After experimenting with the relatively simple Game & Watch titles in the early 1980s, Nintendo was ready to have the kind of success it had with the NES on a portable. By marrying the tech of the NES with design aspects of G&W, Nintendo’s R&D1 team created the Game Boy. It took the D-pad and button layout of the NES controller, placed that just below a 2.6 inch green screen, and gave the system interchangeable cartridges like a NES. After launching it with the killer app Tetris, it reached a level of success even Nintendo probably never dreamed of.

Like all old flames, the Game Boy is a hard system to get over. We thought we'd had our last fling with our 2012 Best Game Boy games list, but alas we just couldn't resist coming back for more. Behold, our updated list of the best Game Boy and Game Boy Color games of all time...

We know what this looks like--and no, this feature is not a thinly veiled tribute to Pokemon. We weren't expecting to add more Pikachu vehicles to our list, but there's no denying Pokemon Trading Card Game was an excellent addition to Pokemon's Game Boy catalog. Taking its cues from the Wizard of the Coast's real world card game, this adaptation set players on a virtual globe-trotting quest that replaced monster hunting with card collecting. The Game Boy Color's infrared tech allowed friends to battle and trade in close proximity, sometimes winning rare cards in the process via the “Card Pop!” perk.

True, collecting cards in Pokemon Trading Card Game wasn't much different than hunting monsters in other Pokemon titles. However, the drive to find all 226 cards and build kick-ass battle decks introduced a fresh approach to the “catch 'em all” formula.

Don't let the generic name turn you away--Nintendo's F-1 Race was miles away from ordinary. Blending Rad Racer's 'tude and Pole Position's style, F-1 Race put gamers behind the wheel of a first-class racing game for single players and their friends (via the four player adapter). The racer did an admirable job of appealing to all racing demos. It boasted multiple difficulties, a speedy Time Trial challenge mode, and 10 distinct international tracks. Those who stayed the course on its Grand Prix mode were even treated to cameos by Mario, Peach, Zelda, Samus, and other Nintendo familiars.

F-1 Race often came standard with the Game Boy's four player adapter, and it was the first Game Boy game to include a battery back-up to let players record their best times. All combined, F-1 represented an important addition to Game Boy's garage.

It'd be easy to dismiss Yoshi's Cookie as a Tetris knock-off with a pinch of Dr. Mario's bedside manner. To do so, however, would be overlooking what this sweet puzzle game brought to the mix. Like Dr. Mario and Tetris, Yoshi's Cookie challenged gamers to sort incoming objects in a static game space. Unlike its predecessors however, players were challenged to flip lines of cookies both vertically and horizontally to make matching rows--all while contending with incoming cookies from the top and right of the screen. Beyond its unique gameplay, Yoshi's Cookie tossed in a dash of cutscenes, a puzzle mode, and a threadbare storyline to set it further apart.

Bullet-Proof Software may have borrowed ingredients from the block puzzle games that came before it, but there's no denying Yoshi's Cookie had a flavor all to itself.

For a brief time, Joanna Dark was Rare's GoldenEye replacement on N64; and for a shorter time, she brought her skills to the Game Boy Color in this top-down action prequel. Thanks to Rare's talents, the futuristic spy adapted to her surroundings perfectly. Perfect Dark worked hard to present itself as more than a standard shooter, throwing in driving sequences, sniper modes, and numerous stealth and action mechanics to flesh out the portable adventure.

In addition to Perfect Dark's steadfast single player campaign, Rare added to the game's repertoire with a (relatively) hefty multiplayer mode. Using a Game Link Cable, players could challenge their friend in two-player deathmatch and Counter Force modes. There was also the ability unlock cheats with data from the Nintendo 64 version and print character profiles with the Game Boy Printer. All said, Perfect Dark for Game Boy Color was a worthy addition to the respected (albeit short) Perfect Dark franchise.

Like many entries in the Game Boy Color's catalog, Tomb Raider represented a bid to translate a popular console franchise for the Nintendo handheld. Unlike most of these ports, Tomb Raider worked really, really well. Core Design built Tomb Raider as a standalone entry in the series, casting Lara in an original "Nightmare Stone" story while testing the Game Boy Color's limits along every step, dive, and jump of her journey.

From the rich graphics and fluid gameplay, Tomb Raider never strayed far from the series' swashbuckling tone. The 2D visuals popped off the screen and the environments afforded plenty of room for pulling off Lara's vertical and horizontal feats of daring-do. Technical restraints held Tomb Raider back from competing with its console versions, but when placed alongside other action adventures on the Game Boy Color, it was truly a treasure to behold.

Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters had the advantage of being a sequel to NES's iconic Kid Icarus, but Pit didn't rest on his heavenly namesake alone. Armed with a more diverse suite of skills and a deeper plot, Kid Icarus' romp through Angel Land felt fuller than the original. The journey to defeat the demon Orcos freed Pit to flap his wings around three stages, and curious gamers were let loose to explore their vertical environments for secret chambers, hidden doors, and black market shops.

Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters didn't re-invent Gunpei Yokoi's original, but it did bring a much loved character back into the spotlight for a journey that honored its roots while branching out in new and invigorating ways. It would be years before Pit truly took flight in the Nintendo 3DS' Kid Icarus: Uprising, but for one winter in 1991 it gave the winged archer a chance to soar on the Game Boy.

Dig deep into Castlevania's records and you'll find a link between Richter's dark adventurers and this blood sucking parody. Created as a light-hearted take on Konami's popular vampire franchise, Kid Dracula casted a pint-sized vampire as the world's last hope against a demon named Garamoth (who also appeared as “Galamoth” in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night).

Kid Dracula is more than a childlike take on Konami's Castlevania series. Over and above sharing a common enemy, Kid Dracula adopted Castlevania's affinity for exploration, compelling enemy design, and breezy platforming. It also borrowed heavily from Mega Man's overall look and feel, creating a strange-yet-effective homage to both classic series. True, Kid Dracula may have drained its inspiration from multiple sources (and studios), but it carried itself with a charm all its own.

Street Fighter Alpha: Warrior's Dream landed a decisive blow for portable gaming. It proved gamers could enjoy an exceptional fighting game on the go, and that the Game Boy Color had the muscle to carry one of the most respected fighting series in the biz.

A port of the 1995 Street Fighter sequel, Alpha lost some its visual flare and presentation in the transfer; but in the end it didn't matter. In lieu of a pixel-by-pixel remake, Alpha focused on making its combat as fast, fluid, and responsive as it could be on an 8-bit handheld, while also porting in Street Fighter's popular fighters and their special moves, super combos, and alpha counters. Alpha may not have been a full resurrection of the mid-90s fighting classic, but it was close as the Game Boy Color could allow.

Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64 was what you'd expect from a mascot-driven sports game. It starred a familiar cast of Mario World duffers and united them for cartoony sports fun. Camelot's Mario Golf for Game Boy Color, however, was different. It went above and beyond its job as a port to craft a whole new role playing element in which players could level up their golfing skills, explore environments, interact with NPCs, and swing away through a "rise to stardom" storyline.

Camelot gave Mario Golf a distinct voice for the Game Boy Color. It's optional meta-game elements made it appealing to casual golfers and Mario fans alike. The ability to transfer data between the Game Boy and N64 version via the transfer pack and play against human opponents only added to the experience. If you're down for 18 holes of solid Mario fun, you can still pick this one up for the 3DS.

Take the body of Dragon Quest, the heart of Pokemon, and the soul of a classic Enix JRPG, and you'll have this Frankenstein creation for the Game Boy Color. Dragon Warrior Monsters was a departure for the series that beefed up the standard RPG gaming with a quest that saw players capturing, breeding, and training upwards of 215 monsters to help the hero Terry become a champion of the Monster Trainer's Starry Night Tournament and win a wish to save his sister.

Dragon Warriors Monsters' spin on the Pokemon brand was inspired. It ushered in a dynamic new world for “got catch 'em all” fans and enhanced the gameplay with enough of its own upgrades and changes to distinguish itself from other Pokemon knock-offs. It may have been forged from parts of other titles, but the final outcome was a beast of a game.

Kirby is a difficult puff ball to pin down. One year he could be a traditional platformer, the next he could be a pinball, and the year after that he could be made of yarn. No matter what gametype or art design he absorbs, however, the result is rarely disappointing. Such was the case with Kirby's Tilt 'n Tumble--a dramatic departure from the standard Kirby formula, but a fantastic diversion all the same.

Tilt 'n Tumble cast Kirby as the star of a action-puzzle outing that charged players with rolling him through an obstacle course a la Marble Madness. What set Tilt 'n Tumble apart was the inclusion of a built-in accelerometer that registered physical Game Boy Color movements and translated them to in-game twists, turns, and bumps. It was a gimmicky touch, but the effect sent Kirby hurling in refreshingly new direction.

Mickey isn't the only Disney figurehead that can carry a game. In 1990, Scrooge McDuck proved he had the chops to tackle the platforming genre with just as much finesse as the youngins in Capcom's 8-bit adaptation of the Duck Tales property.

Then again, Scrooge can't take all the credit. Much of Duck Tale's popularity stemmed from Capcom's flare for platforming and level design. Similar to the Mega Man titles, players could choose which order they wanted to tackle Scrooge's five treasure-hunting missions, and each non-linear level granted gold seekers the freedom to loot every last secret or dash straight to the final boss. This flexible gameplay, along with Scrooge's many creative abilities, lent depth and re-playability to what could have been a bare bones port of the NES original. Like Mickey's Magic Castle games, Duck Tales was designed to reward bright-eyed explorers, even if it was all to make the rich a little richer.

