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The 30 Greatest Game Boy Games [Polygon/Jeremy Parish]

Dr.Social

Dr.Social

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Oct 25, 2017
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To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Game Boy Jeremy Parish ranked the best game boy games for Polygon. Write ups for each game in the article. Some interesting obscure picks, but not sure how I feel about including full series as a single entry.

30. X
29. Trip World
28. Game Boy Wars/Turbo
27. The Sword Of Hope (Series)
26. Chalvo 55
25. Avenging Spirit
24. Harvest Moon GB
23. Cave Noire
22. Kid Dracula
21. Space Invaders
20. Metroid II: Return Of Samus
19. Mole Mania
18. Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge
17. Gargoyle's Quest
16. Heiankyo Alien
15. Final Fantasy Adventure
14. Mega Man 5
13. Bionic Commando
12. Balloon Kid
11. Game Boy Gallery (Series)
10. Super Mario Land (Series)
9. Mario's Picross (Series)
8. Kirby's Dream Land (Series)
7. The Final Fantasy Legend (Series)
6. Tetris
5. The Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening
4. Wario Land (Series)
3. Pokémon (Series)
2. Game Boy Camera
1. Donkey Kong


https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/4/19/18412987/game-boy-best-games-nintendo-pokemon-tetris

Anyone interested should check out the Game Boy episode of Retronauts Jeremy hosted and his Game Boy works series too.
 
IsaOfTheWorlds

IsaOfTheWorlds

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Mar 19, 2019
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How is Cave Noire so high? Avenging Spirit is easily better.

Mario Picross being on here is proof of Nintendo First-Party brown-nosing.
 
ViewtifulJC

ViewtifulJC

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Oct 25, 2017
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"1. Donkey Kong"

tenor.gif
 
Derachi

Derachi

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Oct 27, 2017
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A great list. I disagree with some things but DK94 is an all time great, and deserves the number 1 spot.

DrArchon said:
Having an entire series take a single spot seems like a cop-out to me.
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Would you really rather have this list be 75% made up of Pokémon games, Game and Watch gallery games, and M/Wario Land games?
 
Citizen Rizer

Citizen Rizer

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Oct 27, 2017
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The Game Boy Camera pick seems to be the bait to drive conversation; there's no way it should be that high. Donkey Kong is the undeniable #1. Outside of Mole Mania being a bit too low I can't really complain about the list.
 
DrArchon

DrArchon

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Derachi said:
Would you really rather have this list be 75% made up of Pokémon games, Game and Watch gallery games, and M/Wario Land games?
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Maybe limit it to one per series, but I guess that's not fair either.

Still, being able to put the entire GB Wario Land and Pokemon games into one spot each isn't exactly fair to Tetris and Metroid II.
 
Derachi

Derachi

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Oct 27, 2017
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DrArchon said:
Still, being able to put the entire GB Wario Land and Pokemon games into one spot each isn't exactly fair to Tetris and Metroid II.
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I see where you're coming from, but I think bunching series up like this gives the author of the list more freedom to focus on what makes each game unique. If he had to write about each Game and Watch Gallery, and why one might be better than the other, I don't think that would make for a compelling article. This way, he can just say "you should play them and here's why," instead of "here's why you should play each one."
 
HosannaExcelsis

HosannaExcelsis

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Oct 25, 2017
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Citizen Rizer said:
The Game Boy Camera pick seems to be the bait to drive conversation; there's no way it should be that high. Donkey Kong is the undeniable #1. Outside of Mole Mania being a bit too low I can't really complain about the list.
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Although the list doesn't explicitly say so, historical importance seems to be as important to its composition as the question of what someone should play today is. From a historical standpoint, the Game Boy Camera is certainly one of its more important features. (Although including it on a list of greatest games is still a bit of a stretch, as the writeup acknowledges.
 
hibikase

hibikase

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I'm glad he acknowledged GB Mega Man 5, a cool original Mega Man game that most people never noticed because of its title.

Surprised that For the Frog the Bell Tolls is not in there.
 
Tebunker

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Jeremy is great with his lists, but this may be the one list he is unequivocally qualified to make. His dedication to the platform is stunning, and I don't have many qualms here
 

sheaaaa

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Oct 28, 2017
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His justifications are interesting but historical value and "best games to play on Game Boy" seem to weigh very highly for him. I'd be more interested in a list of games for Game Boy that still are definitive versions of those games, if that makes any sense. That Balloon Fight sequel and Wario Land games are still best on GB, while I'm pretty sure there are better ways to play Space Invaders in 2019.
 
low-G

low-G

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Oct 25, 2017
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I've been noticing top game lists from sites have very suddenly not become complete embarrassments very recently. This is the 4th or 5th such recent example where I find nothing objectionable about.

