The original Game Boy had an absolutely huge library. Unfortunately most of it consists of shovelware and low effort downports. Because of this it was too easy to stick with what we knew would be good, and that was mostly Nintendo software. This means that the library is ripe with hidden gems that no one gave a second look. Why take your chances with a weird game when you knew you could play Tetris or Super Mario Land? Due to the cheap prices on the second hand market I’ve amassed a large library of Game Boy titles over time, and I’ve seen it fit today to outline the best hidden gems for the platform. People have different criteria for what qualifies as a hidden gem so I’m going to outline a few rules I set for myself:
- I’m not including import only games. I only wanted to focus on North American releases because that’s my primary audience. I’ll do a separate list for import titles down the road. While lots of games were obscure at the time of release many have found their audiences since then. I’m trying to focus on titles that are still relatively obscure.
- I’m only listing titles that are obscure in North America. This means that while a game may have set the sales charts on fire in Japan it will still be included if it never found an audience outside of there.
- I’m really going to try to avoid licensed games. This is because they tend to get more exposure. Of course, there are still some of these that are unknown.
- I’m only including titles for the original Game Boy. I’ll do a separate list for Game Boy Color hidden gems down the road.
- Instead of being ranked this list is in alphabetical order.
With that out of the way let’s get right into my list of the the best Game Boy hidden gems. As Mario would say, lets’a go!
Adventures of Star Saver
Here’s a title I’ve never even heard anyone mention before! It’s a pretty interesting action platformer based on mechs. In Adventures of Star Saver you play as a boy stranded on a faraway planet who befriends and then rides inside a mecha. By default you can jump as well as shoot projectile attacks straight forward. Should you take damage you lose the mech but continue on foot with more limited abilities. A very interesting mechanic is that, while you can fall down pits, your character uses a grappling hook to pull himself back up. This is limited and cannot be relied upon however. The power ups are fantastic and they add a lot to gameplay. Not only do they increase your shot rate/type but also can allow your mecha to hover! Adventures of Star Saver is clearly one of the best hidden gems on the game boy.
Atomic Punk
While most third party franchises didn’t hesitate to make the move from console to handheld Bomberman was oddly absent from the line-up. Little did anyone know the platform actually received an original title in the series early on. This is because Hudson decided to rename it Atomic Punk for some odd reason. This also meant almost no one has played it which makes this an ideal hidden gem for the Game Boy. It lacks multiplayer, but as far as the single player experience goes it’s one of the best in the franchise. Atomic Punk takes gamers out of the same old battlefields and introduces actually themes to the settings! What’s more is the fact that you have an overworld map. There’s even a handy dandy shop in which you can purchase power ups. It’s definitely unique by franchise standards, and well worth playing even today.
Battle Arena Toshinden
Yes, I realize at the time of release Battle Arena Toshinden was actually pretty popular. The franchise is far from obscure on the Sony PlayStation. The Game Boy saw it’s own iteration based on Battle Arena Nitoshinden, and it is absolutely a hidden gem. Few people even know that this downport exists in the first place, let alone that it’s the best fighting game for the platform. Fighters were common releases for the 8-but handheld but they were all pretty bad. Battle Arena Toshinden bucks this trend. It’s a fully featured fighting game that, if not for the rudimentary graphics, wouldn’t be out of place on the Super Nintendo. What’s interesting is that this is not only one of the best Game Boy hidden gems, but also the best installment in the Toshinden series.
Cat Trap
This one was ahead of its time. Cat Trap is a puzzle game that looks like a side scrolling platformer. Thing is, your character lacks the ability to jump. Instead gameplay is solely focused around puzzle solving. As one of the cute humanoid cats your goal is to eliminate all enemies on screen. You do so simply by walking into them. Because you can’t jump you must push blocks in a strategic way to cover chasms allowing you to access new areas. As the game progresses you’ll need to do things in a very specific order, and there’s always just one way to progress. The reason Cat Trap is so ahead of its time is the simple fact that you can rewind your moves. This makes the game more forgiving, but also strengthens the strategy aspects. Cat Trap is definitely an overlooked hidden gem for the Game Boy.
Cosmo Tank
Aside from the original Pokemon titles Cosmo Tank might just be the most ambitious game for the original Game Boy. In it you guide a tank across a overworld map blasting enemies and dodging fire. You can move in all directions and the screen scrolls freely as you move. In this sense it feels sort of like an action adventure title ala Zelda. When you enter caves however the view shifts to first person from behind the controls of the tank. The dungeons are 3D as you move forward/backward and turn left/right. Enemy encounters occur at random (like in a traditional RPG) and at this point you have a cursor on screen that you can move in all directions as you shoot bursts of energy at foes. What’s amazing is the fact that you’ll fight boss characters from both perspectives. Cosmo Tank deserves better than to be a hidden gem.
Faceball 2000
It’s no big secret that the Game Boy featured very limited hardware even at the time of release. Nintendo had to keep the price low and the battery consumption down. This just means you shouldn’t expect more technical genres to find their ways to the platform. Like first person shooters, for example. Well, someone managed to transcend these limitations and bring one of these titles to the platform! That game is Faceball 2000, and it’s based off of a classic PC title called Midi Maze. This release is based off of the SNES game, and it holds up remarkably well despite the archaic hardware. You guide a shape with a face from a first person viewpoint around 3D arenas shooting enemies. When they’re eliminated and you reach the exit you move on to the next area. It’s pretty simple, but a real novelty for the hardware.