The mark of an accomplished sim is that it makes gamers excited to do things in a virtual world that they would otherwise thumb their noses at in the real world.

Take, for example, Harvest Moon GB. Somehow, Victor Interactive Software made the job of Ranch Master intensely appealing to us spoiled city folk. We had zero problems getting up at the crack of dawn to plant crops, chop wood, fish for food, or scour underground caves for goods to sell in town. Of course, the real allure of Harvest Moon GB were the magical bits that made farm living a true fantasy lifestyle. From chatting with our ghost grandfather to mingling with Harvest sprites and flirting with the Goddess of Spring, we were driven to survive each passing season so we could see what surprises awaited us in the next. Harvest Moon GB retained the gleeful, salt-of-the-earth feel of the Harvest Moon franchise while letting us get our hands dirty on the go.

Donkey Kong Land didn't know it was on a Game Boy. At least, it didn't act like it did. Rare's portable translation of its SNES Donkey Kong Country series performed just as admirably as its 16-bit kin and its graphics looked almost too good to be running on Game Boy's (then) aging architecture.

Donkey Kong Land is an original continuation of SNES's Donkey Kong Country. In it, Diddy and Donkey of the Kong clan set off on another island-hopping adventure to prove to Cranky Kong that there was more their video game fame than “fancy graphics”. And they were right. Donkey Kong Land felt just as ambitious as its larger-bit kin, boasting a number of secrets worlds, animal buddies, and trademark Donkey Kong platforming. It wasn't 100% up to SNES snuff, but damned if it didn't try.

Revelations: The Demon Slayer belonged to Atlus' Shin Megami Tensei bloodline, and boy did it do the family proud. Arriving in North America as an enhanced remake of Japan's Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible in 1999, Revelations takes place during an ancient time in the Megami Tensei universe. It tells the tale of El and his magically gifted friends who are called upon to defeat an ancient Gaia master.

The game combined Atlus' skill for storytelling and dynamic RPG encounters. It included a monster capturing system that would later adopt major improvements in the following sequels. Name confusion aside, Revelations: The Demon Slayer carried the Shin Megami Tensei moniker honorably and was one of the most deeply satisfying role playing journeys for the Game Boy Color.

Mole Mania isn't the most memorable title in Shigeru Miyamoto's resume, but it deserves a place of honor amongst its Super Mario and Zelda brethren all the same. It starred Muddy Mole, an unfortunate critter forced to embark on a puzzle-solving oddysee after his family is nabbed by an evil farmer. The game challenged players to move screen by screen guiding a black ball through a final gate by digging into strategic places on the map and dodging baddies that stood in Muddy's way.

Mole Mania was a Miyamoto joint through-and-through. It flexed its easy-to-learn mechanics in a number of creative ways, and wrapped its addictive gameplay in a cutesy, cartoon aesthetic. Muddy may have gotten the shaft by history, but we'll always dig this innovative puzzler.

Dragon Warrior was a game that eased a generation of mainstream gamers into RPGs in the 1980s, and it's sequel all but secured the series a spot in genre's hall of fame. So to have both remade and packaged together on one tiny cartridge a decade later ... well ... it was kind of a big deal.

Enix's two-for-one title brought the dungeon crawler back in a significant way. More than a compilation cash grab, each chapter received a graphical upgrade, translation errors were fixed, and little touches like the chance to save while exploring the field were included to make up for 1980s limitations. Snazzy intros and cutscenes were also included, and nitpicky fans could also find minor tweaks made to the story throughout. Dragon Warrior I & II was a “must have” for collectors and loving treatment of one the genre's first trendsetters.

Looking for a good time? Want to pick up chicks? Track this beauty of a puzzle platformer down. Based on 1995's Eggbert, Toki Tori followed the adventurers of its titular yellow bird as he wielded objects to rescue his unhatched brothers and sisters after they are scattered to the winds. A puzzle-game to its core, the games tested players' ability to navigate Toki Tori through forests, castles, and sewers by collecting tools and using them effectively to outsmart enemies and avoid catastrophes.

Toki Tori was a puzzle game with charm. It rewarded creative thinking and allowed for more devout puzzle solvers to the get their fix with extra eggs in devious places. It's popularity even led to remakes for iOS, PC, and Wii, thus proving its timeless qualities.

Pokemon Puzzle Challenge was exactly the type of game Nintendo's handheld was designed to handle. It was easy to learn, fast to play, and pretty to boot. It made create use of the Pokemon brand, casting favorites like Pikachu, Totodile, and Pichu as hosts of their own Poke-version of Tetris Attack (aka Panel de Pon). The opportunity to “battle” trainers and build up a collection of Pokemon enriched the experience more than raise it above other Panel de Pon wannabees.

Pokemon Puzzle Challenge didn't blaze any trails, but it did the next best thing: It dusted off an aging game archetype, polished it with new game modes and tweaks, and repainted it with one of the most popular brands in the world. Tetris Attack found a new champion, and we got a solid Game Boy Color time-killer in the process.

