Nintendo GAME BOY / GBC BUYING GUIDE + Great Games

[Metal Jesus]

Metal Jesus Rocks & John Riggs bring you a Nintendo Game Boy & Game Boy Color (GBC) BUYING GUIDE for new collectors! We talk about the hardware, colors, variants, accessories and then give you some Day 1 Purchase game recommendations in every genre. This is a fun guide that every new Game Boy owner should watch!

 

 

Games Shown:

Pokemon Yellow

MegaMan II

Gargoyle's Quest

Donkey Kong

Mole Mania

Kwirk

Faceball 2000

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

Final Fantasy Adventure

Final Fantasy Legend II

We forgot to mention the Japanese only Game Boy Light... Does anybody here own one?

[+GoldLeader]

_{Haven't got to the video yet...Maybe tomorrow with coffee}

 

_{Ya know I once bid on a Game Boy light...I want to say it was a gold one, but that was long ago...and I didn't win.}

Edited May 22, 2016 by GoldLeader

[Skippy B. Coyote]

First off, a huge thank you to Metal Jesus for making such an awesome buying guide video! The Game Boy and Game Boy Color are by far my favorite systems to collect for and I really hope that videos like yours get more people interested in collecting for these wonderful little systems. There's an absolutely enormous amount of fun and high quality games that can be found for them on the cheap, and both the GB and GBC do a great job of capturing that 8-bit NES charm in a portable form factor.

 

Given how much I love the Game Boy / Color, I'd like to do my part to help out those who might be interested in getting into collecting for the Game Boy / Color but might not be sure what the good games to keep an eye out for are. With that in mind, it's taken me a few years of research but I think I've finally managed to put together a pretty comprehensive list of the best games in every genre for the Game Boy / Color. The spoiler tagged list below contains over 350 games, all of which either received high critical acclaim at the time of their release or were later discovered as hidden gems that received positive reviews by the majority of people who played them.

 

Over the course of this long multi-year project I also took the time to play (or maybe "slog through" would be the better term) the myriad of licensed games and sports titles available for these systems to separate the wheat from the chaff and pick out the best licensed games as well as the sports games that offered the most enjoyable representations of their respective sports for both the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. Also, if a game was released on both the original Game Boy and a backwards compatible Game Boy Color cartridge then I chose the best version of the two. This list is geared towards those living in North America, but I was sure to also include all the critically acclaimed Japanese and European import games I could find that were 100% readable and playable by those who only understand English. Lastly, I have taken the time to include the current average price of each game based on eBay sold listings for loose cartridges with good condition labels in the hopes that it will help make this list a handy quick reference guide for those who might stumble on a game they're interested in out in the wild but aren't sure whether or not the price is good.

 

 

While the list below may not be a 100% all inclusive list of every last game on the Game Boy / Color that any given person might enjoy playing, I do hope that those interested in the Game Boy / Color find it to be a useful reference guide for the games that are generally considered to be good. Whether you are new to collecting for the Game Boy / Color, a seasoned veteran hunting for some new games to pick up, or just someone looking to fill out their EverDrive GB with quality titles, there should be something for everyone here. Enjoy!

 

 

350+ Game Boy & Game Boy Color Games Worth Playing

 

[GBC] = For Game Boy Color Only

[GBC/GB] = For Game Boy Color & Original Game Boy

[GB] = Original Game Boy

 

 

Action / Adventure

[GBC] Aliens: Thanatos Encounter - $15

[GBC] Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare - $7

[GBC] Bionic Commando: Elite Forces - $8

[GBC] Croc 2 - $5

[GBC] Daikatana (European Import) - $30
[GBC] Disney's Aladdin - $8
[GBC] Disney's The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Wild Adventure - $3
[GBC] Disney's The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure - $8
[GBC] Donkey Kong Country - $10

[GBC] Duke Nukem - $5
[GBC] Frogger 2 - $5

[GBC] Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite! - $7
[GBC] Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine - $8

[GBC] Inspector Gadget: Operation Madkactus - $9

[GBC] The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages - $22

[GBC] The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons - $22

[GBC] Looney Tunes Collector: Alert! - $4
[GBC] Mega Man Xtreme 2 - $16
[GBC] Metal Gear Solid - $35

​[GBC] The Mummy - $1
[GBC] Perfect Dark - $8
[GBC] Rayman - $5
[GBC] Rayman 2 - $7
[GBC] Resident Evil (Patched Prototype Reproduction) - $25

