Game Boy vs NES

[KWKBOX]

Most Game Boy titles that share the same name or come from the same series of games on the NES are usually watered down ports or no where near as good as their NES counterparts. Operation C on the Game Boy truly feels like a third installment in the series that not many people talk about. Can you think of any other Game Boy games that are under the radar like this one?

 

[Flojomojo]

Gargoyle's Quest, a spin-off of Ghosts n Goblins, is brilliant and fun and better than G&G in every way.

 

[Tanooki]

Why not another Contra game then, Contra the Alien Wars. That one is insane how much they pushed it. Sticking to Konami, try Gradius the Interstellar Assault too and Castlevania II Belmonts Revenge (and Castlevania Legends which is #3 for the system.) Kid Dracula stunningly we got, parodius of Castlevania and very nicely faithful to the Famicom version so it's not lacking.

 

While it's a bit low on animation but handles fine, the graphics are nuts, Capcom squeezed much of Street Fighter II into a cart and it doesn't feel lacking really, nor does Takara's SNK clone efforts with Samurai shodown 1 and 3 (JP only) and KOF 95 and 96(EU/JP only) as well and unlike Capcom they went more 'chibi NGPC style on visuals) but it's fast and controls like the source material.

[Austin]

Adventure Island (aka Adventure Island II from the NES) is better balanced on the Game Boy and isn't nearly as challenging or bloated, so it might actually be the better way to play the game.

 

Gargoyle's Quest, a spin-off of Ghosts n Goblins, is brilliant and fun and better than G&G in every way.

[Flojomojo]

Not that it's hard to be better than G&G, of course

[Austin]

Not that it's hard to be better than G&G, of course

 

[+atari2600land]

It didn't fly under the radar, but Super Mario Land 2 feels like a good Mario game, at least as good as Super Mario Bros. 1 or 2 if not better. I still haven't beaten it though, Wario's castle is too hard.

[Tanooki]

Having beat GnG, SuperGnG, GQ1 and GQ2... I can say they are similar but not, but if you want to clump them together and compare I'd put GQ1 over GnG too. GQ1 is a hard game, but it just has less cheap, stupid, and dumb luck of the AI moments to it so it's more enjoyable, but i don't think I'd call either 'better' as they're different. I just prefer the GQ games to GnG (though Super GnG is really enjoy much more than the original.)

 

 

Been doing more thinking on the stuff and I can think of some under the radar stuff as I don't think throwing Operation C out there let alone the Konami stuff I said either was really flying under the radar in the least bit as they were all well featured in Nintendo Power back in the day and other magazines too as stunning handheld achievements of that time.

 

Some of these are franchise related but people don't usually think of them as much, others aren't. Double Dragon for one and the sequel on GB I'd call NES quality goodness, and in the case of DD1 a superior release. DD1 nailed down copying the arcade better, and DD2 while not the NES/arcade game it was a reskinned KUNIO title and a badass one at that. Gauntlet II kind of comes to mind if you are into the arcade you should appreciate the fact it stacks up comparably well and even has all the vocal and sound effects of the arcade retained on the GB as recorded audio. Ninja Gaiden Shadow while fairly easy(for the franchise) was very much a NES quality or nicer title. Solar Striker from Nintendo is a solid vertical shooter that has a NES flair and detail to it. Wizards and Warriors X I'd argue is more fun and playable than those NES slogs. Quite a few NES games like Solomon's Key and Club got conversions and they're solid just like the already mentioned Adventure Island 2. But a fascinating one, try out Balloon Kid, the Balloon Fight sequel and then realize this -- in Famicom land it was block by block colorized, copied, reskinned, and turned into a Hello Kitty game. They even blocked out the added NES area over the GB resolution as to not mess with alignment (I have the cart.)

[toptenmaterial]

The time of release should be considered as well. When I got one for Christmas I received Super Mario Land. While that remains probably my favorite Game Boy game, it was way eclipsed by its sequel. Tanooki mentioned CV 2 and 3 also as opposed to the fun but really rigid Adventure.

