The original Nintendo Game Boy was a system with very limited capabilities, but that didn’t stop it from amassing a fantastic library of games. The opportunity to take Nintendo-quality titles on the go was a fantastic step forward for the industry, and the hardware’s superior battery life gave it a significant edge over powerful competition like the Game Gear.

Some of the best Game Boy titles leaned into the portability of the system, offering pick-up-and-play fun that proved to be perfect for short burst sessions. Others ran in the opposite direction, packing expansive adventures comparable to console RPGs into the diminutive form factor. Decades later, mobile games could still learn from the lessons taught by the Game Boy’s greatest masterpieces.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

The original Super Mario Land game successfully brought Mario to the small screen, but it made some obvious compromises doing so. With rudimentary graphics and a limited scope, this was no true replacement for console entries like Super Mario World, which arrived on the SNES the following year.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins was a different story. At a glance, it’s almost hard to believe the two games were even on the same system, with Super Mario Land 2 offering a leap in visual design comparable to the difference between the original Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3. The visual overhaul is just the start, as the sequel also ups the scale and variety of the experience.

Mario has gone further with its handheld games in the year since, with titles like New Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario 3D Land eclipsing Super Mario Land 2‘s achievements. Taken in its proper context, though, it’s easy to appreciate Super Mario Land 2 as a masterpiece of the Game Boy library.

Kirby’s Dream Land 2

While the Game Boy brought plenty of Nintendo icons to the small screen, Kirby actually made his debut there. The first Kirby outing, Kirby’s Dream Land, was a strong start, establishing staples like Kirby’s iconic ability to inhale enemies and objects.

Kirby’s Dream Land 2 took things to the next level, expanding on its direct predecessor in nearly every way. It borrowed the copy ability concept from the NES game Kirby’s Adventure, allowing Kirby to take on the powers of enemies after inhaling them to significantly shake up the gameplay. It also introduced several animal companions — Coo the owl, Kine the fish, and Rick the hamster.

The short and sweet nature of Kirby’s Dream Land might still be preferable to some fans, but as a significantly larger adventure, Kirby’s Dream Land 2 brings a lot of added value to the table. Either way, it’s hard to go wrong with Kirby’s Game Boy classics.

Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow

Including three versions of a game might feel like cheating, but any of the three variants is a valid choice as a standout Game Boy title. These games kicked off the worldwide Pokémon mania that continues to this day, making it nearly impossible to overstate their influence as staples of the Game Boy library.

As someone who didn’t grow up with Pokémon, I’ve been largely immune to the allure of most entries, but the original games still have something special. In a way, their comparative simplicity actually makes them feel like grander adventures, leaving more room for the player’s imagination to fill in gaps and avoiding any of the questionable design decisions that appear in more recent games.

The call to “catch ’em all” has also never been more appealing than it was with the original Pokédex, and the ability to trade and battle with friends gave the Game Boy a compelling social calling card. Decades later, it’s never been more obvious that Nintendo and Game Freak captured lighting in a bottle with the original trio of games.

Tetris

Tetris didn’t debut on the Game Boy, but its handheld port was enough of a game-changer to be listed among the very best titles on the system. Released only a year after Tetris entered the Nintendo ecosystem on the NES, the Game Boy version made the same core gameplay accessible on the go.

If you’ve ever had a Tetris phase, the addictive power of this possibility won’t need any explanation. The simple puzzle formula is even more compelling when you can chase high scores while standing in a line or sitting on public transit, and the game arguably did more to sell the system than plenty of more ambitious titles did.

While the Game Boy version didn’t feature some conveniences of modern Tetris ports, it did include a competitive two-player mode that could be played with the Game Link Cable. To this day, it’s more fun than playing on a phone, as Tetris is fundamentally a better experience when physical buttons are involved.

The Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

If any game ever proved the Game Boy’s capacity to compete with home consoles, it was The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. Not only does this Zelda game live up to the franchise’s history of compelling adventures, it’s arguably one of the best ones, setting an intimidating handheld standard for later games like The Minish Cap and A Link Between Worlds to live up to.

Rather than sticking to the typical Hyrule setting, Link’s Awakening sees Link wash up on a strange island, giving the series an opportunity to explore a dream-like sensibility inspired in part by David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. Even before Link’s Awakening DX updated things for the Game Boy Color, the game’s expressive sprites injected plenty of visual interest into the monochrome original.

In more recent years, Link’s Awakening returned in the form of a Nintendo Switch remake, which can also be a great way to experience the fantastic adventure. Its toy box aesthetic doesn’t quite recapture the uncanny feeling of the original, however, making the Nintendo Game Boy classic the definitive version in my book.

Date Founded

September 23, 1889

CEO

Satoru Iwata

Subsidiaries

Nintendo EPD, Nintendo SPD, Nintendo EAD

Consoles

Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo 64, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo Game Boy Color, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Switch Lite

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Nintendo Switch Online