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The 50 Best Gameboy Color Games of All Time

Published

1 year ago

June 21, 2023

What are the best Gameboy Color games of all time?

Part of the fifth generation of consoles, the Game Boy Color was released in 1998 and featured a color screen instead of the monochrome of the original handheld.

While it was discontinued shortly after the Game Boy Advance SP in 2003, the Game Boy Color had loads of amazing games that fans couldn’t get enough of.

The Best Gameboy Color Games of All Time

Although there are 915 officially licensed Game Boy Color games, we’re counting down the most memorable fan favorites to be released on the retro handheld.

If you enjoy this list, don’t forget to check out our other Nintendo game lists:

Here’s our list of the 50 best Gameboy Color games of all time:

50. Asterix & Obelix

Giving gamers the ability to play as either Asterix or Obelix as they venture through the lands of Britania, Helvetia, Grecia, and Hispania, beating up Romans.

This side-scroller was filled with numerous stages made to represent the different countries, and you could even play with a friend using the same keyboard.

The brawls never stopped in Asterix & Obelix, and these heavy-hitting Gauls were a fan favorite from the moment they appeared.

49. Toy Story 2

While there was a game called Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue that you may have played on your home console, the Game Boy Color version was completely different.

This sidescroller gave players control of Buzz, who can run, jump, and shoot his way through 11 levels. Players could also unlock two bonus levels if they collected all special coins hidden throughout the game.

Although it wasn’t a huge game, it was definitely fun to play through, and it was hilarious to take on the main antagonist Stinky Pete.

48. Wacky Races

Wacky Races featured loads of vehicles with their own unique abilities that gave players many driving styles to choose from.

It also took a page from Mario Kart’s playbook and gave each car items like exploding pumpkins and bubblegum to trip up other drivers.

There were four game modes, including multiplayer, that gave players a lot of great content to experience.

47. Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets followed the same premise as the book and movie of the same name, but fans of the series loved being able to play as their favorite characters.

The gameplay wasn’t too far removed from the Philosophers Stone, but it did add things like Wizarding Cards and a new spell that revealed enemies’ weaknesses.

Overall, it wasn’t the best game, but it was a great way to experience the wizarding world on handheld consoles for Harry Potter fans.

46. Resident Evil Gaiden

A far cry from the Resident Evil 3 remake, Resident Evil Gaiden featured top-down gameplay that changed to a first-person view when your character is attacked.

However, the storyline followed what you would expect from a Resident Evil game, with three playable characters to choose from who must try to escape a cruise liner infested with the undead.

45. Blaster Master: Enemy Below

The original game was released for the NES, and this sequel gave players the ability to control the Sophia 3 land vehicle to try and stop the world from being decimated.

For those who played the first game, Enemy Below felt very similar, but not in a way that felt overdone.

It was similar enough to be familiar but different enough to keep players from getting bored.

44. Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins

You could never have enough fantasy Game Boy Color games and Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins was one of the best.

Playing as the legendary King Arthur, it was up to players to rescue Guinevere from evil monsters that included everything from trolls to gorgons.

For fans of fighting giant monsters, this game was a must-play.

43. Pokémon Puzzle Challenge

Pokémon fans and Tetris fans united to enjoy this game which was expectedly addicting.

The premise was to match colored blocks and prevent them from building up to reach the top of the screen, just like in Tetris.

However, it also gave players the ability to battle Johto leaders and collect Pokémon when they won.

Although you could probably slap Pokémon on anything and make it a hit, this game was genuinely entertaining.

42. Mega Man Xtreme

If you have ever played Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, you’re probably familiar with Mega Man.

As a Capcom legend, this character earned his own Game Boy Color game, and it easily fit into the character’s timeline, starting all the way back on the SNES.

In this game, players could use Mega Man to scale walls and blast through enemies to reach the end of each level.

The bosses were all amalgamations of characters from previous titles, making them both terrifying and nostalgic.

