Nintendo’s legendary handheld system introduced the concept of portable gaming to the masses, sporting a massive and varied game library with broad appeal. Despite the hardware’s inherent limitation of a monochrome screen and small display, its ease of development and low cost helped build a legacy filled with unique and engaging original games and spinoffs–both from Nintendo and third parties alike. Today, we’re taking a look at the best titles for this groundbreaking portable–some very familiar, some cult classics–and why they should be on the must-play list for everyone exploring the legacy of the Game Boy.
With an affordable price, power, style, and an unlimited thirst for fresh batteries, Nintendo’s dominance of the handheld gaming market began with a chunky console that had a library of killer games available on it as the years rolled by. Grab your bendy nightlight, plug in your stereo headset, and check that you’ve got some spare batteries. We’ve only included original Game Boy games on this list, but we also have lists for the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance. Let’s dive in.
Donkey Kong
Just months before our favorite gaming ape got his own country to adventure in, the Game Boy received a transformative reimagining of DK’s original arcade outing. Mario finds himself once again needing to rescue Pauline from Kong’s clutches, and for the first four levels of the game, Donkey Kong ’94 feels like a handheld port of the arcade classic. But then you discover that the game is much bigger in scope: Donkey Kong 94 is a sprawling adventure consisting of nine worlds with numerous stages in each. The game keeps building on itself, adding new obstacles, enemies, and maneuvers for Mario to master. The end result is a delightful puzzle-platformer that’s a defining Game Boy title.
Kirby’s Dream Land
Developer HAL Labs cemented its status as a heavyweight studio with the release of Kirby’s Dream Land in 1992, as people couldn’t get enough of the adorable pink puff. Kirby wasn’t ready yet to devour enemies and gain their abilities through gluttonous digestion, but Dream Land did plant the seeds for what a Kirby adventure should be. It was charming, enjoyably challenging, and perfectly approachable for younger members of the family to dig into.
Mega Man 5
The Game Boy might not have been the best platform for Mega Man’s trademark action and the quick reflexes needed to reduce Dr. Wily’s latest range of malevolent mechs to scrap, but Mega Man 5 on the Game Boy is a high point for the series thanks to the originality baked into it. Spanning the entire solar system, Mega Man’s latest mission saw him tangle with planet-themed bosses in classic 8-bit–kind of–fashion. Hard to find in its original form, it’s still an essential part of any Mega Man fan’s collection and can still be found on the Nintendo 3DS virtual console for the price of a cup of coffee.
Metroid 2: Return of Samus
Bringing the canonical sequel to a beloved NES classic exclusively to the Game Boy is a risky move, but Nintendo’s no stranger to leveraging their franchises’ popularity in unusual ways. Metroid II takes Samus Aran to the breeding ground of the titular Metroids, the planet SR388, in hopes of eradicating the species and eliminating their threat to intergalactic peace. As Samus travels deeper into the planet’s depths, she’ll find a myriad of tools and enhancement to use in traversing the dangerous environments and dealing with the Metroid threats.The monochrome color scheme and limited pixel space of the Game Boy are used to great effect here: the dark, unfamiliar environments and closed-in feel add a lot to the sense of danger and tension. A 3DS remake would release years later, but the original still stands the test of time in its own way.
Pokemon Red and Blue
The Game Boy should have been dead and buried by 1998–the Playstation and N64 were dominating, the Dreamcast was around the corner, and nobody wanted to waste time with cruddy monochrome handheld games anymore… until Nintendo finally unleashed its Pokemon juggernaut globally. Before you knew it, the Game Boy (and portable gaming) was back in a big way. Pokemon Red and Blue are where all of the foundational elements of Pokemon were introduced, and while some elements feel unrefined compared to modern Pokemon generations, its charm and playability shine through just as brightly as they did the first time you managed to catch Mewtwo. And, in a way, the games’ hardware-pushing, bug-laden programming adds to the charm. Who doesn’t love MissingNo.?
