Best Super Game Boy games?

[derFunkenstein]

I never had a Game Boy of any sort as a kid. In 2004 I got a GBA SP, and that was my first one. At the time I was traveling a lot for work and it was easier to carry a portable system than it was to load my PS2 or Xbox into my luggage, and even then not every hotel TV would have the right hookups or even allow me to disconnect the cable for an RF switch. So a portable game system was in order, and I really liked it.

 

Well I recently got a Japanese Super Game Boy to go with my Super Nt. It came with Tetris, which is flipping outstanding. But now I need to dive into the Game Boy classic library, including Game Boy Color games that work with the Super Game Boy. Pretty sure that any GBC game that also works on a classic Game Boy has a black cart. I think I've got that right.

 

So what are the absolutely can't-miss-em games that run on a Super Game Boy? If it helps, I have a leaning towards puzzle, role-playing, and shooter (Gradius/R-Type) style games, but I do enjoy pretty much all genres.

[godslabrat]

Donkey Kong

Legend of Zelda: LA DX

Donkey Kong

Space invaders

Donkey Kong

Street Fighter II

Also, Donkey Kong

[dj_convoy]

Yep, Donkey Kong fo' sho'

[Great Hierophant]

Original Game Boy games :

 

A Boy and His Blob: Rescue of Princess Blobette
Adventures of Lolo
Alleyway
Balloon Kid
Batman: The Video Game
Batman: The Animated Series
Battle Arena Toshinden
Battle of Olympus, The
Bionic Commando
Bomberman GB
Bonk's Adventure
Bonk's Revenge
Castlevania Adventure, The
Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge
Castlevania Legends
Contra III: The Alien Wars
Cosmo Tank
Disney's Darkwing Duck
Disney's DuckTales
Disney's DuckTales 2
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Land
Donkey Kong Land 2
Donkey Kong Land III
Dr. Franken
Dr. Franken 2
Dr. Mario
F-1 Race
Faceball 2000
Final Fantasy Adventure
Final Fantasy Legend, The
Final Fantasy Legend 2
Final Fantasy Legend 3
Fortified Zone
Game Boy Gallery
Game & Watch Gallery
Gargoyle's Quest
GhostBusters II
Gradius: The Interstellar Assault
Great Greed
Harvest Moon GB
Hudson's Adventure Island
Hudson's Adventure Island II
James Bond 007
Kid Dracula
Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters
Kirby's Block Ball
Kirby's Dream Land
Kirby's Dream Land 2
Kirby's Pinball Land
Kirby's Star Stacker
Kung' Fu Master
Kwirk
Legend of the River King GB
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Mario's Picross
Mega Man
Mega Man II
Mega Man III
Mega Man IV
Mega Man V
Mercenary Force
Metroid II
Milon's Secret Castle
Mole Mania
Motocross Maniacs
Nemesis
Ninja Gaiden Shadow
Operation C
Quarth
Pinball - Revenge of the 'Gator
Pokemon Blue
Pokemon Red
Popeye 2
Prehistorik Man
Prince of Persia
R-Type
Radar Mission
Rolan's Curse
Rolan's Curse 2
SolarStriker
Space Invaders
Star Trek 25th Anniversary
Super Mario Land
Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins
Sword of Hope
Sword of Hope II
Tamagotchi
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue
Tetris
Tetris 2
Tetris Attack
Tetris Blast
Tetris Plus
Tiny Toon Adventures: Babs' Big Break
Trax
Wario Blast Featuring Bomberman!
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Wario Land II
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Yoshi
Yoshi's Cookie
Zen: Intergalactic Ninja

 

Game Boy Color games compatible with Game Boy :

 

Conker's Pocket Tales

Dragon Warrior I & II
Dragon Warrior Monsters
Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Cobi's Journey
Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Tara's Adventure
Déjà Vu I & II: The Casebooks of Ace Harding
Game & Watch Gallery 2
Game & Watch Gallery 3
Ghosts 'N Goblins
Harvest Moon GB
Harvest Moon 2 GBC
Legend of the River King GB