Great Greed
Have you ever wanted to play a Japanese style role playing game about pollution? Yeah, me neither. Great Greed fits the bill, but it’s much more charming and enjoyable than you would suspect. The story does not take itself seriously (and how could it with a villain called Biohazard Harry) but for the era the writing is surprisingly fun. The game is pretty standard fare in terms of gameplay and feels like a Dragon Quest clone. You control one character and fight off against one enemy at a time. The inputs are chosen based off of the Game Boy’s buttons; A attacks, B defends and Start runs. Gameplay is pretty standard fare, but a traditional RPG alone is rare for the platform. In its own rights however Great Greed is still one of the best hidden gems for the Game Boy.
McDonaldLand
Yeah I know. I said I wouldn’t include licensed games because these are very well known generally. Despite this I find that almost no one has heard of McDonaldLand on the Game Boy which definitely fits this one in as a hidden gem. As far as McDonalds based games go MC Kids on the NES is probably the most popular one. This title is directly based on that. This is almost like an alternate take on that. The gameplay mechanics, graphics, and even music will clue you into that right away. You play as either Mic or Mac in this 2D platformer. The goal is to reach the end of each stage but you cannot simply jump on enemies heads here. Instead it’s more based on picking up and throwing blocks at them. The stages are all original, and though the card collecting aspect is gone it’s still quite fun.
Mercenary Force
Now here’s a unique game that almost no one has ever heard of. From the title you would assume this is a side scrolling action platformer ala Contra, but that’s far from what you get here. Instead Mercenary Force is a scrolling shooter. Instead of guiding a space ship or plane you instead have various fighters at your disposal. You can outfit a team of up to four different types each with their own projectiles. A number at the bottom of the screen depicts how many of each character you have left, and every hit you take eliminates one. The characters themselves depict jobs like ninjas, samurais, etc. I really love the Asian motif here as you move through historical style villages and other fitting scenes. It’s very fun, and unlike anything else released at the time.
Metal Masters
Have you ever wanted to design your own robot for use in a one-on-one fighting game? Well, Metal Masters has your number. You can choose body types, arms, legs, etc. These all offer advantages as well as disadvantages to gameplay. The sheer number of options for a Game Boy game is pretty good and allows for a lot of replayability. Gameplay is most similar to a 2D fighter but you can move up and down in a limited fashion. It kind of reminds me of rock-em-sock-em robots to a degree. Controls are little clunky and your attack ranges are small. Considering the fact that you’re controlling a rudimentary mecha robot I’m willing to cut Metal Masters some slack in this regard. Metal Masters is weird, but that’s part of why it’s one of the best hidden gems for the Game Boy.
Mr. Chin’s Gourmet Paradise
Yeah, this one would never be released in this day and age due to the fact that it’s not politically correct. Some might say it’s downright offensive. That’s super unfortunate, but doesn’t mean it isn’t a blast to play. It kind of reminds me of a faster paced Bubble Bobble. As the titular character it’s your job to eliminate all foes in a stage at which point you simply move on to the next. He can walk, run, jump, and attacks foes by setting what appears to be a fire based trip-wire. It makes little sense, but then again so does just about every other release for the Game Boy. There are eight stages to play through, and things do get pretty difficult especially with your method of attack. It’s a unique effort that I find surprisingly addictive.
Out of Gas
From the title of this one you’d expect a racing game. Or at least a driving adventure. That’s not the case. Instead this is an action puzzle title wherein you guide a spaceship around various stages collecting, as you may have guessed, gas. When you’ve collected it all you move on to the next level, but things aren’t as easy as they seem. In the beginning your goal is just to collect the fuel. As you progress this must be gathered in specific order. Gas functions as both your timer and life bar. It constantly whittles away, and is depleted when you’re hit by an enemy. The premise is simple but it gets downright difficult later on. Out of Gas definitely deserves a look if you want something off the beaten path.
Pocket Bomberman
Technically I’m cheating by including this title. For starters, this title is based on an established franchise. That means it’s instantly more recognizable than others included on this list of hidden gems. It’s also a dual Game Boy and GBC title. Because it can be played on the original hardware I’m including it anyway. What sets Pocket Bomberman apart from other franchise installments is that this is an action platformer title. You still set bombs, but instead of an overhead maze you instead play through a variety of side scrolling stages. This is one of the few titles in which Bomberman can jump, and you’ll need to do so often. Despite launching at the same time as the GBC almost no one has heard of this one which is why I’m including it as a hidden gem.
Spud’s Adventure
How many video games let you play as a potato? Not many. Spud’s Adventure is here to satiate your desire to command a root vegetable. What’s really interesting about this one is the fact that it’s an action adventure Zelda inspired title. I was really expecting a side scrolling platformer, and so this was a refreshing change. You explore labyrinthine dungeons saving other vegetables and fruits. These are multi-tiered, and even feature warps that take you to different areas. Your main method of attack is by shooting little balls at them. You can find powerups in the form of cards which change your trajectory and style of these thrown objects. Spud’s Adventure is super charming and really unique even by Game Boy standards. It’s a perfect hidden gem tucked away in the annals of time.
TRAX
What we have here is a shoot em up without the scrolling element. You guide a tank throughout a set of different stages but can move freely in all directions. The screen waits for you which is nice, but there are so many enemies to deal with you’ll need to be in constant motion to be successful. Like with any good shmup you have power-ups which increase the number of your shots and change their trajectory. The best part is that you can rotate the direction of your cannons while still in motion. It takes some getting used to but proves super effective especially in the later stages. Sure, this one was published by HAL Laboratories but almost no one has heard of it.