21XX was a trying year for Capcom's Blue Bomber. After umpteen sequels, spinoffs, and remakes, the Mega Man brand was on track to dashing itself into a million pieces, leaving even the most ardent fans scrambling to keep track of the boy robot's adventures. Then came Mega Man Xtreme 2, a game that didn't so much save the franchise as it helped steer the cyborg superstar back on track.

Mega Man Xtreme 2 is remembered as one of the best for many reasons. It built on the gameplay of the first Mega Man Xtreme by allowing players to play as either Mega Man X or his buddy Zero, and it kept Mega Man Xtreme's difficulty level in tact while doing away with the cheap deaths and platforming missteps that marred the original. Mega Man Xtreme 2 isn't the best game in the series, but its contribution to the Game Boy Color's action library—and the Mega Man legacy—is undeniable.

Ported to the West in 1990, Final Fantasy Legend was Squaresoft's first Game Boy release and--more importantly--the freshman RPG on Nintendo's newborn handheld. Originally dubbed Makai Toushi SaGa (aka Warrior in the Tower of the Spirit World) in Japan, it featured the efforts of Final Fantasy designer Akitoshi Kawazu and touted many of the series' most familiar (and popular) RPG elements. Final Fantasy Legend was custom made for portable adventuring. Players followed the exploits of four warriors in quick bursts of turn-based skirmishes. Its encounters were frequent, its gameplay was streamlined, and its over-arching design catered to warriors-on-the-go. It also included a robust class system and a monster transformation element that gave players tons to tinker with on the way to work or school.

Far from a slimmed-down Game Boy port, Final Fantasy Legend distilled the best elements of the Saga/Final Fantasy series into a expertly condensed RPG experience.

We have to give credit where credit is due. For all of Wario's sniveling, plotting, and general Mario sabotaging, the guy has a talent for hosting games. Spot Wario in the title and rarely will you be disappointed. Such was the case with Wario Blast, a game that elevated a re-branded Bomberman rip-off into one the best examples of Hudson Soft's explosive top-down action game.

Wario Blast was a joint project between Hudson Soft and Nintendo, and the quality of both teams shined through in its authentic treatment of the Bomberman series. As always, the plot revolved around Wario searching for treasure and winding up in jam. Thankfully, this time around Wario's greed worked out for everyone--gamers most of all.

Parachute. Chef. Helmet. Vermin. Donkey Kong. If any of these Game & Watch Gallery games stir your nostalgic gaming heart, then you need to add Game & Watch Gallery 2 to your watchlist. The Game & Watch Gallery 2 served as a museum of Nintendo's past. It's mini-games were available to play in their original or updated forms, and Nintendo sweetened the deal by including authentic Game & Watch borders and trivia.

Five official installments of the Game & Watch Gallery games were produced; some of which, like Game & Watch Gallery 2, were reborn years later for the Nintendo 3DS virtual console. We have a soft spot for the second iteration not only because it featured our pal Donkey Kong, but because it marked a noticeable evolution for the series and it set the ball rolling for the Game & Watch anthologies to come.

One of HAL's pre-Kirby games, Revenge of the 'Gator was a fantastic pinball game, with interesting characters and strong physics. The music, too, was memorable, as were the stylish (for the time) visuals.

However, fans likely remember it more for the interesting bonus levels than the traditional screen. There were three that could be accessed, each requiring the player to smack a 'gator with a pinball (or knock one off a platform). They were sometimes difficult to get to, but the euphoric rush upon reaching one of the bonus levels made the time spent getting there totally worth it.

The Game Boy (or most portables for that matter) are perfect fits for puzzle games, and GB saw its fair share of them. Dr. Mario is one of the most well-known, and while it isn't as deep as Picross or as addictive as Tetris, it's charming in its own way.

Released at the same time as the NES version, Mario got his M.D. and attacked viruses the only way he knew how: color-matching pills. Even without the vibrant colors of the home version, the GB release still had the habit-forming gameplay and infectious music, a perfect remedy to boredom on long family trips.

Back at a time when vertical and horizontal shooters ruled arcades, many devs battled for the spot as the best of all time, with many siding with Irem's R-Type games. It was an astoundingly great mix of challenge, power-ups, memorization and interesting enemies, and surprisingly one of the best ports the series ever had were on the Game Boy Color.

Taking the first and second games, R-Type DX shrunk down the shooter in size but not scope. The screen-filling enemies, rain of bullets and spectacular soundtrack all carried over splendidly to the handheld. Though there weren't a ton of memorable shooters on the Game Boy, R-Type DX is easily the best the system saw.

Picross is one of Nintendo's older series that's never been as big as it could be, despite being attached to franchises as famous as Mario. The first of Nintendo's entries in the series was Mario's Picross, and those that bothered to give the unique puzzler a chance were not displeased.

