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NoHardshipInPancakes @beehaw.org

what's your favorite Gameboy game that isn't Pokemon or Mario?

I've just rediscovered my childhood Gameboys, I grew up in the 90s and had an original, a color, an advance and an sp. My game collection has whittled down over the year to the usual suspects, Pokemons, Zelda's, Mario's and some other standards. But I want to dive into some games that 7 year old me would have brushed over. So what's your favorite game?

99 comments

  • The non-pokemon ones I played the most were:

    DMG: Kirby's Dreamland 2

    GBC: Shante

    GBA: Drilldozer

    Platformers to me always felt like the best suited games to handheld games, and I love the bright colorful art styles. Drilldozer is definitely my all time favorite. If you can find a copy, I'd highly recommend it! The rumble pack cartridge is so cool.

  • If you're playing Gameboy specifically, and not including Advanced, then I played a ton of Marble Madness. I never beat it, but it is pretty fun physics-y platformer.

    If you are including Advanced, then Metroid Fusion is a classic. Atmospheric, and beautiful sprite work. Genuinely scary in parts, and leads right into Dread if you like the gameplay.

    • Mole Mania
    • Donkey Kong Land series isn't too bad
    • James Bond 007
    • Bionic Commando Elite Forces (GBC)
    • Donkey Kong 94
    • Some random puzzle games that nobody every played like Heiankyo Alien or Battle Bull

    My favourites were always Metroid II and Zelda

  • @NoHardshipInPancakes Link's Awakening is still my favorite game of all time. I got stuck on the second dungeon for literal years because I didn't put together that you had to defeat enemies in a specific order to get the boss key. That was way before the Internet had every answer to every question. 😋

  • Metroid II: Samus Returns & Gargoyles Quest (such a bloody hard game) on the OG GameBoy were my favs. I played a lot of *Battletoads *on it too but that game was so bloody frustratingly difficult, especially for a kid, so played it mostly out of spite to get past the stupid brain ball chasing you level. Also loved Parodius (parody side scrolling SHUMP from Konami) but never owned it, so borrowed it from friends to play. Naturally I also played Tetris to the point that the music still haunts my dreams. There was also a pretty decent Spider-Man game for it, but can't remember it's name & it's not showing up on lists.

    The OG GB also had a lot of bog awful licensed property (movie/tv/cartoon) tie in games too, as well as generally terrible releases. To see them all, check this list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Game_Boy_games

    I unfortunately never owned an Advance, so only got into games on it later via official emulators (the Wii U control pad was the best GB Advance out there), so got to play Golden Sun later but enjoyed it as a fairly unique take on the J-RPG genre. The releases of Breath of Fire 1 & 2 on the Advance was also a great thing, since they were my favourite SNES games.

    For GBA games, here's a list but so many shitty licensed games there too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Game_Boy_Advance_games

    • Metroid II is one of my favorite games of all time.
    • Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge and Operation C are both highly polished and fun, but quite challenging.
    • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan is a relatively easy, short, polished action game.
    • Kirby's Dream Land is my favorite game in the series. And if you think it's too easy, turn on Extra Game mode. It will wreck you, I promise. ;)
    • Ninja Gaiden Shadow and Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge are amazingly polished challenging but fair action games.

    Every game I mentioned has excellent music, is an original game (not a port), and I have played in their entirety again and again throughout the years.

    Let me know if you're looking for a genre other than an action game. XD

  • Pocket Bomberman (GBC), Wario Land (GB), Wario Land II (GBC), Bubble Bobble Old and New (GBA), Donkey Kong '94 (GB), Kirby's Dream Land and Kirby's Dream Land 2 (GB), Kirby's Nightmare in Dreamland (GBA), Kirby and the Amazing Mirror (GBA), Dr. Mario (GB), Tetris (GB), and Tetris DX (GBC), Mario's Picross (GB).

  • Sonic Advance for Gameboy Advance...

    Runner up is Super Momotaro Dentetsu II. A game that makes zero sense if you can't read Japanese, but it is very hilarious if you can and are familiar with the culture. In a nutshell, take the absurd length and buying property element of Monopoly, then the bullshit luck-based elements from Mario Party, mix together with a healthy dose of recreational drugs, and you get this game.

    Trailer, Bit of Gameplay... Funny thing is they announced their 24th instalment in the series this year for the Nintendo Switch:

  • Final fantasy Tactics Advance and Fire Emblem the Sacred Stones

    • The only thing I disliked about Tactics Advance was I felt like they really cheaped out on Ritz's plot. I'm thinking maybe it comes off better in the context of a japanese culture where standing out like she does really IS culturally frowned upon, but it made very little sense to me in the west and I still feel like she got done dirty. Everyone else has a really good reason to stay, Doned doesn't have functional legs, and she's complaining about her hair.

      Other than that one single thing, yeah, still one of the best games I've played. I've never seen a game tackle it from that angle before or since.

      • Yeah! I've seen a lot of people give it some undeserved grief but I agree, it's a fantastic game! Totally agree with you about Ritz.

  • Kirby's block ball was a great Gameboy game. I remember one I liked a lot called lock n' chase, name could be wrong but I'm sure it's close

99 comments