[GBC] Resident Evil: Gaiden - $47
[GBC] Return of the Ninja - $18

[GBC] Sabrina the Animated Series: Zapped! - $4

[GBC] Scooby-Doo! Classic Creep Capers - $4
[GBC] Shantae - $285

[GBC] The Smurfs' Nightmare - $8

[GBC] Spider-Man - $5

[GBC] Spider Man 2: The Sinister Six - $6

[GBC] Super Mario Bros. Deluxe - $12

[GBC] Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword - $6

[GBC] Tomb Raider: Starring Lara Croft - $5

​[GBC] Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland - $9
[GBC] Wendy: Every Witch Way - $16
[GBC] Wario Land 3 - $10
[GBC/GB] Blaster Master: Enemy Below - $16
[GBC/GB] Ghosts 'N Goblins - $23

[GBC/GB] The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX - $19
[GBC/GB] Looney Tunes - $5
[GBC/GB] Looney Tunes: Carrot Crazy - $3
[GBC/GB] Mega Man Xtreme - $14

[GBC/GB] Montezuma's Return - $5

[GBC/GB] Oddworld Adventures 2 - $6
[GBC/GB] Prince of Persia - $6

[GBC/GB] Star Wars: Yoda Stories - $8
[GBC/GB] Wario Land II - $10
[GB] Adventure Island - $10
[GB] Adventure Island II: Aliens in Paradise - $9
[GB] Alien 3 - $9

[GB] Alien vs Predator: The Last of His Clan - $8
[GB] Avenging Spirit - $53
[GB] Batman: Return of the Joker - $11
[GB] Batman: The Animated Series - $20
[GB] Batman: The Video Game - $10
[GB] Beavis and Butt-head - $15
[GB] Bionic Commando - $15
[GB] Blaster Master Boy - $36

[GB] Bonk's Adventure - $15
[GB] Bonk's Revenge - $20

[GB] Bram Stoker's Dracula - $10
[GB] Bubble Bobble - $10
[GB] Bubble Bobble Part 2 - $13

[GB] The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle - $5

[GB] The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle 2 - $6

[GB] The Castlevania Adventure - $10
[GB] Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge - $23
[GB] Castlevania Legends - $60

[GB] Disney's Darkwing Duck - $13
[GB] Disney's DuckTales - $10
[GB] Disney's DuckTales 2 - $14

[GB] Donkey Kong - $9
[GB] Donkey Kong Land - $8
[GB] Donkey Kong Land 2 - $7
[GB] Donkey Kong Land III - $8
[GB] Earthworm Jim - $8
[GB] Final Fantasy Adventure - $20
[GB] Ghost Busters II - $13

[GB] Gremlins 2: The New Batch - $6
[GB] James Bond 007 - $5

[GB] Jurassic Park - $6
[GB] Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues - $8
[GB] Kid Dracula - $60
[GB] Kid Icarus: Of Myths & Monsters - $12

[GB] Kirby's Dream Land - $8
[GB] Kirby’s Dream Land 2 - $15
[GB] Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge - $12
[GB] Mega Man II - $14
[GB] Mega Man III - $28
[GB] Mega Man IV - $49
[GB] Mega Man V - $97

[GB] Metroid II: Return of Samus - $15

[GB] Miner 2049er - $12
[GB] Monster Max - $26
[GB] Ninja Gaiden Shadow - $18
[GB] RoboCop - $9
[GB] Rolan's Curse - $13
[GB] Rolan's Curse 2 - $35

[GB] Speedy Gonzales - $8

[GB] Spot: The Cool Adventure - $9
[GB] Star Trek: 25th Anniversary - $7
[GB] Star Wars - $8

[GB] Super Mario Land - $8

[GB] Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins - $8

[GB] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan - $8

[GB] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers - $10

[GB] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue - $35
[GB] Tiny Toon Adventures: Babs' Big Break - $4
[GB] Tiny Toon Adventures: Montana's Movie Madness - $6
[GB] Trip World (European Import) - $210
[GB] Turrican - $10

[GB] Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 - $9

[GB] Zen: Intergalactic Ninja - $15

RPGs

[GBC] Crystalis - $15
[GBC] Bomberman Max: Blue Champion - $5
[GBC] Bomberman Max: Red Challenger - $7
[GBC] Dragon Warrior III - $15

[GBC] Lufia: The Legend Returns - $19

[GBC] Magi Nation - $5
[GBC] Pokémon Crystal Version - $40

[GBC] Towers: Lord Baniff's Deceit - $5

[GBC/GB] Azure Dreams - $19
[GBC/GB] Bomberman Quest - $22
[GBC/GB] Dragon Warrior I & II - $16
[GBC/GB] Dragon Warrior Monsters - $10
[GBC/GB] Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Cobi's Journey - $16
[GBC/GB] Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Tara's Adventure - $18
[GBC/GB] Legend of the River King GBC - $10
[GBC/GB] Legend of the River King 2 - $14
[GBC/GB] Metal Walker - $13
[GBC/GB] Pokémon Gold Version - $20
[GBC/GB] Pokémon Silver Version - $19
[GBC/GB] Pokémon Yellow Version - $28

