Top 15 Best Game Boy RPGs of All Time

Today we’re going to be covering RPGs for the Game Boy. We’re excluding the Game Boy Color however. That will be saved for another day. For now it’s all about the black and white monochrome handheld and it’s selection of role playing games. When most people associate the genre with the Game Boy they think of Pokemon, and that’s about it. I don’t blame them. After all this was an absolute phenomenon and reinvigorated Nintendo’s first handheld. Almost everyone with even a vague interest in the genre at the time played these. The system does actually have several other RPGs though. Today we’re going to cover the best of them. So I’ll stop my blabbing and get right to it. These are the top 15 best Game Boy RPGs of all time.

Note: while some of the games I’ve included here were released as Game Boy Color games all of these are playable on the original Game Boy hardware. As I mentioned earlier we’ll be releasing another list later of the best Game Boy Color RPGs. Every installment on this list however you can play on the big bulky original hardware iteration, the pocket, or the color itself thanks to the backwards compatibility.

#15. – Revelations: The Demon Slayer

If there’s one series that has too many spin-offs then it’s Shin Megami Tensei. Revelations: The Demon Slayer was released in Japan as Last Bible. It’s one of these aforementioned spin-offs. Unlike most Shin Megami Tensei games this takes place in a more traditional RPG setting. What I mean is that it leans more heavily into the fantasy aspect rather than having modern urban environments. The battle system however has a lot in common with Shin Megami Tensei. For one thing you can speak with monsters to recruit them. You can even combine them. It’s a pretty in depth RPG by Game Boy standards. It’s pretty light on story, and slow moving. If you can get past these issues you’re in for a good time. This is especially true if you’re a Shin Megami Tensei fan.

#14. – Great Greed

Let me start by saying that Great Greed is a really weird game. It’s one of those contemporary RPGs with a sense of humor, but also, it has an eco friendly plotline. In it you play as a boy named Sam from the real world to another called Greene. He is brought here to stop a litterbug named Biohazard Harry from polluting the land. Also, many of the significant characters are named after food and appliances. Like I said it’s strange. Great Greed is also a very simple RPG. It’s very traditional in nature with turn based combat, experience points, and the like. The only real drawback is that you only have one playable character. In that sense it’s more similar to the original Dragon Quest than anything. Still I liked Great Greed’s sense of humor, and it’s simplicity is pure comfort food.

#13. – Final Fantasy Adventure

Final Fantasy was not a big name in North America in the early 90s. Still, Squaresoft decided to latch on to what popularity it did have with the naming scheme. Final Fantasy Adventure is actually the first installment in the Seiken Densetsu (or Mana) series. It has more in common with the Legend of Zelda than Final Fantasy. Despite being more action based there are still plenty of role playing conventions in place here. You gain experience points and levels just like in a traditional RPG but battle against enemies in real-time. It’s a bit clunky by modern standards. What I like about this game however is how fun the world is to explore. There are some neat locations, and the gameplay is pretty fun as well. This one has been remade a few times, but there’s still something special about the original Game Boy release.

#12. – Final Fantasy Legend

This is another case of Squaresoft branding another unrelated RPG (in this case, SaGa) with the Final Fantasy name in North America. To be fair this one looks and sounds like a mainline FF game. It even appears to play like one. Once you dive in you’ll discover there are some major nuances however. While you can create your own party from the start (like in the first Final Fantasy game) the options are anything but similar. Furthermore weapons break after a specific number of uses, and progression is much different in the plot. I always assumed that this first installment in the SaGa series was going to not be very good, but I really fell in love with it in a big way. Final Fantasy Legend is amazing.

#11. – Cave Noire

I really think rogue-like RPGs are among the most overrated. Who would have thought that a simple Game Boy game would be the best one? Cave Noire really sets the standard. Part of the joy of it is the simplicity. You have just one character set on a randomly generated map with enemies placed in random locations. Everything is turn based. This includes movement and attacks. There’s no world map or exploration. Cave Noire is completely mission based with a few different objectives, but in pretty much all of these you’re going to need to defeat monsters while very carefully planning out every single action. Cave Noire is unforgiving and requires a lot of planning. It might have sold me on rogue-likes, but that’ll be short lived because I couldn’t find any as good as this one.

#10. – Ninja Boy 2

Culture Brain might be one of the most underrated developers of the 90s. Almost no one has heard of them. These guys were responsible for some of the best games on the NES, SNES, and even the Game Boy. If you’re one of the few that played Little Ninja Brothers on the NES, or Super Ninja Boy on the SNES then you know what to expect from this one. It’s an RPG with some traditional elements but it’s very unique all the same. You wander a world map and dungeons while engaging in random encounters. These fights are action based and play kind of like a beat ’em up. What’s really unique about this title is the fact that you can link the game between two Game Boys and play multiplayer. Co-op play in an RPG was exceptionally rare in this era, and Ninja Boy 2 does it exceptionally well.

#9. – Legend of the River King

Have you ever played a fishing game and thought that it would be much better with RPG elements? No? Well me neither. Legend of the River King showed me how well the two genres blend together though. You’ll spend most of your time casting out and reeling in fish. Outside of the sport there are traditional turn based battles wherein you are fighting against monsters. It sounds really strange, and it is, but the game blends it all together in a very cohesive package. What’s cool is that as far as fishing games go this is one of the best on the original Game Boy. I found reeling in fish to be intuitive and was surprisingly fun. The actual battle system where you’re fighting animals/monsters is pretty basic but this too is entertaining. As an alternative style RPG I’d rank Legend of the River King as one of the best.