41. Metal Gear Solid

For fans of the original game, which featured one of the toughest video game bosses of all time, Psycho Mantis, it was worth keeping in mind that the Game Boy Color version was a bit different.

Instead of being a direct port of the PlayStation game, this game is set in an alternate timeline, seven years after the original game’s events.

Using a top-down perspective, players had to infiltrate enemy strongholds while avoiding detection to hunt down and find a stolen Metal Gear prototype, something easier said than done.

40. Dragon Ball Z: Legendary Super Warriors

The Dragon Ball Z game spanned numerous sagas throughout the timeline and gave players a lot of bang for their bucks.

Even if you played through it once, there was always more to unlock the more times you play.

It was a great incentive to keep coming back, and the easy-to-learn, turn-based gameplay made it a great game to pass the time with.

39. Toy Story Racer

While there were a lot of racing-based Game Boy Color games, only this one allowed you to play as your favorite characters from Toy Story.

There were 10 different tracks to race through, including one set in Pizza Planet, all with pre-rendered full video motion.

38. Legend of the River King

There is no denying that real-life simulation games are popular, so much so that fans are even willing to pay to watch gamers play titles like Farming Simulator.

This underrated fishing game was similar to these simulation games, and it is surprisingly rewarding to play.

While a fishing RPG may sound boring, Legend of the River King was anything but. It tasked players with fishing to try and find the one particular fish that would cure their sick sister.

It was relatively straightforward, but it had a lot of heart, and it was easy to spend hours fishing to try and reach your character’s goal.

37. Grand Theft Auto 2

Although many Game Boy Color games were family friends, GTA 2 brought all of the depravity and carnage the series is known for to the handheld console, giving adults a more mature game to pass the time with.

Like the first game, players could pick up missions from phone booths, and spend loads of time hijacking cars and shooting people to unlock new areas to explore.

36. Bomberman Quest

This game gave players control of Bomberman as he ventures through different stages, defeating monsters and collecting valuable items.

The overarching goal was to grow powerful enough to defeat the four unique bosses in each area, which could be pretty difficult.

35. Tomb Raider: Curse Of The Sword

Lara Croft is one of the most popular video game characters of all time, and she came to the Game Boy Color in this exciting game.

After witnessing the theft of a powerful sword from an antiquities museum, Lara is cut with her blood being gathered by the minions of an evil magician who seeks to use it for a dark ritual.

Players have to hunt down this mysterious cult to try and save the world and Lara’s soul.

34. Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone

Of course, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone ends up ranking higher than its sequel, and this is because of all the excitement it drummed up when it was first released.

Following the plot of the movie and book, this was one of the first chances gamers got to play as their favorite bespectacled wizard.

Fans could play through several of their favorite scenes, interact with their favorite characters, and sling spells at bats, rats, spiders, and dark forces.

33. Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!

Hamtaro was a ridiculously cute Game Boy Color game and the goal was to track down the other Ham-Hams from his clubhouse.

There were tons of things to interact with and even unique lingo that players had to learn throughout the game as they filled in the Hamchat dictionary.

32. Lufia: The Legend Returns

The RPG has all of the elements that fans of games like Final Fantasy and Skies of Arcadia have come to love, and you could build a team of up to nine people to help you progress through the campaign.

Every second of this game was jam-packed with battles, secrets, and fantastic adventures, all situated within the large map that you could explore every aspect of.

31. Game & Watch Gallery 2

The Game & Watch Gallery series were full of compilations from Nintendo’s best games, and this edition for the Game Boy Color was filled with games like Parachute, Donkey Kong, and Chef.

There were two ways to play, a classic mode that faithfully reproduced the games and a modern mode that used a different style and characters from the Mario series.

30. Toki Tori

Toki Tori was a puzzle game with platformer elements that followed the story of a young yellow chick on a mission to rescue his younger samplings who haven’t hatched yet.