[GBC/GB] Revelations: The Demon Slayer - $18
[GBC/GB] Survival Kids - $28

[GB] The Final Fantasy Legend - $10
[GB] Final Fantasy Legend II - $12
[GB] Final Fantasy Legend III - $11
[GB] Gargoyle’s Quest - $13
[GB] Knight Quest - $36
[GB] Pokémon Blue Version - $22
[GB] Pokémon Red Version - $25

[GB] The Sword of Hope - $8
[GB] The Sword of Hope II - $22

[GB] Ultima: Runes of Virtue - $9

[GB] Ultima: Runes of Virtue II - $15

Shooters

[GBC] 1942 - $20

[GBC] Army Men - $4
[GBC] Army Men 2 - $5
[GBC] Army Men: Air Combat - $4
[GBC] Magical Chase (Japanese Import) - $175

[GBC] Project S-11 - $8
[GBC] Space Marauder - $40

[GBC] SWiV (European Import) - $11

[GBC/GB] Dropzone (European Import) - $13

[GBC/GB] R-Type DX - $9

[GB] Aerostar - $15
[GB] Battle City (Japanese Import) - $22

[GB] Battle Unit Zeoth - $8
[GB] Burai Fighter Deluxe - $10

[GB] Chikyū Kaihō Gun ZAS (Japanese Import) - $120
[GB] Contra: The Alien Wars - $23
[GB] Cosmo Tank - $6
[GB] Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf - $6

[GB] Disney's TaleSpin - $9

[GB] Faceball 2000 - $10

[GB] Fortified Zone - $7
[GB] Gradius: The Interstellar Assault - $12
[GB] Jungle Strike - $5
[GB] Mercenary Force - $9

[GB] Nemesis - $6

[GB] Operation C - $17
[GB] Parodius (European Import) - $12
[GB] Pop'N TwinBee (European Import) - $20
[GB] Sagaia (Japanese Import) - $25

[GB] Solar Striker - $5
[GB] Super Battletank - $4
[GB] T2: The Arcade Game - $6
[GB] Trax - $18
[GB] Vattle Giuce (Japanese Import) - $30

[GB] Xenon 2: Megablast - $13

Fighting
[GBC] Street Fighter Alpha - $11
[GB] Battle Arena Toshinden - $7
[GB] Killer Instinct - $7

[GB] The King of Fighters '95 - $11
[GB] The King of Fighters: Heat of Battle (European Import) - $25

[GB] Mortal Kombat II - $6
[GB] Primal Rage - $7
[GB] Samurai Shodown - $22

[GB] Street Fighter II - $11

[GB] World Heroes 2 Jet - $24

Beat 'Em Ups

[GB] Battletoads - $9

[GB] Battletoads & Double Dragon - $30

[GB] Battletoads in Ragnarok's World - $15

[GB] Double Dragon - $10

[GB] Fighting Simulator: 2-in-1 Flying Warriors - $4
[GB] Hammerin' Harry: Ghost Building Company (European Import) - $100
[GB] Kung-Fu Master - $13

Racing
[GBC] Driver: You are the Wheelman - $3

[GBC] Mickey's Speedway USA - $6
[GBC] Micro Machines 1 and 2: Twin Turbo - $4
[GBC] Micro Machines V3 - $7
[GBC] Motocross Maniacs 2 - $10
[GBC] Road Rash - $6

[GBC] TOCA Touring Car Championship - $2

[GBC] Top Gear Pocket 2 - $3

[GBC] Wacky Races - $8

[GBC] Woody Woodpecker Racing - $6

[GBC/GB] Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Driver - $2
[GB] Dead Heat Scramble - $3

[GB] F-1 Race - $3
[GB] Micro Machines - $6
[GB] Motocross Maniacs - $5

[GB] Nigel Mansell's World Championship Racing - $4

[GB] Super R.C. Pro-Am - $5
[GB] Wave Race - $3

Sports
[GBC] All-Star Baseball 2001 - $5

[GBC] Mario Golf - $6
[GBC] Mario Tennis - $7

[GBC] Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX - $2

[GBC] NHL Blades of Steel - $8
[GBC] Pro Darts - $4
[GBC] Pro Pool - $5

[GBC] Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 - $4

[GBC] Zebco Fishing! - $5

[GBC] WCW Mayhem - $4

[GBC/GB] 720° - $3
[GBC/GB] Black Bass: Lure Fishing - $6
[GBC/GB] Pocket Bowling - $3

[GBC/GB] WWF Wrestlemania 2000 - $4
[GB] All Star Baseball 99 - $14
[GB] Blades of Steel - $4
[GB] Championship Pool - $5
[GB] Golf - $4
[GB] International Superstar Soccer - $9

