For our next foray into the retro games available on the Switch, we’re going back to 1989. Er, and then to 1998. We’re returning to the old monochrome monster and its colorful successor: the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. While there’s an extensive selection of games from these handhelds available in the Nintendo Switch Online app, we’re instead looking at the games that dare to exist in the wilds of the Switch eShop. We’ve got ten of our favorites here, and five more games we’d love to see. In no particular order, of course. Time to play it out loud!
Shantae ($9.99)
It was once a real scarcity, and if you wanted to get your hands on it legally, you would have had to pay hundreds of dollars for it. Shantae is now fairly readily available in digital form. This game is considerably rougher than its successors, but challenges the Game Boy Color hardware in many interesting ways, offering a platform game with a little more than the average Game Boy hop-and-bop. Wow, I haven’t seen the term “hop-and-bop” in about 25 years. There you go. Shantae: it’s quite fun.
Trip World DX ($19.99)
Here’s another game that, until recently, would have cost a pretty penny to play officially. Travel World is an interesting platform game from Sunsoft that offers a short but beautiful experience. This version of the game is fully colored and also includes a number of extras to delve into. It’s an excellent way to play this quirky, charming story.
Final Fantasy Legend II – SaGa Final Fantasy Legend Collection ($19.99)
It’s time to dive into the compilations. We’ll start with one that contains only Game Boy games: Collection by SaGa. You will receive all three games in Final Fantasy XV series here, and they are all really good handheld RPGs. I choose Final Fantasy XV to highlight it here simply because I think it is the best of the three. It has many of the strange mechanics that saga Games as interesting, but feels more rounded and accessible than the first game. Probably the best turn-based RPG on the system so far-Pokemon.
Final Fantasy Adventure – Mana Collection ($39.99)
Hand in hand with the Final Fantasy XV Games, Final Fantasy Adventure is the game that marks the beginning of the long-standing Mana Series. You can find it in the Collection of Mana with the two Super NES successors. Again, all games are worth playing. This action RPG offered an excellent alternative to the excellent Left Awakening on the system, with a brisk pace and surprisingly sophisticated storytelling. It has been re-released a few times, but nothing compares to the original.
TMNT III: Radical Rescue – TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection ($39.99)
Konami has developed some great Game Boy games and made some of them available in its various collections. The Cowabunga Collection has all three of his original Game Boy The page contains the lyrics and the German translation of the song “TMNT” by The Movie. games, and I think they all have their merits. The open, pseudo-Metroidvania TMNT III: Radical Rescue is the best of the bunch though. Lots of action as you would expect but the extra layers that come with exploring the world, rescuing your brothers and finding all the upgrades make this a thrilling game.
Operation C – Contra Anniversary Collection ($19.99)
After the rather lukewarm attempt, Castlevania to Game Boy Castlevania: The Adventureone might think that there is little hope for the exciting run-and-gun action of Contra would survive the transition. Surprisingly, Operation C turned out to be really brilliant. Sure, you can’t play with another player. Strictly speaking, it’s a solo affair. But it’s fast, fun and challenging, just as you’d want it to be. Contra game. Maybe there was still hope for Konami action platformers on the handheld!
Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge – Castlevania Anniversary Collection ($19.99)
How’s that foreshadowing? Yes, after mostly messing up the first Game Boy Castlevania Game, Konami has made a big change with Belmont’s Revenge. This is an excellent Castlevania Game that easily holds its own against the home console entries, even if it can’t quite outdo them. Since it was sandwiched between some lesser games, it’s possible that many players skipped this one because they thought it was the same thing. If you haven’t played it yet, here’s a handy way to do it.
Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great World Adventure – Ninja JaJaMaru: Retro Collection ($14.99)
Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great World Adventure is far from the best game in this series, but I think it is an important representation of some of the more unusual titles that have filled the library around major publisher releases. A fair amount of work has gone into this remake as well. It has a new localization and has been colorized, which adds a nice polish to a game that may not have been high on everyone’s list for such an effort. While The great world adventure is the only Game Boy game in the collection, but overall the collection is interesting to look at.
Xtreme Sports ($9.99)
WayForward’s most famous completely original product for the Game Boy Color is obviously ShantaeBut Xtreme Sports is not to be despised either. Essentially a collection of sports mini-games linked to an open world, Xtreme Sports is much better than it has any right to be. The graphics are good, the gameplay is great for getting started quickly, and anyone who wants to play through everything will have a tough challenge ahead of them.
Saving Princess Blobette – A Boy and His Blob Retro Collection ($9.99)
Another game that is here primarily because of its unique feel. The rescue of Princess Blobette brings the home computer-style puzzle-adventure gameplay of the NES original to the small screen quite well. In some ways, it’s a more polished game than its predecessor, delivered in a more compact and fast-paced form. If you like games that are a little hard to understand due to occasional opacity, you’ll love this game.
And… 5 Game Boy and Game Boy Color games we’d love to see on the Switch
Batman: The Video Game
Yes, it’s kind of odd that Batman uses a gun all the time in this early Game Boy action game. But it’s also odd that Keaton’s Batman gleefully murders bad guys, so let’s just call it a sign of the times. The important thing is that this is another really great Sunsoft. Batman Game, and although I have the chances of one of these movie-based Batman The chances of games ever appearing again are zero, and I will never stop asking about it.
Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal
I generally avoid games that I think might eventually come to Nintendo Switch Online, which means most first-party Nintendo products are already out. I really hope I’m wrong, but something tells me that the Pokemon Spin-offs will likely still appear on the subscription service, but the main games won’t, so I’m officially requesting the ability to buy and play these great Game Boy RPGs on my Switch.
Gradius: The Interstellar Assault
I was torn between recording this or the excellent R-Type DXbut ultimately we have R-Type Dimensions on Switch to satisfy that itch while Gradius: The Interstellar Assault exists only in Game Boy form. For a platform whose display should have made it terrible for shooter games, the Game Boy had a good handful of excellent games. This was Konami’s second attempt with Gradius on the platform, and while the first was good, this one really kicked things up a notch. Honestly, I just want a Gradius Collection in the style of Konami Contra, CastlevaniaAnd The page contains the lyrics and the German translation of the song “TMNT” by The Movie. If that happens, this game should be there.
Metal Gear Solid
I’m starting to notice there’s a lot of Konami in this article. Regardless, this is arguably the best third-party Game Boy Color exclusive. Pretty much everything that was great about the PlayStation Metal Gear Solid was somehow squeezed into this completely original adventure. This game blew me away back then thanks to this fidelity and still impresses me today. Yes, a large part of the template was laid down in MSX2 Metal gear 2, but it’s cool to see something like this on a Game Boy Color. Maybe it will appear in the next Metal gear Collection?
Dragon Warrior Monster
Pokemon has spawned many imitators, but to be fair Dragon Quest There were monster catching elements in the main games before Pokemon arrived. So, you know. We forgive you, King. Dragon Warrior Monster is one of the better Game Boy games, inspired by Pokemonsuccess, and I think it would be great to see it on the Switch. And you know what? It Is available on Switch, but only in Japan. Come on, Square Enix. Just put the Western ROM in the case and help some Dragon Quest Fans out!
And that’s the list, friends. Are there any Game Boy or Game Boy Color games you like on the Switch? Any that you’d like to see? Let us know what you think in the comments! It’s always interesting to hear other people’s opinions on things like this. As always, thanks for reading!