Using the logic puzzle type known as nonogram, you're presented with a grid informing the player how many spots in a grid line are filled in. Through the process of elimination you fill in the spots and see an image gradually reveal itself. Though Picross has been done better since, this Mushroom Kingdom-tinged original is still worth the time of anyone that wants to train their brain.

Breakout is an iconic game that barely requires any adjustments or changes when it's ported to handhelds (or smart phones for that matter). GB even launched with Breakout clone Alleyway, but when Nintendo returned to it with new mascot Kirby in tow, they gave the genre a few welcome twists.

The gameplay is still built around the simple fun of bouncing a ball off tiles until all the blocks are gone, but with Kirby's adorableness seeping through most of the design. The spherical guy could expand and contract as needed, his enemies appeared on screen, and many of his famous power-ups were included. It may not be difficult to make a good Breakout clone, but Kirby and friends were able to stand out from the crowd.

Much more than a cheap cash-in of the Pokemon license, this elaborate spin-off managed to provide a solid pinball experience while staying true to the “gotta catch ‘em all” mantra of the main series. Each of the two tables (Red and Blue, naturally) contained various towns and caves you could visit via precise pinball strikes. Each area housed unique Pokemon you could catch with an even more challenging gauntlet of pinball tasks. The skill required made each and every successful capture a momentous occasion.

Things got even more tense when you finally met the legendary Pokemon, including the immensely elusive Mewtwo. Scores would skyrocket in seconds, soaring into the millions after a white-knuckle battle with one of these beasts, accurately echoing the experience found in the genuine Pokemon games. This could have been a pile of garbage and still sold like crazy; instead we got one of the system’s best games.

What's this, a great Game Boy game that isn't a sequel to an already popular franchise? Not quite - Gargoyle's Quest is technically part of the Ghosts 'n' Goblins series, though the similarities essentially end with the main character - Firebrand, an enemy in the first GnG. Now a hero, Firebrand is supposedly the only one who can stop an even meaner demon from ruling the world. Cue some adventuresome 8-bit music, throw some 2D levels down and boom, you've got enough motivation for a Game Boy outing.

But there was more going on here than you'd expect from a Game Boy spinoff. Yeah there were 2D areas with bosses at the end, but Firebrand's ever-increasing abilities gave you more control than was typical at the time. Hovering, wall climbing, super jumping, platform creation... there was a lot to do! Then add overhead areas a la Dragon Quest, complete with (frequent) enemy encounters and NPCs who talk IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS and you've got a remarkably robust handheld game for its time. Quest also started a formula that would be enhanced in its NES and SNES sequels. But since then? Nothing much, outside of Firebrand appearing in the background of Marvel vs Capcom 3. Time for a comeback, we think.

What were the odds another Mega Man game would make this list? Well, considering how many wound up in the Game Boy and Game Boy Color's library, pretty good actually. Even then, this fifth installment comes about its listing honestly as it was the first in the Game Boy series to abandon bosses from the NES games and strike out with eight brand new Stardroid baddies.

Equipped with a new “Mega Arm” and saddled with a robo-assistant named Tango, Mega Man was sent on an entirely original adventure. Thanks to artist Keiji Inafune's Stardroids vision, the series entered fresh territory while keeping a solid foot in its time-honored Mega Man gameplay. All said, Mega Man V was different; and by that point in the robo-warrior's career, different was good.

Somewhere between the NES classic and the misguided 2009 gruffquel, this bizarre one-off entry in Capcom’s swingin’ series landed on GBC with new characters and abilities. As was typical for GBC games, the fundamentals were NES era, while the character animations surprisingly thorough; most importantly the “feel” of swinging from platform to platform was intact, making this a strange but fun side story.

Despite generally high reviews, the Bionic Commando franchise went into hibernation after Elite Forces, emerging eight years later with the superb Bionic Commando Rearmed. We still love the grapple-arm mechanics and handhelds are a great place to push 2D gameplay, so surely this well-received entry will appear on the 3DS Virtual Console. Don’t give up on this yet, Capcom!

Nintendo's plumber extraordaire leads the lion share of portable game's on this list, but none wouldn't have been possible without the success of this Game Boy launch classic. True, the monochrome sidescroller hasn't aged well; and alright, the whole Mario vs. The Aliens of Sarasland was a bit of a curveball, but this game will always hold a spot in gaming hearts because it was the first to introduce Mario to the small screen and (for most) our first introduction to 8-bit portable gaming.

Super Mario Land doesn't gets a pass out of nostalgia alone (although, that is a big reason). Dust off Super Mario Land today and you'll still be treated to a lively platformer dripping with Gunpei Yokoi's off-kilter design. The Super Mario Land evolved with each passing sequel, but thanks to this pioneer they got off on the right foot.

