The original Game Boy is my favourite retro handheld gaming console. Despite its limited hardware capabilities, this platform has a ton of very good games that are short enough not to be boring, yet with a solid gameplay.
This page may be updated from time to time. Last edited on : 02.05.2026
Meaning of the columns :
- Save : tells if the game has any way of starting from where you left it
- Super GB : tells whether the game has some Super Gameboy content
- Nb Player: tells how many simultaneous player the game supports
| Name | Type | Save | Super GB | Nb Players | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adventure Island | Action, Adventure | Password | No | 1 | Port of the NES classic; high difficulty with the hunger meter. |
| Adventures of Lolo | Puzzle | Password | Yes | 1 | Features SGB borders and enhanced palettes for the puzzles. |
| Adventures of Star Saver | Action, Platformer | No | No | 1 | Known as "Chikyuu Kaihou Gun ZAS" in Japan. |
| Aerostar | Shoot 'em up | Password | No | 1 | Unique shooter where you follow a specific path/track. |
| Astérix | Platformer | Password | No | 1 | Released primarily in Europe; surprisingly solid platforming. |
| B.C. Kid | Action, Adventure | No | No | 1 | Known as Bonk's Adventure; features the iconic head-butt attack. |
| B.C. Kid 2 | Action, Platformer | Password | Yes | 1 | Features SGB support and more diverse level environments. |
| Balloon Kid | Action, Adventure | No | No | 1-2 | Sequel to the NES Balloon Fight with a full adventure mode. |
| Batman: Return of the Joker | Action, Adventure | Password | No | 1 | Impressive graphics that push the original GB hardware. |
| Batman: The Animated Series | Action, Adventure | Password | No | 1 | Allows you to switch between Batman and Robin for different skills. |
| Batman: The Video Game | Action, Adventure | No | No | 1 | Features great chiptune music and tight platforming. |
| Battletoads | Platformer | No | No | 1-2 | Not a port of the NES version, but a completely unique GB entry. |
| Battletoads in Ragnarok's World | Fighting, Platformer | No | No | 1-2 | A condensed port of the NES original with some levels removed. |
| Bionic Commando | Action | Password | No | 1 | Features a different protagonist and setting from the NES version. |
| Blades of Steel | Sports | No | No | 1-2 | Port of the arcade/NES hockey hit; includes the fighting mechanic. |
| Bomberman Collection | Action | Password | Yes | 1-2 | A compilation of the first three GB Bomberman games. |
| Bubble Ghost | Puzzle, Strategy | No | No | 1 | You control a ghost blowing a bubble through a maze. |
| Burai Fighter Deluxe | Action, FPS | Password | No | 1-2 | An 8-way directional shooter with challenging level layouts. |
| Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge | Action, Platformer | Password | No | 1 | Widely considered the best Castlevania on the original Game Boy. |
| Catrap | Puzzle | Password | No | 1 | Known in Japan as Pitman; features a very early "rewind" mechanic. |
| Choplifter II | Action, FPS | Password | No | 1 | Rescue missions using a helicopter with 360-degree movement. |
| Contra Spirits | Action, Platformer | Password | Yes | 1 | Known as Contra: The Alien Wars; features SGB borders. |
| CosmoTank | Action, FPS | Password | No | 1 | Switches between 2D top-down and 3D first-person tank combat. |
| Darkwing Duck | Action, Platformer | Password | No | 1 | Uses the Mega Man engine; very high quality for a licensed game. |
| Dead Heat Scramble | Racing | No | No | 1-2 | A "tube-style" racer with a focus on speed and avoiding obstacles. |
| Donkey Kong | Action, Platformer | Yes | Yes | 1-2 | Often called "DK '94"; the first game to showcase SGB features. |
| Donkey Kong Land | Platformer | Yes | Yes | 1 | Features unique "banana" colored cartridges for the physical release. |
| Donkey Kong Land 2 | Action, Platformer | Yes | Yes | 1 | A remix of DKC 2 from the SNES with SGB support. |
| Donkey Kong Land III | Platformer | Yes | Yes | 1 | Includes a built-in time attack mode and full SGB enhancements. |
| Double Dragon | Action, Beat 'em up | No | No | 1-2 | A very respectable port of the arcade classic for handhelds. |
| Double Dragon II | Action, Beat 'em up | No | No | 1-2 | Known for its different move set compared to the first entry. |
| Dr. Mario | Puzzle | No | No | 1-2 | Iconic puzzle game; lacks save/battery as levels are short. |
| Duck Tales | Action, Platformer | No | No | 1 | Features the same pogo-stick gameplay as the NES version. |
| DuckTales 2 | Action, Platformer | No | No | 1 | Rarer than the first; features non-linear level progression. |
| F-1 Spirit | Racing | No | No | 1-2 | Konami's top-down racer; uses the Konami GB Collection features. |
| F1 Race | Racing | No | No | 1-4 | Notable for being bundled with the 4-player adapter (Multitap). |
