Donkey Kong (1994) - not really rare or obscure, but definitely not talked about enough.
It starts out like regular donkey kong but then it goes somewhat differently.
The colorization is only complete with SuperGameboy so it might be tricky to play that way but there is a colorization hack being worked on.
Donkey Kong. I think people just think it's a port of the arcade game because it has the same first few levels but it becomes something more afterward and is incredibly fun.
Metal Gear Solid for GBC is never mentioned in all time lists for the series, but it’s my favorite, straight up.
I can’t believe they managed to cram a true MGS experience onto a GAMEBOY Color cartridge.
Pocket Bomberman is also legitimately great.
That's the first game I bought for my GBC. I didn't have enough money for a playstation and was jealous of all my friends playing MGS. It's super well done. I just got an analog pocket and I think I'll dig MGS out again after I finish my Castlevania games.
As a kid I got a lot of mileage out of The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle. It was honestly nothing special but it was a fun if very basic game. Password-based and not all that difficult for an adult.
Line the crazy castle games, 4 on the gbc is what i grew up with so naturally it's my favourite. 3 isn't far off though she I played that to the end last year for the first time.
Weirdly enough, my favorite Zelda game of all time is The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Weirder still, it's the story that I really love, driven almost entirely by the fact that it's the least Zelda Zelda game. No, I don't know what's wrong with me.
I mean it's probably entirely nostalgia, but I still hear the in-game ballad in my head from time to time.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Great game
Dragon quest monsters (dragon warrior monsters in America)
This game was the bomb, I loved the monster breeding mechanics, you could breed monsters of different types to get entirely new ones.
On December 1st, new dragon quest monsters is coming out for switch
It looks really fun! I have a copy of the Japanese version. I was surprised to find out it was a Game Boy Color launch title!
Final Fantasy Adventure. Zelda style top view. Absolutely loved it. Music scope and story.. Played through at least a dozen times. A decently high quality remake came out for phones a few years back. I still love it.
Survival Kids
It's a bit of a silly survival game that starts with you being stranded on an island. I got a kick out of it because there were a few different game endings that were dependent on the actions you took earlier in the game.
I picked this one up when I was in high school. Never did get rescued... I looked the other day and prices for this one are pretty high, so apparently we're not the only ones who remember it!
Edit: And apparently there's a lot of sequels? Who knew? I guess it was called Lost in Blue later on. They all sound like they have the same basic story...
As a kid, I found Gargoyles Quest infuriatingly addictive. I wasn't good enough to do well at it, it annoyed me, but I kept going back for more.
Took me a while to find the name. Have you played Quarth?
I have! I picked up a copy a couple of years ago. It took me a little while to realize, it's not about clearing the screen, but about getting a high score. It's very clever, and a little addicting!
Yes! Got it as a present so it wasn't on my radar but it was a pretty good puzzle game. I seem to recall playing this way more than I played Tetris.
Rockman/Megaman EXE
This Beyblade game that was like an obstacle course on checkered platforms. I practiced a lot to beat the par times on each course.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets.
Are they good games? No
But they are well themed and have chiptune version of Jeremy Soule’s soundtrack. I like replaying the, from time to time.
This is a little off topic for "RetroGaming", but my favorite new soon-to-be-hidden gem for Gameboy Color is "Grimace's Birthday".
https://www.grimacesbirthday.com/
The overall game is only about ten minutes long, but it's just so dang well made for a silly throw-away advertisement, and I just adore that it's a Gameboy Color game released in 2023.
Edit: To be clear, I have no association with anyone involved in the game. It just gives me the giggles to get a new retrogame for a licsned property, for actual classic hardware in 2023.
Kirby Pinball. Just a chill and fun game.
Pokemon TCG for GB was arguably the best Pokemon RPG. I've not played the English fanlation of 2 yet though, so maybe that's better.
The metal gear solid game was pretty awesome actually
Pitman, also known as Catrap in US: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catrap
It's not really something special or so, but I had it in my youth and used the level editor to build countless levels with my friend. It's a side scrolling puzzle game, with the abiliy to go back in history with a nice backwards animation.
I ahem acquired a copy of Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak from my elementary school lost and found, played it whenever I had a minute for the next few weeks. I don't know if I'd have the patience to play it today, but it's still an adorable little puzzle game. The sound and animation of the actions was spot on.
Bubble Ghost. I had it on a 99 in 1 cart. Might just be that it wasn't popular where I'm from.
Here's one that came to mind: Heiankyo Alien for the Gameboy DMG. I remember playing this a ton in the car as a kid. It's a game where you have to dig holes for aliens to fall in and bury them to kill them.
Heiankyo Alien. It was the cheapest game in the store, so that's the one my parents let me buy. For a long time it was one of only a couple games I owned--that one and whatever it shipped with... Tetris?
Vegas Stakes - simple casino games, perfect time-killer for the format.
Wendy Every Witch Way - concept of reversing gravity has been used in other platformers since, but this might be the OG, and is very solid.
Gonna have to be Kirby and the Amazing Mirror and MegaMan Battle Network 6 for me on the GBA.
The Moomin game is great but nobody talks about it. The two Survival Kids games are incredible as well but damn they can be depressing. They really out a full on survival game on a Game Boy. Complete with multiple endings, open world and hunger and thirst mechanics.
Donkey Kong. Not Donkey Kong Country. The original arcade Donkey Kong, until you realize after beating the original levels that there is SO MUCH MORE to it!
Just one thing. Fuck that level with the long bridge of disappearing floor tiles. That was the worst!!
James Bond: 007 was a surprisingly good game that I enjoyed way more than expected. I don’t know why I got the game, I was and have never been a fan of the series.
I'll throw Boxxle on the list. It's one of the earliest GB games, so the graphics are pretty much what you'd expect. But it's a great puzzle game that has a very simple premise, but requires you to perspective-shift and learn new strategies many times over as the difficulty progresses.
God Medicine. Genuinely one of the best classic style JRPGs and the best RPG on Gameboy in my opinion. Absolute travesty that the west never ended up getting it originally.
Warlocked for GBC - it was ambitious as hell, and has some quality scenario ideas.
I had an Itchy and Scratchy game (from the Simpsons). It was a mini golf game that was a lot of fun.
Cosmo Tank. Got it as a gift from my dad and loved it when I was a kid. I may have to revisit it myself.
Vintage gaming community.
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