Super Mario Land 2
The original Super Mario Land was… weird. Sure, it looked like Mario and kind of felt like Mario… kind of, but something about it just felt off. Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins, in contrast, is… well, it’s also weird, but it looked and played much closer to more modern Mario games like Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World. While Mario was heroically gallivanting about, the kingdom of Mario Land (yes, he has his own kingdom, don’t think about it too hard) has been overrun by Wario, who makes his debut appearance here. Mario Land is home to numerous strange areas like the spooky Pumpkin Zone, low-gravity Space Zone, the underwater Turtle Zone, and the teeny-tiny-Mario-themed Macro Zone. It truly feels like a proper Mario adventure in handheld form, and that’s what makes it great.
Tetris
Yeah, it’s Tetris. You know it, you love it, and there’s a fairly good chance that Tetris on Game Boy was the first way you played it if you’re of a certain age. As the original pack-in title for the Game Boy, Tetris had a tremendous impact–the game had such broad, cross-generational appeal that it made Nintendo’s handheld a must-have for both kids and their parents. There was simply no better way to handle a lengthy highway roadtrip to see grandma or a cross-country business flight. Tetris is available on everything under the sun in 2025, but the nostalgic monochrome-colors and simple gameplay of the Game Boy edition are still dear to many.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Link’s Awakening is what happens when you let the Zelda development team go completely wild: a surreal, dream-themed adventure packed with humor, surprises, and a lot of heart. A shipwrecked Link winds up stranded on Koholint island, a seemingly happy little place where a mysterious giant egg rests atop a mountain… and nobody ever leaves. Link’s Awakening builds upon many of the gameplay foundations that made its predecessor, A Link to the Past, so beloved, while also taking some swings with story and gameplay, including side-scrolling action sequences, unexpected Nintendo character cameos, and some very strange secrets (don’t even think about trying to steal!). While the Switch received a visually striking remake in 2019, the presentation and charm of the original Game Boy version remains unmatched.
Wario Land 2
Instead of continuing with standard Mario titles past Super Mario Land 2, Nintendo drastically changed the formula with Wario Land, an adventure featuring Mario’s greedy, stinky nemesis in his quest for treasures and fat stacks of cash. Wario Land II expands on everything that made the original Wario Land great: A big explorable world, lots of collectibles, multiple endings, and the attacks and “conditions” that make maneuvering Wario lots of fun. The big lug is technically invincible, though enemy attacks might affect in in funky ways, such as laying him flat as a pancake, making his head swell, or even turning him into a zombie. Depending on the situation, you might want some of these conditions, since they can have side effects like changing movement or eliminating obstacles, which adds a clever puzzle element to the mix.
Avenging Spirit
This obscure little gem’s been getting more attention as of late, making it one of the more valuable physical Game Boy titles to collect–and for good reason! Avenging Spirit is an action game based on an equally-obscure arcade title. The hero of the game has perished in a valiant effort to protect his girlfriend from an evil organization, but that’s only the beginning of the adventure–her father, a paranormal researcher, has found out how to sustain his ghost form. In order to rescue her and stop the evil group’s plans, our ghostly hero needs to possess enemies and use their abilities, hopping from one host body to another when needed. The novel gameplay and challenging platforming action make Avenging Spirit an unsung Game Boy classic worthy of your attention. (Also, check out how different and bizarre the US box art is compared to its European counterpart.)
Final Fantasy Legend II
Okay, the FF Legend games aren’t really Final Fantasy–they’re actually SaGa games rebranded–but that doesn’t mean they’re not defining Game Boy RPGs. Out of the entire series, Final Fantasy Legend II is a standout. After you build your party out of a menagerie of humans, mutants, robots, and monsters, you set out on a multiverse-spanning adventure to find both your missing father and the powerful MAGI relics he was seeking to keep out of the hands of evil. Along the way, you’ll find lots of strange and unique locales: a realm of (former) giants, and underwater volcano, a gilded city, a dragon-racing tournament, a realm that looks a lot like Edo Japan, and even the inside of a young sage’s body. The customization and breezy pace make for a game that’s easily replayable and fun to challenge, earning it an easy recommendation as a top-tier Game Boy RPG.
