Games That Defined The (Original) Game Boy

[RetroSpark]

I notice that the Defining Games section on racketboy.com does not contain an article for the original Game Boy. If someone were to write such an article, which games do you think it should include?

My own thoughts (in alphabetical order):

Defining Games
Kirby's Dream Land 1 & 2
Legend of Zelda, The - Link's Awakening
Metroid II - Return of Samus
Pokemon - Red & Blue & Yellow
Super Mario Land 1 & 2
Tetris
Wario Land I & II

Honorable Mentions
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Land Series
Dr. Mario
Final Fantasy Adventure
Final Fantasy Legend Series
Gargoyle's Quest
Kid Icarus - Of Myths and Monsters
Kirby's Pinball Land
Mario's Picross
Mega Man Series

I have been quite strict in compiling this list. Maybe some of my "Honorable Mentions" deserve to be in the first section - perhaps alongside some games which I have not included at all.

What are your thoughts? How would your list of "Defining Games" differ from mine?

[o.pwuaioc]

I'd move Dr. Mario, Donkey Kong, Duck Tales, Final Fantasy Adventure, and the Final Fantasy Legend series to the defining list. I'd also add Battletoads, Batman, Faceball 2000, Operation C, and the Mega Man and Castlevania series to it as well.

I'd definitely add TMNT to the honorable mentions. There were a ton of really popular games for the Game Boy that did not seem to survive current opinion. March 1993 Nintendo Power, for instance, lists these Game Boy games as the "Best Overall winners" category:

1. Batman
2. Bionic Commando
3. Kirby's Dream Land
4. Looney Tunes
5. Mega Man II
6. Prince of Persia
7. Super Mario Land 2

Boggle Plus, Double Dragon, Ultima: Runes of Virtue, and Gradius: Interstellar Assault all also won awards.

I feel like time has largely forgotten what was really popular before Pokemon, or non-Nintendo/Konami/Capcom. Tons of kids I knew played the heck out of Batman (the original, not even Return of the Joker) when it was released. Double Dragon and Duck Tales were surprisingly popular. Games that looked like the NES were big hits until Pokemon came around, and by the end of the 90s, they were largely being ignored.

[Tanooki]

Is it really fair just to say that NOA's stuff defined the system or were worth honorably mentioning for the most part? Kind of a closed view of things.

Specifically ignoring NOA's stuff they made there's a heap of games that defined the GB that happened to be NES franchise stuff or even arcade inspired too.

- Castlevania Adv1-2+Legends
- Contra/Operation C
- Gradius/Gradius Interstellar Assault
- Ganbare Goemon (we did get one on super gameboy)
- Mega Man 1-5(5 being unique robots too)
- TMNT 1-3 (3rd was super metroid like, not a platformer)
- Final Fantasy Adventure (aka Seiken Densetsu SOM's prequel)
- FInal Fantasy Legend 1-3 (SaGa) are great
- Gargoyle's Quest the ghosts n goblins spinoff
- Samurai Shodown and other Takara arcade/neogeo conversions
- Street FIghter II wasn't too bad either but lacked a few people
- Revenge of the Gator (hal, kirby guys made it, good pinball)
- Wizards and Warriors Fortress of Fear
- Avenging Spirit
- Bonk's Adventure and Revenge(not TG/NES ports)
- Double Dragon 1-3
- Ninja Gaiden Shadow
- Trax
- Kung Fu Master
- Fortified Zone
- Turrican(very solid port amazingly enough)
- Disney games(duck tales 1+2, darkwing duck, etc)
- Batman
- Sword of Hope
- Ultima

...lots of familiar names, some of the stuff is new, some are conversions, but it's a decent taste. Also you said original Gameboy, would this include black cart GBC stuff that 100% works on old GB? That opens the door to a lot of good games, still some from franchises like Blaster Master Enemy Below, Dragon Warrior 1+2, Ghosts n Goblins, the Konami GB Collection Vol1-4(from UK), Pokemon Pinball, Revelations the Demon Slayer(a SMT game), etc.

Nintendo also did have a sequel to balloon fight called Balloon Kid that should be played.

[outlawed]

I'd move Dr. Mario, Donkey Kong, Duck Tales, Final Fantasy Adventure, and the Final Fantasy Legend series to the defining list. I'd also add Battletoads, Batman, Faceball 2000, Operation C, and the Mega Man and Castlevania series to it as well.

i agree with you there especially with DR.Mario but i would also add pokemon red

[prfsnl_gmr]

I'd move Dr. Mario, Donkey Kong, Duck Tales, Final Fantasy Adventure, and the Final Fantasy Legend series to the defining list. I'd also add Battletoads, Batman, Faceball 2000, Operation C, and the Mega Man and Castlevania series to it as well.

i agree with you there especially with DR.Mario but i would also add pokemon red

I have to disagree. We should add Pokemon Blue, not Pokemon Red.

[ninjainspandex]

I'd move Dr. Mario, Donkey Kong, Duck Tales, Final Fantasy Adventure, and the Final Fantasy Legend series to the defining list. I'd also add Battletoads, Batman, Faceball 2000, Operation C, and the Mega Man and Castlevania series to it as well.

i agree with you there especially with DR.Mario but i would also add pokemon red

I have to disagree. We should add Pokemon Blue, not Pokemon Red.

no obviously Pokemon Yellow is the only one you need....

[prfsnl_gmr]

INFIDEL!!!!!

[ninjainspandex]

actually #pokemongoldandsilvermasterrace

[jmbarnes101]

No love for Mole Mania? It's a great puzzle game and well worth at least being an honorable mention.

[o.pwuaioc]

No love for Mole Mania? It's a great puzzle game and well worth at least being an honorable mention.

Mole Mania is good, but I wouldn't put it as a game that defined the Game Boy. It's more of an underrated gem.