what's your favorite Gameboy game that isn't Pokemon or Mario?
I've just rediscovered my childhood Gameboys, I grew up in the 90s and had an original, a color, an advance and an sp. My game collection has whittled down over the year to the usual suspects, Pokemons, Zelda's, Mario's and some other standards. But I want to dive into some games that 7 year old me would have brushed over. So what's your favorite game?
I have not played the steam remakes, but they appear to be the exact same games. So that would be a good way to play them if you don't have the original games or ROMs for them.
My favourite OG gameboy game was Kirby's Dream Land. Played and replayed it many times. Even had one of those attachments to magnify it and light up the screen when it got dark :)
I'd never played Kirby's Dream Land, but I loaded it up the next chance I got, and Couture nailed it. It's an absolutely perfect introduction to gaming for non-gamers.
Same here! They made a DS one as a third installment, but the story leaves off in the middle, and the sense of awe just isn't there. Not the same anyway as 1&2. Especially 2, when you [SPOILER] play the "bad" guys
I know you mentioned Zelda, but there were actually a ton of pretty good Zelda games like Oracle of Ages/Seasons. Advance Wars was pretty fun. Golden Sun too. I also have to agree with MMBN from the other commenters.
I can't believe I'm the first person to mention Link's Awakening in this thread. Still one of my favorite Zelda games. It's bizarre quirkiness felt just like all the strange aberrations that manifest in dreams.
I had such a hard time with the game cause it took me like 20 hours to find the sword, I was like 8 or maybe 9 years old and it was my first zelda game I played... gave up a bunch until I found the sword...
Oracle of ages/seasons was waaaay too hard. I tried to play it as a kid, got stuck, and gave up very early on. As an adult, I decided to come back to it just to see what I missed out on. Still had to check guides a few times and abused save states.
I can't remember the details, but there was some kinds puzzle or something that depended on sound and my adult, hearing impaired self could not complete it without save states galore.
Platformers to me always felt like the best suited games to handheld games, and I love the bright colorful art styles. Drilldozer is definitely my all time favorite. If you can find a copy, I'd highly recommend it! The rumble pack cartridge is so cool.
Metroid II is one of my favorite games of all time.
Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge and Operation C are both highly polished and fun, but quite challenging.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan is a relatively easy, short, polished action game.
Kirby's Dream Land is my favorite game in the series. And if you think it's too easy, turn on Extra Game mode. It will wreck you, I promise. ;)
Ninja Gaiden Shadow and Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge are amazingly polished challenging but fair action games.
Every game I mentioned has excellent music, is an original game (not a port), and I have played in their entirety again and again throughout the years.
Let me know if you're looking for a genre other than an action game. XD
@NoHardshipInPancakes Link's Awakening is still my favorite game of all time. I got stuck on the second dungeon for literal years because I didn't put together that you had to defeat enemies in a specific order to get the boss key. That was way before the Internet had every answer to every question. 😋
You are not alone. Any time a thread brings that game up there's someone like us who got stuck there because that's literally the only dungeon in the entire franchise that requires you to defeat enemies in a specific way based on lore that isn't provided to you by the game. Not even in the manual does it say "This is a stalfos, this is a Pol's voice, this is a keese." I found out through an old NES Zelda manual, that does give names and pictures of the enemies - ten years after my initial romp through bottle grotto.
It was the first game I got when I was quite young, I played it every year and got little farther each time as my brain developed. I couldn't beat it until highschool!
I saw this thread and immediately felt the need to recommend this game as well! was one of the only games I had the guidebook for as a kid. one of my favorite games for the gameboy.
Dragon Warrior Monsters for the Gameboy Color was fantastic. It was somewhat similar to pokemon, but had some features that pokemon didn't get for several iterations, like having your monsters follow you around, monster breeding, and multi-monster fighting.
Magi Nation was also good, similar vein to both of them, but felt darker in tone. Although maybe that's just how it seemed to a much younger me.
I'm so happy you mentioned Magi Nation. I just replayed that game not too long ago and still had a blast with it, though I def had nostalgia goggles on. lol
Add comment