Players have to progress through four worlds and pick up each egg using a specific set of tools found in that particular level.

It was simple but adorable and a must-play for gamers of all ages on the Game Boy Color.

29. Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors’ Dreams

Street Fighter is one of the best fighting games of all time, and Warriors’ Dreams brought turned this arcade classic into one of the best Game Boy Color games.

The super combo system was revamped in the Game Boy Color version, and a three-level combo gauge was added.

Players could learn all-new moves, and the single-player mode made gamers face off against seven different opponents with the final boss depending on the storyline of the player’s character.

28. Rayman

Rayman is a legend in video game history, and it’s hard to mistake this armless and legless hero for anyone else.

In this Game Boy Color adventure, everything from the original game was ported faithfully to this handheld console, and critics and fans went crazy for it.

It was the perfect side-scrolling adventure with over 70 levels to explore, and it was easy to lose hours trying to get to the end.

27. Crystalis

In this game, a horrible war nearly wipes out all of humanity, and the survivors created a colossal tower to watch over the ruins of the earth.

When the player character is woken from cryo-sleep, they are tasked with taking on monsters and the remnants of the tyrannical empire poised to make the same mistakes that caused the first great war.

26. Survival Kids

Survival Kids, also known as Stranded Kids in Europe, was one of the best adventures Game Boy Color games created by Konami, and it was filled with unforgettable characters and compelling storylines from beginning to end.

You could progress at your own pace and explore many open-ended solutions to problems, making this game very flexible.

Its top-down perspective was well rendered and made exploring the world for collectibles feel natural and rewarding.

25. Game & Watch Gallery 3

Game & Watch Gallery 3 came loaded with classics such as Mario Bros., Donkey Kong Jr., Flagman, and Donkey Kong II.

Like its predecessor, players could experience these games in either classic or modern modes, and it was nice to have them all easily accessible in one compilation.

You could also use the museum mode to view screenshots from some of the most popular video games of all time, such as the original Super Mario Bros., even though they couldn’t be played in-game.

24. Pocket Bomberman

Pocket Bomberman was one of those easy-to-pick-up Game Boy Color games that seems simple but can get complicated quickly.

All players had to do was throw out bombs and blow up enemies, but it was easy also to blow yourself up, which would leave you having to repeat the level again… and again.

23. Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories

Yu-Gi-Oh! was a phenomenon when it first premiered, and even those who didn’t collect and play the card game found something to love about Dark Duel Stories.

The gameplay was similar to the Pokémon trading card game, which earned a spot further down, and it required players to battle opponents to progress.

22. R-Type DX

R-Type DX featured both R-Type and R-Type II, both enhanced versions featuring full color.

While the color was the only real difference, fans of these first two games loved being able to replay them while appreciating the fantastic colors that have been added.

21. Mr. Driller

With a similar premise to the classic game Dig Dug, Mr. Driller required players to dig their way to the bottom of the screen by destroying colored blocks across the playfield.

Blocks could be destroyed if four of the same color were touching, and you’d also have to keep an eye on your character’s oxygen meter, filling it up by collecting air capsules.

It feels like something you could play on one of the best Sega Saturn emulators, but it looked modern and could be played anywhere on your Game Boy.

20. Bionic Commando: Elite Forces

In an alternate reality where Hitler is resurrected, it falls to the player character, a super commando, to take him out for good.

While the Game Boy Color edition followed the same general plot of the original game, it had different characters and brand new settings that made it stand out on its own.

19. Warlocked

In this impressive Game Boy Color fantasy title, players could choose to play as a member of the evil Zog forces or a human under the command of Queen Azarel.

This game was filled with wizards and magic and had lots of real-time battles, plus collecting and building elements that made it really unique.

Playing two different sides also gave it more replayability than many other Game Boy Color games, and it was nice to see the story play out from two different perspectives.

