Best Game Boy Games of All Time

The definitive version of Alexey Pajitnov's legendary puzzle game, bundled with the Game Boy at launch and responsible for selling millions of handheld consoles worldwide. Simple to learn and impossible to master, Tetris remains one of the greatest games ever made.

The game that started one of the most successful media franchises in history, Pokémon Red challenges players to catch 151 creatures and become the greatest Pokémon Trainer in the land. Deceptively deep, relentlessly charming, and groundbreaking in its social design.

A deeply personal and surprisingly melancholic Zelda adventure that sees Link stranded on the mysterious Koholint Island. Link's Awakening transcends its Game Boy limitations with clever design, a memorable cast, and one of the most emotionally resonant endings in Nintendo history.

The first Fire Emblem game released outside Japan, this GBA entry perfectly introduced Western audiences to Intelligent Systems' demanding tactical RPG with its famous permadeath mechanic, rich cast of characters, and deeply satisfying turn-based combat. A landmark SRPG that launched a global franchise.

The finest handheld Castlevania and a landmark Metroidvania that introduced the Soul system — absorbing enemy abilities — creating one of the deepest ability collections in the genre. Set in the future year 2035, Aria of Sorrow reinvented the series with a bold narrative twist and exceptional mechanical depth.

Samus Aran's most personal and story-driven adventure brought Metroid to the Game Boy Advance with a haunting atmosphere, terrifying SA-X antagonist, and a narrative that finally gave the series' silent protagonist a genuine voice. Metroid Fusion is as close to survival horror as the franchise ever ventured.

Intelligent Systems' turn-based strategy masterpiece brought their Wars franchise to the West for the first time with a perfectly calibrated tactical experience. Advance Wars' accessible mechanics mask deep strategic complexity, and its map design creates endlessly replayable competitive battles.

Camelot's technical marvel proved the Game Boy Advance could host a fully-featured JRPG. Golden Sun's Psynergy system — elemental magic used both in battle and for overworld puzzle-solving — was innovative, the presentation was stunning for handheld hardware, and the world of Weyard was richly imagined.

The debut of one of Nintendo's most beloved characters, Kirby's Dream Land introduced the pink puffball's signature inhale mechanic and charming aesthetic in a breezy platformer designed to be accessible to all ages. Short but delightful, it launched an enduring franchise.

The Blue Bomber's first portable outing takes bosses from Mega Man 1 and 2 and combines them into a challenging handheld adventure. A faithful if punishing translation of the NES series that holds its own as a standalone Mega Man experience.

The direct sequel and second half of the Golden Sun story — The Lost Age follows Felix's party across a newly traversable world with expanded Psynergy, more summons, and a narrative conclusion that unifies both game's casts.

The definitive remake of Metroid 1 — Zero Mission retells Samus's original mission with modern Metroidvania level design, then extends the story beyond the original ending in a surprising Space Pirate stealth sequence.

The GBA launch Castlevania that brought the Symphony of the Night formula to handheld — Circle of the Moon introduced the DSS card combo system and proved the Metroidvania formula translated perfectly to portable play.

The second GBA Castlevania — Harmony of Dissonance follows Juste Belmont through two parallel castle sub-dimensions simultaneously, with a furniture decoration system, boss rush mode, and spell book combinations adding depth.

Square's isometric tactical RPG on GBA — 34 job classes, five races with unique skill sets, and an ivalice law system that restricts actions in battles, creating deep strategic builds across 300+ missions.

The darkest Mega Man game — Zero wakes from cryo-sleep to find a dystopian future where humans and Reploids are at war, with brutal difficulty, a ranking system, and a narrative that treats its characters with unusual gravitas.

One half of Capcom's Zelda pair for Game Boy Color — Oracle of Ages focuses on puzzle-solving and time travel, sending Link between past and present Labrynna to restore peace and defeat Veran.

One half of Capcom's Zelda pair for Game Boy Color — Oracle of Seasons focuses on action and the Rod of Seasons, letting Link alter the four seasons to transform Holodrum's landscape and access new areas.

Wario's starring debut — a greedier, braver Mario that collects treasure instead of rescuing princesses. Wario Land established one of Nintendo's most creative and underappreciated franchises.

The definitive second-generation Pokémon experience — Crystal added animated Pokémon sprites, a playable female protagonist for the first time, the Battle Tower, and a Suicune-focused narrative to the Gold and Silver base.

The Dragon Quest monster-collection RPG that beat Pokémon at its own game for many fans — 215 monsters to collect, breed, and battle across randomly generated dungeons with a deep genetic inheritance system.

Samus travels to SR388 to exterminate the Metroid species — a game-changing narrative that introduced the Baby Metroid and directly set up Super Metroid's story.