[GB] Jack Nicklaus Golf - $4
[GB] Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball - $4
[GB] Mini-Putt (Japanese Import) - $5

[GB] NBA Jam: Tournament Edition - $6

[GB] Skate or Die: Bad 'N Rad - $5
[GB] Tecmo Bowl - $5
[GB] Tennis - $3
[GB] Track & Field - $6

[GB] WWF Superstars 2 - $6

Puzzle
[GBC] Bust-A-Move Millennium - $5
[GBC] Klax - $3

[GBC] Magical Tetris Challenge - $5

[GBC] Mr. Driller - $12
[GBC] Pokémon Puzzle Challenge - $8
[GBC] Toki Tori - $11

[GBC/GB] Ballistic - $5
[GBC/GB] Bust-A-Move 4 - $4

[GBC/GB] Hexcite: The Shapes of Victory - $5
[GBC/GB] Puzzle Master - $14
[GBC/GB] Tetris DX - $7
[GB] Adventures of Lolo (European Import) - $20
[GB] Amazing Penguin - $12
[GB] Boulder Dash (European Import) - $14
[GB] Boxxle - $5
[GB] Boxxle II - $21
[GB] Bubble Ghost - $10
[GB] Bust-A-Move 2: Arcade Edition - $6
[GB] Catrap - $5
[GB] Daedalian Opus - $5
[GB] Dr. Mario - $6
[GB] Heiankyo Alien - $3
[GB] Kirby's Star Stacker - $8
[GB] Klax - $7
[GB] Kwirk - $4
[GB] Lemmings - $8
[GB] Mario's Picross - $14
[GB] Mole Mania - $8

[GB] Pipe Dream - $2

[GB] Quarth - $5
[GB] Solomon's Club - $7
[GB] Stop That Roach! - $20

[GB] Tetris - $3
[GB] Tetris 2 - $3

[GB] Tetris Attack - $8

[GB] Tetris Blast - $7

[GB] Tetris Plus - $4

[GB] Yoshi - $4

[GB] Yoshi's Cookie - $5
[GB] Zoop - $7

Strategy
[GBC] Cannon Fodder - $11
[GBC] Rampart - $4
[GBC] Spy vs. Spy - $6
[GBC] Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six - $4

[GBC] Warlocked - $9
[GBC] Worms Armageddon - $8
[GB] Kingdom Crusade - $5
[GB] Rampart - $22
[GB] Worms (European Import) - $12

Arcade

[GBC] Dragon's Lair - $7

[GBC] Elevator Action (European Import) - $20
[GBC] Missile Command - $5
[GBC] Q*Bert - $13
[GBC/GB] Asteroids - $6

[GBC/GB] Centipede - $5

[GBC/GB] Frogger - $4
[GBC/GB] Midway Presents Arcade Hits: Joust & Defender - $6
[GBC/GB] Midway Presents Arcade Hits: Moon Patrol & Spy Hunter - $5

[GBC/GB] Ms. Pac-Man: Special Color Edition - $5
[GBC/GB] Pac-Man: Special Color Edition - $5
[GBC/GB] Space Invaders - $9

[GBC/GB] Super Breakout - $3
[GBC/GB] Yars' Revenge - $8
[GB] Arcade Classic No. 1: Asteroids & Missile Command - $4
[GB] Arcade Classic No. 2: Centipede & Millipede - $5
[GB] Arcade Classic No. 3: Galaga & Galaxian - $7
[GB] Arcade Classics: Super Breakout & Battlezone - $7
[GB] Bomb Jack (European Import) - $25
[GB] Dig Dug - $13
[GB] Elevator Action - $9

[GB] Gauntlet II - $12
[GB] Lock 'N' Chase - $6

[GB] Marble Madness - $6
[GB] Mr. Do! - $30
[GB] Paperboy - $5
[GB] Q*bert - $10

[GB] Qix - $4

[GB] Space Invaders - $8

Card / Board Games
[GBC] Hoyle Card Games - $7
[GBC] Hoyle Casino - $5

[GBC/GB] Battleship - $4

[GBC/GB] Monopoly - $4

[GBC/GB] Pokémon: Trading Card Game - $9

[GBC/GB] Shanghai Pocket - $4
[GBC/GB] Uno - $3
[GB] 4-in-1 FunPak - $4

[GB] Boggle Plus - $4

[GB] Shanghai - $6
[GB] Solitaire FunPak - $3
[GB] Super Scrabble - $4
[GB] Vegas Stakes - $5