18. Dragon Warrior Monsters 2

The second in the Dragon Warrior Monsters series, this Game Boy Color game allowed players to create a team of monsters that they could train to use in combat.

Three monsters could be used simultaneously, and each could learn new skills and follow specific commands during combat.

Overall, it was a little like Pokémon but contained enough unique features to make it stand out and become its own fun game series.

17. Pokémon Pinball

Speaking of Pokémon, these pocket monsters showed up with their own pinball game for the Game Boy Color.

Pinball is the type of game that never goes out of style, and the Game Boy Color version of this game had numerous different courses where players had to hit different Pokémon to rack up points.

It was ludicrously addicting, and while you may not have had to fight other trainers, players lost many hours trying to beat their high scores.

16. Harvest Moon GBC

The second game in the Story of Seasons series, Harvest Moon GBC, was about harvesting crops, caring for your pets, and generally living your best farming homestead life.

It had a unique time system where you could plant and complete specific actions during certain seasons, and it is all kicked off when your deceased grandfather comes to you and begs you to become the ultimate Ranch Master.

If you’re someone who likes playing with the best Minecraft animal mods, chances are you played Harvest Moon GBC when it first came out.

15. Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble

Kirby is a legend, and in this puzzle-solving game, players had to control the pink rolly-boy as he tumbled his way through different levels.

Instead of using the D-pad to control movements, players could tilt their Game Boy Color consoles to move Kirby through the game!

14. Mario Golf

There aren’t a lot of sports that Mario hasn’t played, and in this Game Boy Color game, the Italian plumber took to the green to show Tiger Woods who’s boss.

Mario Golf was a perfect way to kill time for gamers who just wanted to play a straightforward game without any complicated storylines.

Plus, it was full of challenges and different game modes to keep you occupied.

13. Shantae

The first game in the Shantae series, this game introduced players to the titular badass genie as she adventured through a magical storyline.

Players could use her unique magical powers to take on foes, and the goal was to stop the dastardly pirate Risky Boots and restore her fellow genies to the world.

12. Wario Land 3

Playing as the bad guy has always appealed to gamers, and it is a welcome break from always being the hero.

Wario Land 3 did just that, and it gave players control of Wario as he ventures through this platformer to destroy an evil force inside a music box and receive a hefty treasure.

11. Mario Tennis

Like Mario Golf, Mario Tennis was a great way to pass the time, and it was surprisingly addicting even for gamers who had never watched a round of Wimbledon in their lives.

Mario Tennis featured numerous classic Mario characters you could choose to play as, and there was even a shooting gallery mode where Donkey Kong threw bananas at incoming tennis balls!

10. Dragon Warrior Monsters

The first in the Dragon Warriors series, the Game Boy Color version was backward compatible with the original Gameboy.

It featured loads of outstanding RPG gameplay elements that reminded fans of The Legend of Zelda and revolved around the player character going on a quest to save his sister.

There were plenty of battles and dark dungeons to explore, allowing for hours of exciting gameplay.

9. Donkey Kong Country

Donkey Kong Country is a classic, and when it was ported to the Game Boy Color, it stayed pretty faithful to its original SNES version.

However, it did feature a few new levels and updated graphics that brought this banana-loving ape into the next generation of handheld gaming.

However, in true Donkey Kong fashion, this game was still as difficult and demanding as you remember it initially being, and getting to the end is easier said than done.

8. Pokémon Trading Card Game

The Pokémon Trading Card Game gave players combined the fun of the card game with the convinces of handheld gaming, and battling was just as epic as it looked in the anime.

Players could collect the best dog Pokémon of all time, level them up, and use them for trading with other players for other types to build their own more powerful decks.

It was a lot more affordable than trying to track down cards in card shops, and it made trading and battling more accessible for everyone.

7. Tetris DX

Tetris has been a hit on almost every console, and it was even one of the best original Game Boy games.

This didn’t change when Tetris DX was released, and no matter how far gaming progresses, there is something undeniably appealing about classics like this.