#8. – Dragon Warrior Monsters

While this is a Pokemon clone Dragon Quest was actually doing the whole monster collecting thing long before Game Freak’s breakout hit ever released. Enix decided to cash in on the Pokemon craze and go all out by focusing on this aspect with Dragon Warrior Monsters. You play as a young Terry from Dragon Quest VI as he sets out to rescue his kidnapped sister by entering an alternate world. Here we have all the classic monsters like slimes and drakkies, but here they serve as both your enemies and allies. You battle solely using these guys. Progression is very simple with no world map and only various randomly generated dungeons to explore. What makes up for this is the deep breeding system. Creating the perfect party takes a ton of effort and planning. Dragon Warrior Monsters is absolutely one of the best Game Boy RPGs.

#7. – Final Fantasy Legend 2

Once again this is actually a game in the SaGa franchise. Final Fantasy Legend 2 fixes most of the problems of its predecessor. The story is more prevalent, locations are much more interesting here, and the weird job system was heavily expanded. That’s not to mention that the soundtrack is absolutely incredible by Game Boy standards. It’s also not too shabby in the graphics department. The interface has also been updated which might be the biggest upgrade. It’s much easier to change equipment, or look at your character stats. Additionally battles play out faster and smoother. In my opinion this is the point where the SaGa series finally hit its stride. This one feels like it could have been released on console and no one would have questioned it.

#6. – Dragon Warrior Monsters 2

Enix must have had success with the first Dragon Warrior Monsters in the West because we also got the first sequel. This one came in two different versions further cementing it as a Pokemon clone. Unlike Nintendo’s franchise however the two editions had different protagonists of separate genders. This one has an original cast of characters and takes place in an alternate world from the other Dragon Quest titles. Dragon Warrior Monsters 2 is a huge upgrade from the original. I’m not just talking about graphics here. No longer are you limited to simple dungeons for enemy encounters. Dragon Warrior Monsters 2 plays more like a traditional RPG with pre-set environments and dungeons. Of course it has all the same monster collecting and breeding goodness. Dragon Warrior Monsters II is obviously one of the best Game Boy RPGs of all time.

#5. – Dragon Warrior I & II

Dragon Quest I & II was originally released on the Super Famicom in Japan. This package had remakes of both games with some much needed balancing. Enix decided to port the games to the Game Boy and the results are largely the same. Unfortunately the graphics are worse, but that kind of comes with the territory. I’m happy to report that the balancing fixes were included here. Dragon Warrior can now be completed in just a few hours (as it was meant to be) and part 2 no longer has a completely useless character in your ranks. In some ways I even prefer this portable version. The graphics are simpler than the Super Famicom release which just feels more true to the spirit of the originals in my opinion. Honestly it’s amazing that they were able to fit both games on such a tiny cartridge.

#4 . – Final Fantasy Legend 3

Here we have the single best game in the SaGa franchise. Final Fantasy Legend 3 kicks everything up several notches. First we have the characters. You don’t simply create your own party at the start. Instead they all have their places in the story with a slot left open for guest characters. The job system is still in place but you must change your characters by consuming meat or electronics to alter them. The storyline is also among the best on a Game Boy game. Final Fantasy Legend 3 is based around the concept of time travel. You move through different periods and in this sense the game feels forward thinking like Chrono Trigger. The battle system is also improved with an even better interface. The real highlight however is the improved dungeon designs.

#3. – Pokemon Red & Blue Versions

What can be said about the original Pokemon titles that hasn’t already been said before? This was a landmark release that completely revitalized the Game Boy line and invaded the video game scene. This cute 2D RPG had gamers everywhere collecting and battle with over one hundred and fifty different monsters. Despite being obviously aimed at kids it had enough depth to keep even the most hardcore gamers attention. The only issues with this edition are limitations that come from the hardware itself. It’s pretty slow moving for one thing. The turn based battles unfold at a snail’s pace, and the graphics are completely in black and white. If you can get past that then you’re in for a treat. Pokemon Red and Blue are just as amazing as they ever were.

#2. – Pokemon Yellow Version

While definitely not a sequel to Red and Blue this Yellow version has enough different content to get its own entry on this list. Not only did this one have Game Boy Color support but it also changed around some major dynamics. For one thing the player no longer got their choice of three Pokemon in the beginning. Now they were stuck with just Pikachu. You could interact with the little guy in new ways. Also cool is that Pokemon Yellow introduced a few new things from the TV show that was super popular at the time. You could now battle Jesse and James from Team Rocket at specific intervals, and Pikachu’s signature voice samples were included here too. This game also remixed Pokemon locations which made it just different enough from the original release. If you’re going to play one version of the originals make sure it’s this one.

#1. – Pokemon Gold & Silver Versions

Making a sequel to such an iconic game as Pokemon is a tall order, but Nintendo and Game Freak absolutely knocked this one out of the water. Silver and Gold take place in an entirely new region of the Pokemon world, and feature over one hundred new Pokemon as well. What’s more is that just about every one from the past titles return as well. Probably the best feature however is the fact that they managed to cram the world from the originals in as well, and you can explore it as post game content. Pokemon Gold and Silver have more content crammed into their respective cartridges than any other Game Boy game I’ve ever seen. What’s more is that it’s all fun. This is clearly the best Game Boy RPG of all time.