So what does that mean? They were baiting us with their ignorant lists in the past for hits, or the tides have turned and quality lists now get more hits? Or did the games journalists all come to their senses or recovered from collective amnesia of their gaming pasts?

Heck I never even heard of Chalvo 55, and upon cursory internet search it looks to be no Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle 1, but it is obscure enough that I got something out of this list.

Also I never played the GB version of Heiankyo Alien and I vividly recall reading magazine previews for it and seeing it on display shelves and just feeling that alienness.
 
Tiktaalik

Tiktaalik

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Oct 25, 2017
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Where's the sokoban games? lmao

Heiankyo Alien is good, but honestly if you take away the historical importance, most game boy players would probably have rather been playing such average titles as Tennis and Alleyway...
 
Dr. Feel Good

Dr. Feel Good

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Oct 25, 2017
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For as large of library as the Game Boy is, it's quite amazing how little stand out titles exist especially beyond Nintendo offerings. Third parties really were just throwing shit at the wall.

With that said it's simply astounding that Nintendo managed to create games within their franchises that rival console counterparts to this day. Pokémon Gold/Silver, Links Awakening, Mario Land 2, Wario Land 1, Metroid 2, Donkey Kong 94 are all some of the greatest games ever made.
 
Sgt. Demblant

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I would have put Link's Awakening at #2 and Tetris at #3 but I can't disagree with the top spot. One of Nintendo's greatest classics.
Dr.Social said:
7. The Final Fantasy Legend (Series)
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That's how you know this is a Jeremy Parish list, haha.
And I don't mean that in a bad way, even though I just can't get into these games myself :'(
 
Nintenleo

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Game Boy Camera deserves the top 5, but over Pokémon? It makes no sense even in regards of historical importance.

About the first spot, they're absolutely right. No contest. DK94 made my childhood so much better and gave me a little peace in a very hard time. <3
 

Nuclear Muffin

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Oct 29, 2017
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Including a whole series as one game is such a massive cheat that I can't accept this list.

Though I have no complaints with the ordering really (outside of Metroid 2 being far too low). The No 1 slot is also a deserved one (though I would probably have put it second, just behind Link's Awakening).

I'd also suggest putting in Kirby's Block Ball and Kirby's Pinball Land instead of Sword of Hope and Game Boy Wars.
 
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RetroCCN

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Oct 26, 2017
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Dr. Feel Good said:
For as large of library as the Game Boy is, it's quite amazing how little stand out titles exist especially beyond Nintendo offerings. Third parties really were just throwing shit at the wall.
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The Batman games from Sunsoft and Konami are all surprisingly decent (Batman, Batman: Revenge of the Joker, Batman: The Animated Series). Also, just about anything from Capcom is predictably good.
 
apocat

apocat

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Oct 27, 2017
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I haven't actually...played...the gameboy camera, so I won't complain about it taking the second spot. It's always seemed to be a cool piece of tech, and I don't mind it getting some recognition.

Personally, I don't think I could choose the number one spot between DK 94, Links Awakening or Tetris. They are all absolute masterpieces. Pokemon certainly eclipses the two former titles on my list in regards to influencing the industry, but it's also held up a lot worse than they have in terms of actual gameplay. I haven't actually played any Wario games beyond Wario Land on the VB. Maybe I should rectify that some day.
 
Valcrist

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hibikase said:
I'm glad he acknowledged GB Mega Man 5, a cool original Mega Man game that most people never noticed because of its title.

Surprised that For the Frog the Bell Tolls is not in there.
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Yeah, I loved playing Mega Man 5 on my super Gameboy when I was a kiddo. Then someone stole it. RIP
 
Redcrayon

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Good to see lots of my favourites on there.

Megaman V, Bionic Commando and Gargoyles Quest are games I still return to, alongside the more obvious picks like Link's Awakening, DK94 and Tetris.
 
mopinks

mopinks

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Oct 27, 2017
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great picks but Mole Mania should be in the top ten imho

Donkey Kong earned that crown
 

Deleted member 2793

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Game Boy Camera has games, so it counts, people!

Good list, but the system's best game is missing here, For The Frog The Bell Tolls! That game's narrative and self awareness was years ahead of anything at the time. Always worth saying too that Mega Man V > Mega Man 4/5/6.

mopinks said:
great picks but Mole Mania should be in the top ten imho
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Oh yeah, it's a bit too low for how good it is. But I guess I can understand the position considering how frustrating it gets at some points.
 
Schlomo

Schlomo

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The only title from my personal favorites that's missing here is Tiny Toon Adventures.
 
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