| Final Reverse | Strategy | No | No | 1-2 | A localized version of the Japanese strategy game "Oni". |
| Fortified Zone | Action | Password | No | 1-2 | Top-down shooter where you switch between two soldiers. |
| Gargoyle's Quest | Action, Adventure | Password | No | 1 | A spin-off of Ghosts 'n Goblins featuring Firebrand. |
| Ghostbusters II | Action | No | No | 1-2 | Developed by HAL Laboratory; uses a top-down perspective. |
| Gradius: The Interstellar Assault | Shoot 'em up | No | No | 1 | Known as Nemesis II in Europe/Japan; excellent boss fights. |
| Hoshi no Kirby | Action, Platformer | No | No | 1 | The debut of Kirby; significantly easier than other platformers. |
| Hoshi no Kirby 2 | Adventure, Platformer | Yes | Yes | 1 | Introduces Kirby's animal friends and SGB color support. |
| Kid Dracula | Action, Platformer | Password | No | 1 | A lighthearted, parodical spin-off of the Castlevania series. |
| Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters | Action, Platformer | Password | No | 1 | Improves on the NES original with horizontal scrolling. |
| King of Fighters '96 | Fighting | No | Yes | 1-2 | One of the best fighters on the system; full SGB support. |
| Kirby no Kirakira Kizzu | Action, Puzzle | Yes | Yes | 1-2 | Known as Kirby's Star Stacker; features a 2-player mode. |
| Kirby no Pinball | Board | Yes | No | 1 | One of the most polished pinball games on the system. |
| Kung Fu Master | Action | No | No | 1 | A simplified but fun port of the arcade beat 'em up. |
| Marble Madness | Action, Puzzle | No | No | 1-2 | Port of the Atari arcade game; difficult to control. |
| Max: Rubble Saver II | Action | Password | No | 1 | A sequel to the Japanese exclusive "Rubble Saver". |
| Mega Man II | Action, Platformer | Password | No | 1 | Notorious for its high-pitched music and different dev team. |
| Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge | Action, Platformer | Password | No | 1 | The first portable Mega Man; very high difficulty. |
| Mercenary Force | Shoot 'em up | No | No | 1 | You control a squad of four characters with different weapons. |
| Metroid II: Return of Samus | Action, Adventure | Yes | No | 1 | The only Metroid on the system; introduces different Metroid forms. |
| Mickey Mouse | Action, Puzzle | Password | No | 1 | Known as "Ghost Manor" or "Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle" elsewhere. |
| Motocross Maniacs | Racing | No | No | 1-2 | Addictive side-scrolling racer focused on flips and boosts. |
| Nemesis | Shoot 'em up | No | No | 1 | A port of the first Gradius with simplified graphics. |
| Ninja Gaiden Shadow | Action | No | No | 1 | Actually started development as a game called "Shadow of the Ninja". |
| Oira Jajamaru! Sekai Daibōken | Action, Platformer | Password | No | 1 | Known as Maru's Mission in the West. |
| Penguin-Kun Wars Vs. | Action | No | No | 1-2 | A fun dodgeball-style game involving animal characters. |
| Pinball: Revenge of the 'Gator | Action, Puzzle | No | No | 1-2 | HAL Laboratory pinball game with a quirky alligator theme. |
| Power Racer | Racing | Password | No | 1-2 | Also known as "Racing Spirits". |
| Qix | Puzzle | No | No | 1-2 | One of the earliest Game Boy titles; simple but very addictive. |
| Quarth | Puzzle | No | No | 1-2 | A unique hybrid of a shooter and a block-matching puzzle. |
| Radar Mission | Strategy, Board | No | No | 1-2 | Nintendo's take on Battleship with a 3D submarine mode. |
| Raging Fighter | Fighting | No | No | 1-2 | A standard 2D fighter; one of Konami's rare fighting titles on GB. |
| Rockman World 3 | Adventure | Password | No | 1 | Includes bosses from the NES Mega Man 3 and 4. |
| Rockman World 4 | Adventure | Password | Yes | 1 | Introduces the shop system and SGB enhancements. |
| Rockman World 5 | Adventure | Password | Yes | 1 | The only GB Mega Man with completely original bosses (Stardroids). |
| RodLand | Action, Platformer | Password | No | 1 | Excellent port of the arcade game; very popular in Europe. |
| Sagaia | Shoot 'em up | No | No | 1 | A port of Darius II; features the iconic giant robotic fish bosses. |
| Smurfs | Platformer | Password | Yes | 1 | Common in Europe; features standard platforming gameplay. |
| Sneaky Snakes | Action, Platformer | No | No | 1-2 | A Rare-developed sequel to Snake Rattle 'n' Roll. |
| Soccer | Sports | No | No | 1-2 | Part of Nintendo's early sports lineup for the handheld. |
| Solomon's Club | Action, Puzzle | Password | No | 1 | A portable version of Solomon's Key with many new levels. |
| Spanky's Quest | Action, Puzzle | Password | No | 1 | You use a bubble to defeat enemies in a puzzle-platformer style. |
| Starhawk | Shoot 'em up | No | No | 1 | A rare vertically scrolling shooter with a cinematic feel. |
| Super R.C. Pro-Am | