land is kind of hard for me to rate. On one hand, I love the level designs and the fact that some levels transform into scrolling shooters, with Mario behind the wheel of a vehicle of some sort. What I don't love is how awkwardly Mario moves. After you get used to the weird physics, it's not terrible to deal with, but Super Mario Bros.-like physics would have made this game so much better than what it is. It's still a decent game, but nowhere near the quality of its console big brothers.

Release Date: February 1992 (NA)
Publisher: Hudson Soft
Developer: Hudson Soft
Genre: Platformer

This portable Adventure Island game is pretty solid, offering the dinosaur pals, hammers, and skateboards of Adventure Island II on the NES in portable, monochromatic form. I think it's one of the better platformers on the original Game Boy, though, to me anyway, it seems like it's a tad on the easy side when compared to the NES Adventure Island games. But, if you want a solid platformer for on the go, Adventure Island is a good way to go.

Release Date: November 1995 (NA)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Rare
Genre: Fighting

Until I played King of Fighters '95, I thought that Killer Instinct was the best fighting game on the Game Boy. The game isn't nearly as pretty as its Super NES big brother, but much of the quality of gameplay remains the same. You've still got combos, finishing moves, and endings, but it's all in portable form. King of Fighters '95 may have taken Killer Instinct's spot as my favorite Game Boy fighter away, but this game still remains as one of my favorites for the handheld, regardless.

Release Date: July 26, 1991 (JP)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Genre: Platformer

Only containing 4 of the original 6 bosses, Mega Man is still a decent title, but lacks some of the fun and longevity of the NES Mega Man games. It's not bad for an early, portable Mega Man experience, and it captures much of what makes the console games fun, but it just doesn't live up to the quality of the games you can play on the big screen in your living room. It's good...But far from great.

Release Date: March 22, 1996 (JP)
Publisher: Takara
Developer: AI
Genre: Fighting

Battle Arena Toshinden is a solid fighting game for the ol' Game Boy that's fun to play, but it's also bogged down a little by an AI that makes no sense. When I get destroyed by the computer in a fight, I'm expecting to fight for my life in a rematch...But not here. I actually bounced back and got a perfect victory over them. But anyway, goofy AI aside, this still a fun fighter that any portable fighting fan will likely enjoy.

Release Date: June 30, 1994 (JP)
Publisher: Takara
Developer: Takara
Genre: Fighting

Samurai Shodown is another, solid, portable Takara fighting game. It doesn't skimp on anything that makes the franchise so fun, either. The fighting is solid, the fighters are plentiful, and items are tossed into the screen during battle to both aid and harm you. The only thing really holding this game back is the speed...The fighting is kind of slow, and everything between the fighting is twice as slow. But, if you can deal with the speed issues, this is a solid fighting game and well worth playing if you're a fan of the genre.

Release Date: 1994 (EU)
Publisher: Ocean
Developer: Probe Entertainment Limited
Genre: Platformer

Jelly Boy is a decent platformer. It looks good, it plays smoothly, but the level design isn't the best - it's kind of bland. It's not horrible by any means, but even with everything else going for it, the bland level design can make you feel kind of bored shortly into playing this. It's also kind of disturbing that Jelly Boy attacks enemies with a fist that comes out of his stomach...If you catch a quick glance at someone playing, it almost looks like an adults-only title.

Release Date: March 11, 1995 (JP)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Sun L
Genre: Fighting

Street Fighter II is a passable fighting game. The controls work, but they're not nearly as smooth as the console Street Fighter games. This game also lacks a few characters of its console big brothers as well. That said, it's still an okay fighting game that most Street Fighter fans will likely enjoy, but there's better fighting games on the handheld that you're likely to enjoy a bit more.

Release Date: April 1991 (NA)
Publisher: LJN
Developer: Rare
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Maybe it's 'cause I grew up with turds like WWF King of the Ring and WWF Raw for the Game Boy, but WWF Superstars really isn't that horrible of a handheld wrestling title...Particularly for its time. The move sets are limited and all, but everything plays smoothly. The only thing really holding this game back is repetition. There are only five playable wrestlers, and each one basically has the same move set with very minor differences...And the game options aren't really varied, either...So within ten minutes of playing the game, you've pretty much experienced all it has to offer. But, it plays well and compared to other wrestling games of its time (especially in North America) it's a pretty decent title.