Legend of the River King 2

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
Mega Man Xtreme
Pokémon Gold Version
Pokémon Pinball
Pokémon Silver Version
Pokémon Trading Card Game
Pokémon Yellow
Prince of Persia
R-Type DX
Shadowgate Classic
Survival Kids
Tetris DX

Wario Land II

Edited April 17, 2019 by Great Hierophant

[Flojomojo]

DONKEY DONKEY KONG KONG KONG

 

the only one i care about

[KeeperofLindblum]

A couple of games had special enhancements from Super Game Boy (and have a fancy logo for this as well).

 

Donkey Kong is the most impressive, but there are a few more.

 

I found a good link that gives the best list here ---> https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/SuperGameBoy

[derFunkenstein]

Heres a dumb question: are there different carts for different regions, or region locks at all? I didnt even think about it before getting a Japanese one. I just liked the way it looked.

 

Btw thanks for all the responses. Looks like at minimum Ill be playing Donkey Kong.

 

Never played a Pokémon game btw. How do the first and second gen hold up?

Edited April 17, 2019 by derFunkenstein

[dj_convoy]

Pokemon Blue / Yellow are fun, if a bit laborious. If I was a few years younger when that ball.got rolling, I could see having been into it.

 

I have a Super Game boy 2 from Japan; no issue

[Tanooki]

Well I recently got a Japanese Super Game Boy to go with my Super Nt. It came with Tetris, which is flipping outstanding. But now I need to dive into the Game Boy classic library, including Game Boy Color games that work with the Super Game Boy. Pretty sure that any GBC game that also works on a classic Game Boy has a black cart. I think I've got that right.

 

So what are the absolutely can't-miss-em games that run on a Super Game Boy? If it helps, I have a leaning towards puzzle, role-playing, and shooter (Gradius/R-Type) style games, but I do enjoy pretty much all genres.

 

For starters, congrats on breaking into something that really will be insanely worth your time, efforts, and saved funds since GB still gets cracked on and kept mostly cheap due to the fake mystique of them being lesser games or less than games being on a handheld. The SGB is the way to go, unless you got v2 from Japan as it's timing accurate not that it really matters either way unless you're a speed runner.

 

GH down there put a hell of a list, that there has a list of every published by Nintendo game that has a pre-coded color scheme setup on the SGB for classic titles before it arrived, but I do think his GBC list is off, because much of the GBC library as you put it 'works on a classic Game Boy' because it 'has a black cart' which you're right. Translucent charcoal colored carts only used the GBC, they needed the 2x CPU and 4x the system RAM it had to play those, but the others, they'd work on an off the shelf day one 1989 GB brick.

 

I can't help you by name on what to look for, too hard, and too opinionated. I give you a set of links they're from Racketboy, but with a warning to stay way way away from the forums as they're more about politics and agendas in the last few years, but they do have an amazing set of guides on the non-forum based gaming primary page. Some are like the most technically advanced for a format, others arelike best games under $10-15 range stuff, and they really sift out the gems from the mediocrity and crap and typically both by name and sections for genres. You will find due to the GBC being basically still the same gameboy there may be some bleed over, so a few may not work, but most of it will. So read on this and start taking notes for a list to try out.

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/the-best-game-boy-game-boy-color-games-under-10

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/best-undiscovered-gameboy-game-boy-color-games

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/the-rarest-and-most-valuable-gameboy-gbc-games(helpful if you want to go broke list, the minority of spendy GB stuff)

 

There is a 4th but it's dominated by GBC other than Faceball 2000, Samurai Shodown 3(I have this) imported which is stunning, and Wario Land 1 and 2 (3 is GBC only.) Also I'd add again for fighting import, Transformers Beast Wars is a black cart, very solid game and lots of moves since you have bot mode and beast mode with full fighting move sets.