6. Pokémon Crystal

Pokémon has been a cultural phenomenon for over 20 years, with Pokémon GO even being called the world’s most important game. However, Pokémon Crystal was one of the best games on the Game Boy Color, adding several new features, despite being largely similar to Gold and Silver.

It was the first in the Pokémon series that allowed players to choose the sex of their characters and the first in which Pokémon had brief animations before entering battle.

Any Pokémon fan worth their trainer badges had all of the best Pokémon Crystal cheats all but memorized and spent untold hours trying to be the very best.

5. Super Mario Bros. Deluxe

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe was an enhanced port of the NES game Super Mario Bros. and served as a successor to Donkey Kong on the original Game Boy.

There was no shortage of challenges and modes to play through, and any fan of the Mario series had this game close at hand to help pass the time.

4. Metroid II – Return Of Samus (1991)

Samus is another iconic video game character, and while Metroid may not have been as prolific as the Zelda games, it retains a huge fan following.

In Metroid II, there was a lot to explore and loads of well-designed puzzles to solve.

Fans of Metroid often consider this one of the franchise’s best games, and if you’ve had the opportunity to play it, you’ll understand why.

3. The Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX

Released first for the original Game Boy, Link’s Awakening was re-released for the Game Boy Color.

It was one of the only games in the series not to feature Zelda, the Triforce, or any other typical cornerstone of the Hyrule story, which set it immediately apart.

In this game, Link had to discover the secrets of a mysterious island and collect unique magical instruments to wake the illusive Wind Fish.

2. Pokémon Gold/Silver

Taking our number two spot is Pokémon Gold and Silver, two inseparable titles.

In these games, players ventured through the Johto region on a quest to become the ultimate Pokémon master by battling gym leaders and filling up for Pokedex.

As some of the best Pokémon games of all time, Pokémon Gold and Silver are a must-have for any fan, if only to catch the new Pokémon and unique legendaries that roamed throughout the region.

1. The Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Ages/Seasons

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons takes our number one spot, and like Pokémon Gold and Silver, you just can’t separate them.

While both of the Legend of Zelda Oracle games had essential differences, it was only after playing through them both that the whole story revealed itself.

Link was transported to different areas in each game, and the story diverged from there, only coming together to paint a bigger picture once you combined the stories in both Oracle games.

Although this could have just been a clever way to sell more copies of each game, we weren’t complaining, especially since they both were so good.

Summary

We hope you enjoyed our list of the best Gameboy color games!

While trying to choose the best of anything is always challenging, we think these games were the ones that stood out of all the Game Boy Color games ever released.

Here’s a quick recap of the 50 best Gameboy Color games of all time:

The Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Ages/Seasons
Pokémon Gold/Silver
The Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX
Metroid II: Return of Samus
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
Pokémon Crystal
Tetris DX
Pokémon Trading Card Game
Donkey Kong Country
Dragon Warrior Monsters
Mario Tennis
Wario Land 3
Shantae
Mario Golf
Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble
Harvest Moon GBC
Pokémon Pinball
Dragon Warrior Monsters 2
Warlocked
Bionic Commando: Elite Forces
Mr. Driller
R-Type DX
Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories
Pocket Bomberman
Game & Watch Gallery 3
Survival Kids
Crystalis
Rayman
Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors’ Dreams
Toki Tori
Game & Watch Gallery 2
Lufia: The Legend Returns
Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite!
Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone
Tomb Raider: Curse Of The Sword
Bomberman Quest
Grand Theft Auto 2
Legend of the River King
Toy Story Racer
Dragon Ball Z: Legendary Super Warriors
Metal Gear Solid
Mega Man Xtreme
Pokémon Puzzle Challenge
Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins
Blaster Master: Enemy Below
Resident Evil Gaiden
Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets
Wacky Races
Toy Story 2
Asterix & Obelix

Gaming Gorilla