Other
[GBC] Cool Bricks (European Import) - $8

[GBC] Dance Dance Revolution GB (Japanese Import) - $9
[GBC] Dance Dance Revolution GB 2 (Japanese Import) - $8
[GBC] Dance Dance Revolution GB 3 (Japanese Import) - $8
[GBC] Deja-Vu I & II: The Casebooks of Ace Harding - $14
[GBC] Grand Theft Auto 2 - $14
[GBC] Harvest Moon 3 GBC - $18
[GBC] Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble - $11

[GBC] Pong: The Next Level - $3

[GBC/GB] BeatMania GB - $10
[GBC/GB] Game & Watch Gallery 2 - $4
[GBC/GB] Game & Watch Gallery 3 - $5

[GBC/GB] Grand Theft Auto - $10
[GBC/GB] Harvest Moon GBC - $12

​[GBC/GB] Harvest Moon 2 GBC - $16
[GBC/GB] Hollywood Pinball (European Import) - $12
[GBC/GB] Pocket Bomberman - $7
[GBC/GB] Pokémon Pinball - $6

[GBC/GB] Shadowgate Classic - $6

[GB] Alleyway - $3
[GB] Balloon Kid - $7
[GB] Bomberman GB - $7

[GB] Game Boy Camera - $9

[GB] Game & Watch Gallery - $5

[GB] Kirby's Block Ball - $8

[GB] Kirby's Pinball Land - $6
[GB] Pinball: Revenge of the 'Gator - $4
[GB] Snow Brothers - $31
[GB] Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman - $7

[zetastrike]

First off, a huge thank you to Metal Jesus for making such an awesome buying guide video! The Game Boy and Game Boy Color are by far my favorite systems to collect for and I really hope that videos like yours get more people interested in collecting for these wonderful little systems. There's an absolutely enormous amount of fun and high quality games that can be found for them on the cheap, and both the GB and GBC do a great job of capturing that 8-bit NES charm in a portable form factor.

 

Given how much I love the Game Boy / Color, I'd like to do my part to help out those who might be interested in getting into collecting for the Game Boy / Color but might not be sure what the good games to keep an eye out for are. With that in mind, it's taken me a few years of research but I think I've finally managed to put together a pretty comprehensive list of the best games in every genre for the Game Boy / Color. The spoiler tagged list below contains over 300 games, all of which either received high critical acclaim at the time of their release or were later discovered as hidden gems that received positive reviews by the majority of people who played them.

 

Over the course of this long multi-year project I also took the time to play (or maybe "slog through" would be the better term) the myriad of licensed games and sports titles available for these systems to separate the wheat from the chaff and pick out the best licensed games as well as the sports games that offered the most enjoyable representations of their respective sports for both the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. Also, if a game was released on both the original Game Boy and a backwards compatible Game Boy Color cartridge then I chose the best version of the two. This list is geared towards those living in North America, but I was sure to also include all the critically acclaimed Japanese and European import games I could find that were 100% readable and playable by those who only understand English. Lastly, I have taken the time to include the current average price of each game based on eBay sold listings for loose cartridges with good condition labels in the hopes that it will help make this list a handy quick reference guide for those who might stumble on a game they're interested in out in the wild but aren't sure whether or not the price is good.

 

 

While the list below may not be a 100% all inclusive list of every last game on the Game Boy / Color that any given person might enjoy playing, I do hope that those interested in the Game Boy / Color find it to be a useful reference guide for the games that are generally considered to be good. Whether you are new to collecting for the Game Boy / Color, a seasoned veteran hunting for some new games to pick up, or just someone looking to fill out their EverDrive GB with quality titles, there should be something for everyone here. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

You left out TMNT 3: Radical Rescue. It's a SoTN type game made by the same people, but before SoTN. I love it.

 

Was anyone else disappointed with Wario Land II? The first one is my favorite nintendo mascot platformer, but the second just wasn't what I was expecting back when I first got it. Maybe I should revisit it sometime.

 

My favorite stock model GB is the GB Pocket. Its screen is really nice as long as you have light. My favorite of all is my Backlit, biverted DMG I got from GBModsUK.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

You left out TMNT 3: Radical Rescue. It's a SoTN type game made by the same people, but before SoTN. I love it.

 

Was anyone else disappointed with Wario Land II? The first one is my favorite nintendo mascot platformer, but the second just wasn't what I was expecting back when I first got it. Maybe I should revisit it sometime.

 

My favorite stock model GB is the GB Pocket. Its screen is really nice as long as you have light. My favorite of all is my Backlit, biverted DMG I got from GBModsUK.

Sorry about that! I did strongly considering adding TMNT 2 & 3 to the list but they both received mixed critical reception so I ended up erring on the side of caution. Personally I really like Titus the Fox but I know most people think it's an awful game, so that one ended up getting the axe too sadly.