Gargoyle’s Quest
A traditional Ghouls and Ghosts game never came to the Game Boy, but this series spinoff more than makes up for the knight Arthur’s absence–by instead shifting the spotlight to the demon Firebrand. Gargoyle’s Quest is an action-RPG with an unusual format, dividing the game into overhead exploration/dialogue sequences and side-scrolling action scenes where firebrand hovers, wall-clings and spits fireballs to protect the Ghoul Realm from an invading force. Exploration and combat will grant Firebrand enhancements and new abilities to use, allowing access to new places and the power to take on tougher foes. The appropriately eerie music and visuals add to the atmosphere and really help Gargoyle’s Quest stand out among the Game Boy’s best. Gargoyle’s Quest was so well-received that it spawned two console sequels: Gargoyle’s Guest II on NES, and the SNES classic Demon’s Crest.
Mario’s Picross
The Game Boy has no shortage of chill, logic-driven puzzle games, but Mario’s Picross stands as one of the best. Picross nonogram puzzles have you using math and deduction skills to draw an image from pixels on a 15 x 15 grid. Perhaps that’s not a terribly exciting description on paper, but the challenge and brain-pushing appeal of Picross has made these puzzles incredibly popular across the globe. Mario’s Picross adds the a nice coat of Nintendo-themed paint, including some puzzles featuring images of familiar characters. With 256 puzzles in total, Mario’s Picross offers a healthy variety of pixel-chiseling fun to ponder your way through.
Trip World
This short-but-very-sweet action game from Sunsoft has garnered a fair bit of recognition as time has passed–and for good reason. The titular Trip World is home to the rabbit-like hero Yakopoo, whose family protects a powerful magic flower. When the flower is stolen, Yakopoo sets off on a bouncy, bubbly shape-shifting adventure. Trip World has similar aesthetics and vibes as another Sunsoft favorite, the NES game Gimmick!–but without Gimmick!’s hair-tearing difficulty. In fact, Trip World is pretty breezy, but it makes the most of its compact length with very fluid-feeling gameplay and some of the best music you’ll hear from the Game Boy’s speakers. Trip World’s enduring charm has led it to several modern reissues across different platforms, but no matter how you play it, you’ll come away with a big smile on your face.
Tetris Attack
Tetris is great and put Game Boys in the hands of millions worldwide, but you can play it on everything nowadays–what’s a portable puzzle game experience you can only get on Nintendo platforms? That would be Tetris Attack, Intelligent Systems’s unique twist on falling-block puzzle games–or, more accurately, rising-stack puzzle games. It’s not really related to Tetris at all–Nintendo simply licensed the name for brand recognition, and the series is typically called Puzzle League outside of Japan these days. But even though it’s not Tetris, it’s an incredibly fast-paced game that tasks you with carefully shuffling pieces around an ever-rising stack, matching and setting up combos while keeping calm under constant pressure.
Kirby’s Dream Land 2
The original Kirby’s Dream Land is foundational as the pink puffball’s first-ever game appearance. But with its very brief length and lack of now-defining series elements like copy abilities, it also feels very far removed from what the Kirby series evolved into. Kirby’s Dream Land 2 is much closer to the Kirby we’re all familiar with and a more impressive game overall. Not only does Kirby have use of his famous copy abilities, he also has the aid of several animal friends to help him navigate the series’ trademark cute and surreal platforming environments. There are many more stages, a lot of variety in the power/animal friend combinations, and plenty of secrets–plus a challenging true last boss–all ingredients that would be common in Kirby titles to come.
