There are hundreds of iconic GameBoy games, many of which are hidden gems and have gone vastly unnoticed or unplayed by the community. If you’re a fan of retro games, check out our list of 20 of the most underrated Game Boy games.
20. Shantae
Many gamers will be familiar with Shantae and the various games within the franchise. However, few gamers don’t realize that Shantae first started on the Game Boy Color. It features more familiar gameplay as Shantae whips her hair at enemies and includes lots of fun platforming.
This game mainly went unrecognized by gamers, and it was released at the end of the Game Boy‘s lifespan, meaning it just didn’t get the recognition it deserved.
19. Donkey Kong ’94
Donkey Kong ’94 is very similar to the Donkey Kong games available in the arcade games. This game is lengthy and challenging, with 97 levels. This time, it includes new enemies and mechanics for you to utilize and work your way through the wide variety of content in the game.
Sadly, this game is often forgotten as it isn’t that similar to any of the Donkey Kong Country games, and Nintendo hasn’t revisited this kind of gameplay in a long while.
18. Bubble Ghost
Bubble Ghost is an adorable yet creepy little platformer you can get for your Game Boy. This game was in black and white, forgoing any colorful graphics, but still managed to be positively adorable.
The aim of the game was relatively simple. Playing as a Ghost, navigating a haunted house, and bringing the bubble to safety was your task. While the beginning levels were relatively easy, the challenge ramps up quickly enough, and you have to avoid obstacles throughout. This game is a lot of fun and can get quite tense!
17. Kid Dracula
Kid Dracula was once an Asian exclusive but has since been remade by Konami and made available for the Western market. Although not obvious, Kid Dracula is also part of the Castlevania series and a franchise parody.
Compared to Castlevania, this is a friendlier platformer, especially for younger players. That being said, it’s still a lot of fun for players of all ages, and it’s really quite adorable.
16. Metal Gear: Ghost Babel
For its time, Metal Gear Solid was considered incredibly technologically advanced for the PlayStation. With that in mind, they decided to adapt it and bring it to the Game Boy. While that may be horrifying to a lot of fans as they lost a lot of the technological elements in the game, Metal Gear: Ghost Babel is still entertaining and has some great character and enemy design to go with it.
Metal Gear: Ghost Babel is an 8-bit stealth game; since its release, it is a hidden gem for the Game Boy. While most think of Metal Gear’s PlayStation releases, this one is a severely underrated Game Boy game and deserves more recognition.
15. Mario’s Picross
For those who are fans of nonogram puzzles, Mario’s Picross is the perfect game to pick up. With a whopping 256 puzzles to complete, plenty of fun and brain-teasing can be had. You get to play as Mario and chisel away at the Picross to create images from the franchise. It can get pretty intense, as you only have thirty minutes to complete each level!
14. Tennis
A very traditionally simple Game Boy game, Tennis is one of the most underrated Game Boy games to exist. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of sports games, you may have a lot of fun with Tennis.
There aren’t many rules to it, and you can play it for a couple of minutes or find yourself getting lost in the game trying to get a better score. Not only that, but you can play it with a friend or family member if you want some competition.
13. Mole Mania
Mole Mania is charming, and you get to play as a mole in this top-down game where you can dig your holes and travel underground to avoid obstacles above ground. It’s a lot of fun and has a great soundtrack to go with it. It’s underrated and deserves more recognition for being such a fantastic Game Boy game.
12. Blade
Based on the action film, Blade is an exciting adventure game you can play on the Game Boy Color. This has some fantastic visuals and lots of great intense gameplay for you to enjoy as you travel through this fast-paced shoot ’em up.
Out of all of the games released on the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, the graphics for this game are very impressive and make it such a criminally underrated game.
11. Trip World
This game is a bit tricky to get hold of if you’re not in Japan or Europe, but over the years, it has become a lot more accessible. This game is absolutely adorable. You play as a creature called a Yakapoo and travel through this platformer as a creature who can change shape and form depending on the situation. This can help you fly or swim through the levels. Fans of Mario are bound to love Trip World.
10. Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters
Fans wanted this sequel for decades, but it soon fell on deaf ears for a lot of gamers as the hype had died down significantly for Kid Icarus.
However, that doesn’t mean Kid Icaeus: Of Myths And Monsters isn’t a fantastic game, with similar gameplay to the first on the NES. Pit gets new powers to utilize, such as slowing his fall by using his wings.
It has been many years since the last Kid Icarus game, and it’d be great to see a revival.
9. Wendy: Every Witch Way
Wendy: Every Witch Way is a very fun Game Boy game with vibrant graphics and lovable character design. With multiple colorful and diverse worlds to explore, as Wendy, a character who has upset the flow of gravity, you can walk on ceilings and walls to make your way through these platforming levels.
Not only that but there are also some shooter levels to mix things up a little! Should you play it on a Game Boy Advance, this game also comes with some extra special levels.
8. Perfect Dark
This game was incredibly popular on the N64 but was then released on the Game Boy. While they share the same name, they aren’t the same exact game. Instead, this game comes with expansive levels made for the portable device, with fully voiced conversations, which is a huge technological advancement for the Game Boy.
However, because of these conversations, the game doesn’t have a soundtrack, and the stealth missions can get quite samey and boring.
7. Ducktales 2
DuckTales 2 is a fantastic game, especially if you love the franchise. The game is also non-linear, allowing you to complete the levels in any order you like. The controls are the same, but using the Cane Jump is significantly easier in this game, making it a bit more accessible for players of all ages.
There is a lot of replayability to be had with DuckTales 2, with many different levels to explore and unique treasures to obtain. Not only this, but you can go back and repeat a level if you want to get more items and money.
6. Drill Dozer
Full of intense action and fun in this advanced platformer, you can make your way through the levels using a unique drill mechanic. It also comes with some stunning graphics that are beautifully colored and a lot of puzzles to test your brain power.
Drill Dozer is one of those Game Boy games that isn’t mentioned much and deserves much more love than it currently gets.
5. Motocross Maniacs
If you’re a fan of racing games, you’re bound to love Motocross Maniacs. However, it’s not your standard racing game, as you have to complete tricky platforming levels while on the back of a motorcycle and try to perform tricks to get a high score without falling off your bike.
The only downside to this game is that there are only eight levels so it can be quite limiting in terms of gameplay.
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Iii: Radical Rescue
We saw a lot of TMNT games in the ’90s, but this game is extra special and quite underrated compared to some of the other TMNT games that came out in the same time period. Most of the TMNT games fell short and weren’t too special. However, this one is slept on by fans of the franchise.
Starting as Michaelangelo, you have to track down the other three Ninja Turtles to make your way through the game and eventually defeat Shredder.
3. Burgertime Deluxe
BurgerTime Deluxe is quite an intense game, requiring fast-paced actions and quick thinking to succeed. There are only a few levels, but depending on how good you are at the game, there may be hours of replayability until you succeed.
2. Catrap
Another game for the puzzle fans out there, you control an anthropomorphic cat in this game where you have to navigate through rooms with plenty of obstacles. From monsters to ghosts, you must clear how to navigate the mazes. This game features rewinding time and undoing your moves, making it incredibly helpful if you need to retry a portion of the puzzle.
This game is quite accessible, as it is available on the Nintendo 3DS virtual console, should you have purchased it before the e-shop closed.
1. Crystalis
Crystalis comes as an action roleplaying game with a top-down perspective. There are vibrant colors and graphics as you go through the post-apocalyptic world, slaying monsters and fighting for survival.
There are four swords that you can utilize, as well as a fifth sword that you can get later on in the game. Each sword has its own elemental power, making it useful to deal with different enemies. If you’re a fan of the old Legend of Zelda games, make sure to give Crystalis a go!
That concludes our list of 20 underrated Game Boy games. Are there any of your favorites on here?