Edited February 25, 2017 by toptenmaterial

[toptenmaterial]

It didn't fly under the radar, but Super Mario Land 2 feels like a good Mario game, at least as good as Super Mario Bros. 1 or 2 if not better. I still haven't beaten it though, Wario's castle is too hard.

I have it right now on 2DS and the alien boss is still kicking my ass.

[StanJr]

Link's Awakening

 

Kid Icarus

 

Metroid II

 

All are incredible games in their own right. I like Kid Icarus better on the Game Boy honestly.

 

The second Castlevania game, Belmont's Revenge was pretty good too.

[NE146]

I could only ever get as far as the final boss in Operation C where I'd usually lose my last life. It was the kludgy d-pad on the original GB brick and the blurriness of the screen that kept me down.. yeah that's it. Although to be honest I think that's why I could never beat any of the Gameboy Megamans as well.

 

But yeah, there seems to be more of the "little brother of the NES version" games earlier in the console's life. Aside from the ones mentioned above( Link's Awakening being the prime example), some other ones off the top of my head:

 

• Ducktales - Very well done and good fun. Good companion to the NES version
• Adventures of Lolo on the GB is a nice little pocket version of the series, although the puzzles more often than not repeat a lot of the concepts of the console versions.
• Balloon Kid
• Blaster Master Boy
• Solomon's club
• Double Dragon
• Tecmo Bowl

 

Also, while it has no console peer, the original Pokemon Pinball I think is an all time classic pinball game that's still fun to this day. I like the fact that a lot of the board is controllable where you can move the unlit lane targets so you have a better chance of the ball hitting it. I'm not sure why more pinball games don't give you that interaction. By the way, the GBA version of Pokemon Pinball pales in comparison.

Edited February 25, 2017 by NE146

[Asaki]

By the way, the GBA version of Pokemon Pinball pales in comparison.

Does it? I was playing the GBA version for a while, but haven't touched the original much.

 

I could just play it on the EDGB, but I wanted to try it out with rumble...and couldn't figure out where the heck the cart ran off to...

[Pixelboy]

Bionic Commando on the original Game Boy was superior to the NES version, IMHO. The controls were more fluid (they are a little clunky on the NES and take a bit to get used to) and the graphics are as good as they can be with 4 colors.

 

Never tried Bionic Commando Elite Forces on the GBC, so I can't comment on that one. I need to try Blaster Master Enemy Below one of these days as well, since I loved the NES version.

[Tanooki]

BC on the GBC wasn't much good, I've had it more than once over a spread of years between and time didn't help it.

 

Also agree Pokemon Pinball GB/C is far superior to the GBA game as it's just so well made.

 

Given that it's a hybrid that works on the old style, Dragon Warrior 1&2 would be a solid one for the list here as it's based upon the style of the SFC remaster so it's a huge boost over the old NES title yet still entirely faithful.

[NE146]

Does it? I was playing the GBA version for a while, but haven't touched the original much.

 

I could just play it on the EDGB, but I wanted to try it out with rumble...and couldn't figure out where the heck the cart ran off to...

 

ok maybe I relent a little. The gameplay concepts are obviously the same in both ( same methods for catching pokemon, evolving them, travelling, bonus games, activating the slots, lighting the lanes, upgrading the ball, etc.) so the GBA version isn't bad at all in that way. Maybe I'm biased because I put so many hours into the GB one before the GBA came out, but while GBA has 'better' graphics, the Gameboy one to me has the better overall feel. The ball "feels" larger and the english works a lot better on it.. you can really manipulate the ball if you use the english right, even bouncing it up and OUT from below the flippers if it falls on the side .

 

You know how you could really manipulate the ball in 2600 Pinball? Same thing. Yes it isn't realistic by any stretch, but it makes the game a lot of fun, at least to me vs. just "straight" pinball.

[Video]

I'ds ay Super Mario Land 2, it feels more like Super Mario World than Super Mario Bros. Well, maybe the third SMB.

 

Metroid 2 was at least on par with the NES games.

 

Oooh, and Links Awakening. It might feel like a mini version of Link to the past, but it;s definitely better than the NES games.

 

Of course none of those are "under the radar" but they were still better than the NES counterparts IMO