In the 2000s, Game Boy Advance would become known for its exquisite Castlevania games. A decade earlier, the series was certainly present on the OG Game Boy, but not at the same level. The first entry, The Castlevania Adventure, was a stiff, bland side-scroller we quickly grew tired of. Belmont's Revenge on the other hand was immensely better, with faster gameplay, amazing music and level designs that were new to the series yet retained the gothic Castlevania feel.

Yeah yeah, two Pokemon games, we know. But who will argue against the impact Gold and Silver had on the worldwide gamer consciousness? If you were a serious player, you played for the intense boss battles and copious after-game content. If you were a wide eyed kid, sucked in by the cartoon and toys, then you played because “zomg PIKACHU!” Either way you spent tens (or hundreds) of hours collecting 100 brand new Pokemon.

Gold and Silver were more than updated versions of Red and Blue; the new series introduced the concept of Pokemon breeding, opening up all-new ways to disappear into the Poke-world for hours at a time. Customized, honed teams could now be built based on more than just their type. Hold items appeared, adding yet another wrinkle to trainer battles. A day and night cycle was added, which meant some Pokemon would only appear during certain times of the day. The list of additions goes on, and each one, while sounding simplistic, drastically altered the core game and solidified Pokemon as a no-nonsense, “this shit is real” RPG experience.

This is hardly an inspired or surprising choice, but there’s no denying Nintendo’s marquee title, especially when it’s updated with new features, modes and two-player simultaneous action. It’s a shame Nintendo didn’t take things one step further and update the actual graphics, but I suppose the original NES look has a certain allure to it that the SNES All-Stars version lacks.

Nintendo could have simply ported over the original Super Mario Bros and sold a million copies. Instead, it packed in enough new content to justify playing this all over again, and managed to get us excited for a 14-year-old game like it was brand new. The only real downside to SMB Deluxe is the camera; it’s pulled in tight, limiting your view of much of the area. This is unavoidable due to the disparity between the resolution of the GBC screen and the NES though, so it’s there’s only so much Nintendo could do.

Wario Land II was one of the better received Game Boy/Game Boy Color games, as it transformed Wario into an indestructible anti-hero. Instead of dying when crushed, burned or beaten, Wario gained the attributes of his would-be killer; being crushed flattened him, while burning set him ablaze and so on. These new powers could be used to progress through the game’s many worlds. Wario Land 3 used the same successful formula, and benefited from GBC’s slightly better visuals and sound.

Each level housed treasure to collect, but in true adventure game fashion, some couldn’t be reached without a bit of backtracking or clever use of Wario’s newfound immortality. This unique execution of power-ups and exploration, two well-worn aspects of 2D games, helped make Wario Land 3 one of the best games on GBC. Add in some nice animation, fun music and a not-totally-throwaway story and you’ve got a sequel we hope finds new life on the 3DS Virtual Console.

Technically this isn’t a Final Fantasy at all. Before being rebranded internationally, Adventure was the first entry in the Seiken Densetsu or Secret of Mana series, which explains why its style is more Legend of Zelda than Final Fantasy. Still, the top-down adventure was a little more complex than Zelda’s NES original, with a bigger focus on stats and leveling up than Link had. With some pretty high-end GB graphics for the time and a soundtrack from Square’s top composer Nobuo Uematsu, Adventure was ahead of its time.

The plot focused on a young boy out to save the Mana Tree from being destroyed by the Dark Lord, a story closer to the uncomplicated Zelda mythos than the increasingly dense Final Fantasy series. But the large number of items to collect, along with the ability to specialize where stat points went when leveling up, made Adventure a bit deeper than its Nintendo counterpart. Sure, its translation wasn’t the best, but it was a great title that was at home on the Game Boy and is worth another look, whether in its original version, or the Sword of Mana remake for Game Boy Advance.

It's easy to dismiss Metroid II as a failed sequel, or at least a game that's aged so poorly it's beyond recommendation. And we'd agree that by today's standards, with its black and white graphics, labyrinthine corridors and complete lack of a map, this is indeed a hard game to praise. Even in 1991 it was a test of Nintendo fandom to complete. Yet despite all these setbacks and criticisms, the inherent awesomeness of the story (and how it affected the entire series) makes this undoubtedly one of the most important Game Boy games of all time, if not quite one of the best.

After defeating Mother Brain and her army of life-sucking Metroids, bounty hunter Samus Aran took the fight to SR388 - the Metroid homeworld. Return of Samus provided eerie insight into the alien planet, revealing mutated versions of the titular creatures that could now grow legs and leap around the screen, as well as a gigantic queen alien that hatched Metroid after Metroid. Once the queen and her planet of babies is vanquished (no thanks to the fuzzy Game Boy screen), Samus discovers a single surviving Metroid and can't bring herself to kill it. This one act, tucked away in the ending of a fairly crappy Game Boy game, and set up Super Metroid, as well as Fusion and Other M. It was unusually coherent and literal storytelling in a time when Nintendo tended to avoid locking its characters down into one timeline, plus the very topic - genocide - seemed awfully edgy for a game meant for 10 year olds. The fact this hasn't been remade is a real shame, as it's a defining moment for one of Nintendo's biggest franchises. Maybe 3DS's Virtual Console could receive the planned (but canned) color remake?

