Top 5 Original Game Boy games

[Shadow 43]

Shame this section doesn't get used a lot. I'm dissapoint. Guess it's up to me then. (And yes, this is a lazy copy from my article.)

http://www.gamerselite.co.uk/my-top-5-original-game-boy-games/

 

Aah, the Game Boy. What can be said about it? It might not have been the first ever handheld console, but it was definitely the one which defined it, leaving a family of many more handhelds to come. While the SNES was my first ever console, the Game Boy was my first ever handheld. And to this date, I still own one. And even though the later incarnations are better, I still pick up the Game Boy every now and then. The fascinating thing about the Game Boy, is that all of the games could also be played on other handhelds up till the Game Boy Advance SP. And they definitely had some good games. So today, I will count down my top 5 original Game Boy games. Keep in mind that I will only include games from the original handheld. While I love the Colour and Advance games just as much, I want to keep them for another list, to make this one as detailed as possible. Because of variety sake, I will also implement the ‘one game per franchise’ rule. Anyways, enough rambling, let’s start the countdown!
First of all, I want to give an honourable mention to Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. I’ve had a lot of fun with that game, and the variation in levels was definitely a nice change of pace. It was also created by Gunpei Yokoi, the father of the Game Boy! I just couldn’t put it on the list because… well, I just like the other games more! Consider this a number 6 :).

 

Number 5

 

 

Pokémon had to be on here somewhere right? I will admit that nowadays I’m not the biggest fan of the series anymore, but Pokémon Yellow was the game that got me into the franchise to begin with, which has been with me for a big part of my life. If we look back at it now, the first generation of Pokémon is… flawed, to say it nicely. Psychic types were horribly overpowered and the Pokémon designs weren’t the best we have seen. But I should stop being so negative already. I mean, throw a Game Boy with this game in my face and I would play it, over and over. Just.. don’t do that, might now survive getting a brick in my face. Pokémon yellow provided me with loads of fun, and it’s one of the few main storyline Pokémon games that I’ve completed 100%. Granted, there were ‘only’ 151 Pokémon to collect, which nowadays is just becoming a chore not worth spending time for. It was great having Pikachu follow you around, which was only present in… 3 games? It kind of felt like Tamagotchi, and these were the bomb back then. And remember the toughest choice back then, choosing your starter Pokémon? Well how about that, you can get all of them as gifts in this game! The game also followed the Anime a bit, which we have all watched, don’t deny it. Pokémon Yellow was technically just a mix of the first 2 Pokémon games, Red and Blue (which I also own…), but a good one at that. If you still haven’t checked out the first generation of Pokémon, I would recommend either the Game Boy Advance remakes, or this one.

 

Number 4

 

 

Final Fantasy has the tendency to have each of their spin-off games be an entirely different series. Final Fantasy Tactics started its own series of games, Final Fantasy Legend ultimately became the SaGa series, and the number 4 on here, Final Fantasy Adventure, was the predecessor to Secret of Mana, as well as the first in the Mana series! How to describe this game… well, saying it’s a mix of the Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy would be pretty darn accurate. Instead of standing still and waiting for your turn to attack, you move around freely and swing your mighty sword around. You gather many different weapons throughout your journey, ranging from a whip to a ball on chains. You also use these weapons to explore more of the world. There is literally just one negative point about this game, and that’s it having classic game design. You use keys to open doors, but when moving to a different floor, these doors will become locked again. If you run out of keys and you don’t have a safe file then well.. it’s game over. There’s nothing you can do about it, unless there’s an enemy nearby who drops keys. Overall, a really good game that created a wonderful and underrated group of games.

 

Number 3

 

 

Remember when I said Final Fantasy created entire series? Well, Mario is an even worse offender to that trend, but I’m definitely not complaining. Remember Wario? Well of course, everybody knows him. But did you know this was the first game he was playable in? And that is was a mighty fine one at that too? Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 was the first in the Wario Land series, one I also hold very high. In concept, it is similar to the 2D Mario platformers, except that Wario is more of a Brute, using his body to crush his enemies. He can rush into them, butt them to their dead or grab them and throw them into other enemies. Wario might not be as agile as Mario because let’s be honest, he’s a fat man. Yet, the level design compliment this very well. They aren’t too long, and enemies do not suddenly rush onto you. Also, every level has at least one secret, making it a very interesting game for completionists like me. The later games in the franchise mess around with the formula a bit (for the better, mind you), but they all stay honest to the original. Wario Land is also available on the 3ds eShop. If you’re curious in checking it out, I definitely recommend it!

 

Number 2

 

 

 

Let’s get right to the point: 2d Zelda games are amazing. Of course, so are the 3d games, but I hold a soft spot for the 2d games. And that brings me to the number 2, Link’s Awakening! The game started off as a port of one of my favourite games of all time, A Link to the Past. Ultimately, it became a whole different game. Link’s Awakening did not have the Triforce, nor did it have Zelda and Ganon. Yet, it didn’t need that to be it’s one game. Link’s Awakening still had the regular 8 dungeons to visit, items to collect (of which some are really standing out in the series!), and world to explore. It was that good, it got an enhanced version of the Game Boy Colour 2 years later! It also had a pretty long trade sequence which wasn’t all too bad honestly, and you get a nice (and nostalgic!) reward at the end! You can also gather a total of 26 Secret Seashells. The only disadvantage is that it does not show which Seashells you’ve gathered, but it has mercy on you as you only need 20 for the reward. Like Wario Land, this game is also available on the eShop, as the Game Boy colour version. A must own for every fan of the Zelda series.

 

Number 1

 

 

We got them all now. All of these games were in some way a beginning to a new, great franchise. Pokémon made its first appearance on the Game Boy, Final Fantasy Adventure and Wario Land both created new series, and Link’s Awakening was the first Zelda game on a handheld. So why don’t we finish this list with a game that has ended a legacy?

 

 

Mega Man V was the last game to be created in the Game Boy library of Mega Man games, and they knew how to finish it up. These games were part ports of the original NES games, and part remakes, as they did contain their original content such as bosses. But Mega Man V is a game on its own, never seen before in the franchise. Instead of fighting Robot Masters or Mavericks, you fight the mighty Stardroids. Why are they so mighty? Your buster shot if a child’s toys to them. Dr. light literally had to upgrade your Buster Shot to a new attack, the Mega Arm. And not only does it damage the enemy, but it can also grab items for afar, without having to get there or equip a different weapon! Trust me, there are no negatives to the Mega Arm. And let’s get back to the Stardroids. They are all so epic. Not only are they named after planets like Mars, but you also fight them on said planet! Of course they all give them your weapons, and it’s great to find out what Stardroid is weak to what weapon. Sometimes Mega Man tends to… make it a bit too obvious. Not always of course, but there is always that satisfying moment when you find out a Robot Master’s weakness. It’s no different here. The levels were also fun to go through, as they didn’t contain just a single element. For example, water was part of a stage, but there were enough moments where you didn’t have to go into the water. The game also made me believe that Wily just couldn’t be the villain, and I was half right, but it still remains a Mega Man game. This is no spoiler. I will try to avoid saying as much as possible, but the final stages and bosses were some of the best I have seen in any platforming game. Ever. The Game Boy Mega Man games are unfortunately a bit walked over by the other great Mega Man games on the consoles, but I definitely recommend playing through them. You can get all 5 of them on the eShop. The first game isn’t too great, and II gets a bit too much hate, but they all do a well job at portraying the greatness that is Mega Man.