 

All in all it's not meant to be an 100% complete list of every game that someone might enjoy playing on the GB/GBC, since personal taste is definitely a factor for some games, but I think it's a pretty good starting point since every game on it is widely considered to be "good". Or at least the best representation of their genre available on the GB/GBC, such as in the case of oddball games like Black Bass: Lure Fishing. Not necessarily a "good" game, but still the best option for fishing fanatics with a Game Boy.

 

Also, that's awesome to hear that you got a biverted DMG from Shaun over at GameBoyMods UK! I'm actually going to be ordering an olive green backlit and biverted original DMG from him on Friday, since I've heard his work is fantastic and I've been wanting (and saving up for) a backlit Game Boy for a long time now. Throughout the course of making that list I did all my gaming on either a regular un-modded DMG, a Game Boy Color, or a AGS-101 GBA SP. The Game Boy Color is my favorite handheld thus far (and I'd really like to get a front lit one at some point) but I have a feeling that I'm going to really enjoy my new backlit DMG from Shaun when it arrives.

Edited June 25, 2016 by Jin

[zetastrike]

Sorry about that! I did strongly considering adding TMNT 2 & 3 to the list but they both received mixed critical reception so I ended up erring on the side of caution. Personally I really like Titus the Fox but I know most people think it's an awful game, so that one ended up getting the axe too sadly.

 

All in all it's not meant to be an 100% complete list of every game that someone might enjoy playing on the GB/GBC, since personal taste is definitely a factor for some games, but I think it's a pretty good starting point since every game on it is widely considered to be "good". Or at least the best representation of their genre available on the GB/GBC, such as in the case of oddball games like Black Bass: Lure Finishing. Not necessarily a "good" game, but still the best option for fishing fanatics with a Game Boy.

 

Also, that's awesome to hear that you got a biverted DMG from Shaun over at GameBoyMods UK! I'm actually going to be ordering an olive green backlit and biverted original DMG from him on Friday, since I've heard his work is fantastic and I've been wanting (and saving up for) a backlit Game Boy for a long time now. Throughout the course of making that list I did all my gaming on either a regular un-modded DMG, a Game Boy Color, or a AGS-101 GBA SP. The Game Boy Color is my favorite handheld thus far (and I'd really like to get a front lit one at some point) but I have a feeling that I'm going to really enjoy my new backlit DMG from Shaun when it arrives.

 

Yeah, Shaun's work is fantastic. My particular one is a Clear Play it Loud model with the black buttons all replaced with clear and a bright white backlight. What's nice is that the white light makes the pixels a nice shade of blue rather than black.

 

I'm one of the weirdos who prefers the AGS-001 to the 101. I like the gentler glow of the frontlight more than the super bright 101 and again, the frontlight produces a bluish tint that I like. It's also easier to use during the day when it's bright out.

 

Have you ever used a GB Light? I'd never drop the cash on one, but I'd like to see how well it works in person.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

 

 

 

Yeah, Shaun's work is fantastic. My particular one is a Clear Play it Loud model with the black buttons all replaced with clear and a bright white backlight. What's nice is that the white light makes the pixels a nice shade of blue rather than black.

 

I'm one of the weirdos who prefers the AGS-001 to the 101. I like the gentler glow of the frontlight more than the super bright 101 and again, the frontlight produces a bluish tint that I like. It's also easier to use during the day when it's bright out.

 

Have you ever used a GB Light? I'd never drop the cash on one, but I'd like to see how well it works in person.

 

Very nice! I just went with a regular old gray brick DMG, and a olive green biverted backlight to match the color of the original pea soup green Game Boy screen as closely as possible. What can I say? I dig the green on black!

 

I don't blame you for preferring the AGS-001 model SP either. It is a lot easier to see if you're playing out in the sunlight, and a lot of my Game Boy play time happens when I'm outside on smoke breaks so that's why I usually use my Game Boy Color. The lack of a backlight does make it harder to play indoors, but much easier when outside in the sun. At this point my only SP is a 101 model that used to be a pearl pink one, before I went through a ton of work refurbishing it with a purple housing, new screen protector, new L & R trigger contacts, and upgrading the speaker with an aftermarket one that is so loud that the little handheld literally vibrates like a rumble pak whenever the bass kicks. You can see my SP and other Game Boys in my collection thread here. I can't say I've ever owned or used a Game Boy Light, but they do look pretty neat. I just figured that for the price they go for I'd rather have a backlit DMG with an olive green backlight than try to find a nice condition Game Boy Light, but I could definitely see myself picking one up eventually if I ever got lucky enough to stumble on one in like new condition for a cheap price.

 

And oh, you might be pleased to know that I did go ahead and add TMNT II & III to the list above under the Action/Adventure category, and moved the original TMNT to that category as well. While I was at it I also added in a few RPGs that I somehow seem to have accidentally missed when I typed up the list this morning.