It's hard to believe any adventure game could match Link’s Awakening, but the oft-overlooked GBC-specific duo of Seasons and Ages came pretty darn close. Released just before the GBA launched, these two oddball Zelda games each picked a theme and ran with it; Seasons was more action-based, and played more or less like a modernized version of the very first Zelda, while Ages offered more devious puzzles. Both, of course, were chock full of the usual Zelda excellence.

But why two games on the same day? Seasons and Ages actually “talk” to each other via a cumbersome password system or link cable, so they combine to form one complete tale. Beat one game, for example, and you receive a password you can input at the beginning of the next that notably alters the experience. Most importantly, the final battle will feature Ganon instead of newcomers Veran and Onox, making this feel more like a legit Zelda instead of another weirdo side story. Fun fact: these were actually developed by Capcom, who would go on to handle Minish Cap on GBA.

The first Super Mario Land is a fine game, but it’s also weird. Really weird. All the sound effects are strange, it has horizontal-scrolling shooter levels, and strange power-ups and enemies. It probably won’t surprise you that it was developed by Gunpei Yokoi’s R&D1 instead of Miyamoto’s EAD team, but when Yokoi’s crew worked on the sequel subtitled 6 Golden Coins, they decided to take some cues from games like Mario 3, and created a game that was more familiar, yet still had a unique feel.

With its cartoony look and detailed sprites reminiscent of Mario World, a plethora of different theme worlds, and original, but understandable power-ups, Land 2 gave Mario fans what they wanted and did so brilliantly. (We’d love to see Rabbit Mario make a comeback.) SML2 brought lovable asshole Wario into all our lives, as the jerky doppelganger steals Mario’s castle (Mario owns a castle?), and the mustachioed one has to beat some tough monsters to collect the six Golden Coins and defeat the chunky ne’er-do-well. It wasn’t the easiest game ever, but Mario Land 2 is still one of the best platformers in portable gaming history.

Developer Camelot was known for RPGs when it joined up with Nintendo to make Mario sports games for N64, but anyone who played Mario Tennis and Mario Golf can attest to the team’s ability to make an athletic game anyone could enjoy. Camelot excelled with the portable GBC versions too, and not just because they made simple, intuitive controls that worked on the system’s limited control scheme - it really succeeded because the dev infused Mario Tennis with its substantial RPG expertise.

Though the story wasn’t particularly deep, it followed a new recruit at a premier tennis school slowly working his way through different leagues and courses, which slowly taught the player all the rules of tennis. As you worked your way through a diverse number of challengers, you leveled up and could distribute ability points to specialize the character; this custom-made hero could then be transferred to the N64 Mario Tennis. Though the Mario crew only appeared as the final challengers in the story and could only be played in exhibition mode, this Mario sports game was truly great because of their absence.

Oh, poor Shantae. This beautifully animated adventure didn’t make it out the door until 2002; at that point, the notably superior Game Boy Advance was already a year old and home to several of its own gorgeous games. Had Shantae arrived just a year sooner, it could have become a well-known classic, possibly igniting a whole new franchise. Instead, it had to compete with a flashier handheld and ultimately failed to make an impact.

Circumstances don’t change how solid the game is, though. Shantae’s filled with typical 2D platformer stuff (running, jumping, grabbing power-ups etc), but it’s all done remarkably well and with a visual flair the GBC rarely saw. There’s a happy ending to this story, too – Shantae: Risky’s Revenge eventually hit DSiWare and proved this character and concept have legs. Perhaps a full-fledged sequel could be next?

Though it was the third in a series of NES remakes, Dragon Warrior III (which was the US name for Dragon Quest until 2005) was hardly a down and dirty port. DWIII is arguably the most popular games in the series, which made Enix go the extra mile when adding stuff like new collectibles, side-quests, minigames and not one but two extensive post-game dungeons. You’d literally have to play at least 150 hours to see everything. However, even if you stripped all that away, you’d still have a game that was the pinnacle of 8-bit RPGs.

Though the story follows the usual “destined hero must destroy ultimate evil,” it takes some really interesting turns, biggest of all being its twist ending. This second sequel, which seems completely unrelated to the previous two Dragon Warrior games, is revealed as a prequel late in the adventure. The story takes a back seat for good reason though, as DWIII introduced the series’ stellar job system, where the hero and their teammates leveled up in their skills (like thief, fighter, mage etc) along the way, with mastery of a new job making random encounters all the more worthwhile. DWIII was a great introduction to what made the series so popular and is perhaps the best straightforward RPG on the handheld.