 

Not sure how up on GB you are, but this is like GB for dummies a 101 thing for the hardware, accessories, etc it could help maybe: http://www.racketboy.com/retro/game-boy-101-a-beginners-guide

[Tanooki]

Heres a dumb question: are there different carts for different regions, or region locks at all? I didnt even think about it before getting a Japanese one. I just liked the way it looked.

 

Btw thanks for all the responses. Looks like at minimum Ill be playing Donkey Kong.

 

Never played a Pokémon game btw. How do the first and second gen hold up?

They hold up just fine, but I would and could not strongly suggest enough you play the year after v.5 version of the releases. Gen 1.5 would be Yellow Pikachu Edition which they changed to have the story and visuals mirror the first season of the TV show. And then the v2.5 generation would be Crystal. They take the two broken halves of the other games that started it, clean up a few things, revise a few other things, and just add some nice polish for the definitive release of that generation. They hold up very very well. -- And no GB was never region locked, anything will work you throw at it. I've got JP and UK games for my systems.

[derFunkenstein]

They hold up just fine, but I would and could not strongly suggest enough you play the year after v.5 version of the releases. Gen 1.5 would be Yellow Pikachu Edition which they changed to have the story and visuals mirror the first season of the TV show. And then the v2.5 generation would be Crystal. They take the two broken halves of the other games that started it, clean up a few things, revise a few other things, and just add some nice polish for the definitive release of that generation. They hold up very very well. -- And no GB was never region locked, anything will work you throw at it. I've got JP and UK games for my systems.

 

This is good to know. My daughter has the Yellow Pikachu edition for on the 3DS virtual console, and says it's pretty good.

 

Also that beginner's guide is perfect. I have played a Game Boy back in Jr. High but by the time the pocket came out I was under the assumption that it was just "kid games" (typical high school student, I think) so I missed out on most of that and totally ignored the Color. This is like a whole new console for me.

[masschamber]

the takara fighting games have 2 player support on the super gameboy, so world heroes 2 jet, king of fighters, etc are really nice

[Great Hierophant]

 

GH down there put a hell of a list, that there has a list of every published by Nintendo game that has a pre-coded color scheme setup on the SGB for classic titles before it arrived, but I do think his GBC list is off, because much of the GBC library as you put it 'works on a classic Game Boy' because it 'has a black cart' which you're right. Translucent charcoal colored carts only used the GBC, they needed the 2x CPU and 4x the system RAM it had to play those, but the others, they'd work on an off the shelf day one 1989 GB brick.

 

 

Thanks for the kind words, but my GBC list contains only games that will work on an original Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Light or Super Game Boy. There are more games that support GB and GBC than those, but those are the ones I recommend.

[Tanooki]

Well what you have there oddly does parallel a unique facet of the GBC, the non-color enabled past games where Nintendo in firmware snuck in preset color code conditions set by title to give them the maximum display appeal over the default options. It may be missing a couple or two pre-SGB titles, but the vast majority of it is in there and that's important.

 

 

masschamber is correct. The Takara fighters are all but for 2 Neo Geo arcade conversions, the others being Battle Arena Toshinden and Kettou (Transformers) Beast Wars. They're all SGB era stuff if I recall right but Beast Wars which was a GBC color coded game yet I think it still does have a border. All those Neo games which have gone chibi cute do retain every character, every stage, every piece of music, and every move even a hidden character or two as well. They're stunningly well converted and uniquely among most SGB games you can play them with just 1 game for 2P mode on a SuperGB. I used to have most, but I just have Beast Wars, and both the US Samurai Shodown and JP Samurai Shodown 3 and they're really special.

[masschamber]

Well what you have there oddly does parallel a unique facet of the GBC, the non-color enabled past games where Nintendo in firmware snuck in preset color code conditions set by title to give them the maximum display appeal over the default options. It may be missing a couple or two pre-SGB titles, but the vast majority of it is in there and that's important.