[Andromeda Stardust]

I noticed you left out the Bonk series games. There is a Japanese 3-in-1 Bonk cart, although it doesn't load properly on my GB Everdrive, though the individual games do. Also Space Invaders (GB, not the GBC one) has an SNES game built into it, and is the only GB game I know of that does this. Uber cool, but be sure you get the correct region for your SNES.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I noticed you left out the Bonk series games. There is a Japanese 3-in-1 Bonk cart, although it doesn't load properly on my GB Everdrive, though the individual games do. Also Space Invaders (GB, not the GBC one) has an SNES game built into it, and is the only GB game I know of that does this. Uber cool, but be sure you get the correct region for your SNES.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR5NY8vYWg4

The original list I posted didn't have them, since I wasn't quite as done as I thought at that point, but later in the week I did go back and add about 50 more games worth playing and the two Bonk games were among them.

 

And yeah, the original GB version of Space Invaders is the only game I know of that unlocks an entirely new game made just for the Super Game Boy if you plug it into one. When played on any other hardware it also offers a much more arcade authentic Space Invaders experience than the GBC/GB black cart version, which is more of a modern reimagining of Space Invaders with different ship options, power-ups, boss levels, and other goodies. Though there is a code you can input to play a port of the classic arcade version of Space Invaders on the GBC/GB black cart game, I think both are still worth owning and/or putting on your Everdrive.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Just ordered the Bonk 3-in-1 on eBay. Got one out of France for much cheaper than the Japanese importers charge.

 

I bought the original GBC Space Invaders when it came out for Game Boy Color. It is a very good game, but like many black cart games, is hard to make out on a DMG screen. Mine is backlit with the olive screen but I did not perform the biversion mod. The speaker in my Game Boy Color died long ago sadly...

 

I have an old GBA but I misplaced the battery cover and worm light. I wish I could get one of those midnight GBA backlight mod kits but they have been out of production for ten years. Gorgeous as my Classic NES edition GBA-SP is, it hurts my large hands too much to play on a lot so I use my old DS Phat for GBA.

 

I also recently found an old GB Space Invaders at GameXChange for $3.95. I'm somewhat looking forward to watching it fail when I load it on my Retro Freak in SGB mode.

 

I find myself using flash carts to try out games before I buy them. If I enjoy playing a game on the flash cart, I have this obsession for tracking down the original carts if possible.

 

My Turbografx/PCe Hucard collection recently suffered growing pains as a result of how expensive the games are. I now have 30 Hucards and I'm going to stop collecting for a while as I now have most of the heavy hitters including a couple repros for collectard priced stuff like Magical Chase and Bonk 3. LOL!

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Just ordered the Bonk 3-in-1 on eBay. Got one out of France for much cheaper than the Japanese importers charge.

I bought the original GBC Space Invaders when it came out for Game Boy Color. It is a very good game, but like many black cart games, is hard to make out on a DMG screen. Mine is backlit with the olive screen but I did not perform the biversion mod. The speaker in my Game Boy Color died long ago sadly...

I have an old GBA but I misplaced the battery cover and worm light. I wish I could get one of those midnight GBA backlight mod kits but they have been out of production for ten years. Gorgeous as my Classic NES edition GBA-SP is, it hurts my large hands too much to play on a lot so I use my old DS Phat for GBA.

I also recently found an old GB Space Invaders at GameXChange for $3.95. I'm somewhat looking forward to watching it fail when I load it on my Retro Freak in SGB mode.

I find myself using flash carts to try out games before I buy them. If I enjoy playing a game on the flash cart, I have this obsession for tracking down the original carts if possible.

My Turbografx/PCe Hucard collection recently suffered growing pains as a result of how expensive the games are. I now have 30 Hucards and I'm going to stop collecting for a while as I now have most of the heavy hitters including a couple repros for collectard priced stuff like Magical Chase and Bonk 3. LOL!

Nice find! At this point I only own a couple import games for the Game Boy / Color on physical cartridges. From Japan there's the first Dance Dance Revolution GB for the GBC and BeatMania GB for the GBC/GB (which is hard as all get out, but hey, it's a rhythm game that you can play on the original DMG ), then from Europe I have SWiV for the GBC and Gauntlet II for the GB. I don't think there's any real difference between the US and European releases of Gauntlet II, the European one was just what I happened to stumble on at a local shop.

 

Thinking more about BeatMania GB though, there are a few GBC/GB games that made it on my list of recommended games just for the sheer novelty of being able to play a game of their genre on the original DMG. Games like Grand Theft Auto, which well not necessarily a "good" game (since it does have some issues like too few cars on the street, somewhat annoying music, dying too easily to gunfire, and having to hold the down arrow most of the time you're driving to keep the car's speed under control) are still utterly amazing simply because they can be played on the DMG. Even if they do have some significant flaws, it's just kind of mind blowing that you can actually play a huge open world action game like Grand Theft Auto or a rhythm game like BeatMania on the original Game Boy.