Release Date: October 18, 1989 (JP)
Publisher: Hal Laboratories
Developer: Hal Laboratories
Genre: Pinball

Revenge of the Gator is a solid, albeit bland, pinball game. The game plays decent, but there's not a whole heckuva lot of meat to this game. But still, I'd like to think that this game helped lay some of the ground work for Hal Labs' fantastic Kirby's Pinball Land that came out years later. If there was some more variety here, I'd bring the score up a bit, but for what it is, it's not too bad.

Release Date: October 5, 1990 (JP)
Publisher: Sofel
Developer: Sailo
Genre: Action

Fish Dude is a unique title. You control a fish. You need to eat a specific number of smaller fish to complete the level. The catch is that there are numerous hazards in your way, like bigger fish trying to eat you or birds that'll swoop you up if you dive out of the water to avoid something else chasing you. It's not the best-designed game in the world, but it can be mildly fun in small doses. I'm not really sure why the title is "Fish Dude" though...Unless it's the abbreviated form of "I'm playing a game with fish, dude...And I'm already bored with it."

Release Date: November 1994 (NA)
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: Beam Software
Genre: Sports - Basketball

NBA Jam is extremely fun on the consoles...On the Game Boy, not so much. The action is much slower-paced and using the turbo button (which is Start) is really awkward to use unless you use the option to customize your controls. That said, the game isn't absolutely terrible, but it is bad enough where most folks playing it would probably like the cartridge to shatter like the backboard after an awesome slam dunk.

Release Date: July 1995 (NA)
Publisher: Time Warner Interactive
Developer: Probe Entertainment Limited
Genre: Fighting

Primal Rage is like the lazy kid in school...It does what it needs to do to pass; nothing more and nothing less. Primal Rage is not a horrible fighting game, but it really is right on that edge of being a bad game or a passable one. The control scheme is a little different as performing special moves require you hold down the A and B buttons while you input the proper combination using the D-pad. It's not a horrible system, but it is a tad awkward...And that phrase basically sums up my entire opinion of the game, it's not horrible, it's passable, but it's still a tad awkward.

Release Date: September 14, 1990 (JP)
Publisher: Hal Laboratories
Developer: Human Entertainment
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Hal Wrestling is made by the developers that made the early Fire Pro Wrestling games....And it's not nearly as good as any of those titles. I'll give credit to Hal Wrestling for having a variety of moves for each wrestler...But the wrestling is terrible. It controls poorly and almost seems like a coin-toss whether you're going to hit an offensive move or the computer will. There are worse wrestling games out there, but Hal Wrestling still isn't a game that wrestling fans should try to track down.

Release Date: February 1994 (NA)
Publisher: FCI
Developer: FCI
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

I wanted to like this wrestling title. The roster alone brings back memories of watching pre-Hogan WCW as a young-un...And graphically, the game looks pretty good for a Game Boy game...But unfortunately, that's really the only compliment I can give. The game plays like a mess and winning and losing feels like it's based more on luck than skill. In fact, playing it kind of "Stings" get it? Sting's on the cover...So it Stings. Eh, forget it.

Release Date: August 1992 (NA)
Publisher: LJN
Developer: Sculptured Software
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

What a difference a sequel makes. WWF Superstars was decent, not great, but playable. WWF Superstars 2 adds in various match types and loses the vast majority of its playablity in the process. I really don't know what else to say. Regular matches are a joke and often seem to break down into just punches and kicks into a pin. Cage matches are the same, except instead of a pin, you climb the cage. This is definitely not worth your time. If you want a decent WWF/WWE wrestling game on your Game Boy, get the original WWF Superstars. It's the best of the bunch.

Release Date: October 1992 (NA)
Publisher: Hi Tech Expressions
Developer: Imagineering Inc
Genre: Platformer

Barbie Game Girl feels horrible and plays horrible. The only reason the score isn't lower is because it does have a few redeeming qualities like variance in levels and a mildly-amusing memory-match game at the end of each level...But despite the background and setting variety in the levels, each level is about as boring to navigate through as watching a glass of water evaporate into nothing. I've played Barbie games that aren't terrible. This is definitely not one of them.

Release Date: August 1994 (NA)
Publisher: Bandai
Developer: Tom Create
Genre: Action - Brawler

Grumble. That's what I did while playing this. It controls so poorly. Throw a punch and you've got a 50/50 chance of it landing, or of it landing after the enemy hits you first. If you stick with jumping kicks, the success rate is a bit higher, but you'll still somehow lose heath while kicking people in the face from time to time. The game feels awkward to play on top of the poor combat issues, with controls feeling very unresponsive. As far as brawlers go, this is one of the worst I've played...It's just bad.