 

 

masschamber is correct. The Takara fighters are all but for 2 Neo Geo arcade conversions, the others being Battle Arena Toshinden and Kettou (Transformers) Beast Wars. They're all SGB era stuff if I recall right but Beast Wars which was a GBC color coded game yet I think it still does have a border. All those Neo games which have gone chibi cute do retain every character, every stage, every piece of music, and every move even a hidden character or two as well. They're stunningly well converted and uniquely among most SGB games you can play them with just 1 game for 2P mode on a SuperGB. I used to have most, but I just have Beast Wars, and both the US Samurai Shodown and JP Samurai Shodown 3 and they're really special.

wait, so you're saying there is a good beast wars game?

[derFunkenstein]

the takara fighting games have 2 player support on the super gameboy, so world heroes 2 jet, king of fighters, etc are really nice

 

This is super cool if I'm reading it right. No need for a second system or another copy of the game or a link cable, just two players on the same SNES?

[Tanooki]

wait, so you're saying there is a good beast wars game?

That would be correct. Beware of the 90s looking design as the background is animated eye torture, but you'll like this: http://kenshiroh.tripod.com/games/bw/

 

I bookmarked that years before I got the cart and it translates the options screen, a few other parts of the game in Japanese, and gives every character with their icon/bust art on it with both modes special moves, and at the bottom the unlocks for a few hidden extra characters. The game plays very smoothly and fast for GB(C.) 1on1 brawler using the Takara neo-geo game engine for the GB so they're cute, they move well, and have all their moves. It's not a jittery odd very thin mess that transmetals was on N64/PS1.

 

Here's a pure untranslated (no patch applied) video of the game.

These games from Takara were kind of a pre-run of what to expect for the cute but serious style of all those 1on1 fighters on the Neo Geo Pocket Color.

 

 

 

Oh and here's Samurai Spirits 3 which is very impressive as well as it was a very late SGB/GB release title in the list of them that came out in Japan only after they dried up in the US/UK markets around 1995 (KOF 95.)

Edited April 19, 2019 by Tanooki

[derFunkenstein]

My first two purchases were Pokémon Yellow and Killer Instinct. KI is a really great port, considering the Game Boy only has two buttons. I caught onto the simpler combo system and could pull out 6-8 hit combos with no problem, and Sabrewulf's ultra is easy to get to and I did that, too. It's way more fun than it has any right to be, and it looks good with the Super Game Boy palette and frame options.

 

Pokémon Yellow is going to be addictive. I've got about an hour into it and didn't even notice that it went by.

[Tanooki]

KI kind of gets some level of hate, but it's the usual troll factory of taking the negative end of your own comment -- more fun than it has a right to be. You appreciate that, as do I, but other wankers get pissy because it's 8bit, 2 button, no color, therefore it's lesser and crap, the usual fall back to ripping on Gameboy. It's fine by me, let the hate flow, feed off it like the Emperor, because stupidity on that mass scale helps keep the prices lower than the console carts. You want to see one that's fairly impressive even if the roster is lacking a little, fire up Street FIghter II. The sprites on it an HUGE for gameboy, very detailed as much as possible to be like the SNES release, with sacrifices, but the moves are all there, just not all the frames of animation but it works. It also is a rare game with a lot of SGB borders having one to match each character you battle, and has its own color set to. I would strongly suggest avoiding MK1, looks ok and all but they ignorantly redid all the motions for the moves and didn't implement them well so it's not great, but MK2 is solid, and there is even a MK1+2 combo cart.

 

Pokemon Yellow as like crack to me too like you there with lost time. I really did like red in the day as I got that when it came out, but I fizzled out on it probably half or so through it because I was in college at the time and got busy, but, when Yellow arrived I traded out as it followed the cartoon I got hooked on as I watched it M-F as it was on the same 30min I had breakfast before classes so that really motivated me to be the only pokemon game I ever actually did finish the Elite Four on. The story is just more warm and involved there, less generic because they had no idea if it would work or not, and by the time Yellow arrived the show and toys were a hit so it flowed very well.

 

 

I know you likely want to collect, but that said, really do get yourself an everdrive GB or a bennvenn el-cheapo card for GB/GBC stuff. You've got to try out a variety of things, and those Samurai Shodown games too I mentioned as they're a must.