 

Getting back on topic though, I don't own the GBC/GB version of Space Invaders yet, I only have the original GB version, but I'll have to pick it up at some point in the not too distant future. I still need to get an EverDrive GB at some point too, but in the meantime I've taken to trying out all the Game Boy / Color games I don't own yet by emulating them on the Wii using a Classic Controller and either VBA GX or Gnuboy GX depending on the game. It works pretty darn well, but I'd still like to get an EverDrive GB to be able to "try before I buy" on original hardware.

[Andromeda Stardust]

FYI, preorders are open now for the GBA Everdrive:

http://krikzz.com/store/home/42-everdrive-gba-x5.html

 

Really glad I waited it out and did not invest in that EZFlash horsecrap.

[Flojomojo]

FYI, preorders are open now for the GBA Everdrive:

http://krikzz.com/store/home/42-everdrive-gba-x5.html

 

Really glad I waited it out and did not invest in that EZFlash horsecrap.

Does it really stick out of the GBA? I haven't used a flash cartridge on a GBA in a decade. I wouldn't mind a good one, but I'll wait for v.2 that sits flush in the system.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Does it really stick out of the GBA? I haven't used a flash cartridge on a GBA in a decade. I wouldn't mind a good one, but I'll wait for v.2 that sits flush in the system.

Only sticks out a fraction as much as a classic Game Boy cart. For the full effect, I recommend playing it on a DS Lite!

[Flojomojo]

Barf. I'll just stick to my large collection of original cartridges, then.

 

I hauled out my old GBA SP to play Activision Anthology recently, and maybe get some virtual patches for the summer club. I noticed that I hadn't saved any progress to it...but I can't remember if it failed (possible, since it's been 13 years), I erased it (also possible), or if I simply didn't play the original which I bought new and used my flash cartridge instead (seems most likely).

 

Am I the only AA'er to do the reverse of what seems natural? Anyone else give up flash carts and go back to original media?

[Andromeda Stardust]

Barf. I'll just stick to my large collection of original cartridges, then.

Is it really so terrible that it sticks out a few extra mm?

 

I hauled out my old GBA SP to play Activision Anthology recently, and maybe get some virtual patches for the summer club. I noticed that I hadn't saved any progress to it...but I can't remember if it failed (possible, since it's been 13 years), I erased it (also possible), or if I simply didn't play the original which I bought new and used my flash cartridge instead (seems most likely).

 

Am I the only AA'er to do the reverse of what seems natural? Anyone else give up flash carts and go back to original media?

I tend to try and track down games I enjoyed playing on the flash cart, provided they aren't stupid expensive.

 

With GBA, I'll finally have flashcarts for every cart system I own, 7800 being the lone standout, and H2 is coming. I don't believe in pirating DS/3DS games though as the platform is too modern.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Am I the only AA'er to do the reverse of what seems natural? Anyone else give up flash carts and go back to original media?

It depends on the system for me. For most systems like the Atari 2600, 7800, ColecoVision, NES, Master System, SNES, and Genesis I'm perfectly content to play the entire library of games on the system via flash cart or emulation, but for the couple systems that I have a soft spot for like the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color whenever I try a new game for them via flash cart or emulation and decide that I like it I make it a point to add the game to my lengthy list of games to track down physical copies of. Either that or I just go on eBay and buy a nice condition copy right away, depending on my budget at the time.

 

As far as the new GBA EverDrive goes, for me there's not much point in buying one since I already own the original cartridges for every rare and expensive GBA game I want, and all the rest I'm still looking for are really cheap. I could probably complete my collection of GBA games worth playing for less than it would cost to buy the new EverDrive, but it's still a cool item for those who have yet to buy the pricy GBA games that they want or are just a big fan of the system and want to have their entire system library with them wherever they go. I'm more of an original Game Boy and Game Boy Color fan myself though, and I definitely don't use my GBA often enough to warrant the purchase of an EverDrive. It usually just gets broken out a couple times a year when I feel like playing Doom or Doom II on the bus.

[Flojomojo]

Is it really so terrible that it sticks out a few extra mm?

 

Eww. Yes. My GBA SP appeals to me because of it's cute size, sharp lines, folding hinge. Apart from having buttons, it's inferior in every possible way to my phone, which is with me all the time and can play GB games perfectly (again, aside from the buttons). I dislike the idea of carrying an extra gadget as it is. That "few extra mm" is as unattractive to me as an unsightly zit or wart in the middle of my face.

[7800fan]

I'd guess you never tried to play Boktai?