Top 10 Game Boy Games by a 25-Year Veteran
Here are two useful finds for original Nintendo hardware.
For Nintendo DS: DSPico flash cartridge with USB-C.
For Game Boy Advance SP: an IPS-ready eXtremeRate replacement shell.
Author: Maxim Zhukov. Founder of the VK community: Game Boy: Revival of the Legend.
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Game Boy rankings tend to repeat the same famous titles. This list takes a different approach: it comes from Maxim Zhukov, a long-time Game Boy player and collector who has been revisiting the system for more than 25 years.
His perspective was shaped long before complete ROM sets were easy to find. In the late 1990s, games were expensive, the local selection was limited, and discovering something new often meant trading cartridges with players in other cities and waiting for packages to arrive.
That long relationship with the platform also changed his tastes. Genres that once seemed uninteresting became favorites years later, and games were repeatedly reassessed rather than judged from a quick first impression.
The result is not meant to be an objective list for everyone. It is a personal top 10 built from decades of playing, collecting, losing interest and returning to the Game Boy library with a different perspective.
We begin with the original monochrome Game Boy.
Top 10 Original Game Boy Games
1) Water World
This was my first DMG cartridge in a grassy green case. The game from Ocean turned out to be quite interesting. The developers accurately copied the hero from Kevin Costner. Sent him to explore underwater depths and atolls full of fierce enemies. As a nice bonus, they added rides on a catamaran. They worked hard on the graphics, music, and gameplay, and raised the difficulty to the skies, making it a pleasure to play :)
2) Turok: Battle of the Bionosaurs
The game is somewhat similar in mechanics to Water World. The sound is comparable to Jurassic Park, the graphics are quite good, and the gameplay is beyond praise! The gameplay is not linear; you have to return to completed locations and destroy dinosaurs and those who closely coexist with them. A golden classic. Perhaps even a masterpiece, as it draws you in faster than numerous sequels on older consoles.
3) Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
This part of Mario's adventures needs no introduction. I came across it by chance at the end of the 90s and was immediately hooked. For me – it's the perfect game for fans of the Italian plumber. Everything is good, and there are so many secrets that without a hint, it would take at least a year to figure them out. I played it 7 or 8 times. Spent five years of my life and don't regret a bit!
4) Battletoads
I got it in the wild 90s as a pirated copy. For me, it's much more interesting than the first "toads" on NES. There are no breaks during the loss. Only hardcore with amazing sound and graphics. I played it 20 times, and only after that I got the original…
5) Contra - The Alien Wars
Probably the best Contra on Game Boy. It's played in one breath, without any complaints at all.
6) Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
A rather lengthy game with a greedy character in the lead. Wario is not as simple as he may seem in numerous sequels. He has character and a pure soul. The world of the character is well-made, and once you get used to it, it's simply impossible to tear yourself away from this game.
7) Tiny Toon Adventures 2: Montana's Movie Madness
I'm a big fan of this series, you should know. I played the first part on Dendy until my fingers hurt. I didn't like the second part. On Game Boy, it's the opposite. The second part is just a masterpiece!
8) Jurassic Park
A legendary classic. Slightly simplified compared to NES. It boasts more advanced menus and amazing music. Such a hit must be in every Game Boy player's collection.
9) Mortal Kombat 3
The last spots are especially hard to fill. There are Pokemons and Zelda… There are other great games… And even fighting games that are much better. But there's one BUT. This one, thanks to smooth movements, allows you to create complete mayhem in battles. Excellent sound, graphics, and characters. For me, these are the best fights on the old-timer DMG.
10) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue
Sorry, Metroid, I haven't played you, but I spent a year and a half "torturing" this part of the "Turtles." I never liked them. But when I was given this cartridge to play, I lost touch with reality…