No, we aren’t talking about the PSOne title that redefined action games; this is the similarly named GBC release Konami created specifically for Nintendo’s portable. Taking place in an alternate timeline, this is a direct sequel to the first Metal Gear for the NES and takes a similar approach with top-down, 2D gameplay. Still, it picked up a few tricks from the PSOne title, including almost all of the weapons and some new stealth enhancements like moving the camera to look around the corners.

The story takes a familiar path of betrayals and twists as Snake is called out of retirement to invade what was formerly Outer Heaven and stop a separatist group that has stolen the newest Metal Gear codenamed GANDER. You fight new assassins with their own ridiculous names and cool gameplay hooks, and once the engrossing tale is complete, there’s a huge amount of bonus content, including numerous VR missions to attack. MGS was proof that just because you were making a portable spin-off doesn’t mean you have to half-ass it.

Kirby, the little fluff ball that could, made his debut on Game Boy in 1992 with Kirby’s Dream Land. It was a fun and decidedly cute platformer, but it wasn’t until the sequel came along in 1995 that Kirby reached his true potential. Dream Land 2 not only was a much bigger adventure, with more worlds to explore and enemies to fight, but it also added the ability to copy enemies that was introduced in Kirby’s Adventure on NES. And it’s impossible to deny the usefulness and the adorable-osity of Kirby’s three new animal friends.

When you mixed the abilities of Rick the Hamster, Coo the Owl, and Kine the Ocean Sunfish with Kirby’s other powers, you had a surprising amount of variety. As Kirby fought his way through seven worlds, eventually battling his old nemesis King Dedede to restore peace back to Dream Land, players were treated to some of the best 2D levels the Game Boy ever saw. It cemented Kirby’s place among Nintendo’s top franchises, and despite some great console games, proved Kirby fits best in the palm of your hand.

The original arcade Donkey Kong is undeniably a classic, but by 1994 players were going to need more than a spiffy remake for the influential title to be worth picking up on Game Boy. Fortunately Shigeru Miyamoto and his development team had something else planned. Once players beat the original four stages, the real adventure began. A seemingly unending number of ingenious puzzle-platforming stages followed, as you chased DK through cities, forests and caves.

Starting with Mario’s original DK control scheme, the devs added nearly every trick the plumber had learned since. He picked up items and enemies, he did back flips, Mario even climbed ropes and vines just like Donkey Kong Jr. To match those powers, the levels had so many different tricks and ideas that the game stayed amazingly fresh and challenging for the 100 levels it lasted. Perfect in bite-sized installments, Donkey Kong was a monster success in game design and fit the Game Boy like one of Mario’s white gloves.

By 1993, Game Boy had seen so many different games, but one of Nintendo’s top franchises had yet to make an appearance. After the SNES game Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, the Zelda development team decided it was about time they made an adventure specifically crafted for the popular handheld. But since it was designed to be a side-adventure for Link, the team took some liberties with the formula, and ended up with a Zelda whose gameplay was the same, but with a strange, engrossing plot unlike anything LoZ fans had seen before.

After Link shipwrecks on a strange island, he awakens in the land of Koholint where everything feels slightly… off compared to Hyrule, and it’s filled with people that remind Link of characters he’s met before. Throughout the game Link must find and explore eight dungeons to collect the sacred instruments to wake the fabled Wind Fish so he can go home. But what happens to Koholint when it wakes up? Link’s Awakening kept the series’ winning gameplay and mixed it with a Twin Peaks vibe to create one of the most unforgettable games ever, proving that Zelda could be just as astonishing even at a smaller scale.

There’s a story in Nintendo’s history that goes like this: When deciding what game to pack in with the Game Boy (remember when you’d get a free game with a brand new system?), a Nintendo executive said, “If you want to sell this to boys, pack in Mario. If you want to sell it to everyone, pack in Tetris.” That’s because the moment Nintendo saw the USSR’s enigmatic puzzler, the GB designers knew it was the perfect game to sell the system and worked tirelessly to get it.

What can be said about Pokemon that hasn’t been already. It long ago expanded well beyond the realm of games and has become a way of life for many, with products spanning seemingly every type of merchandise and spin-off imaginable. But when Game Freak first decided to create a monster-capturing game that was inspired by a childhood bug collecting hobby of one of the devs, they just wanted to make a good RPG, and they succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.

Pokemon’s “Catch ‘em all” mentality kept players mesmerized as they tried to accumulate all 151 of the adorable creatures. At the time Game Boys had gone from slightly low tech to positively ancient compared to what was on home consoles, but Pokemon’s strengths as an RPG made it ideal for the handheld. Players could take the hunt wherever they needed to and the ability to trade with friends further deepened the surprisingly complex title. Pokemon almost singlehandedly doubled the Game Boy’s lifespan, keeping the system relevant and in the hands of gamers long after all its challengers were collecting dust.

Obviously not every game could make the list - there are only so many games that can be labeled the absolute best. We're sure that some of you have games you think should have been added, cut, or rearranged, so let us know in the comments below what you would change about our list of the Best Game Boy games of all time.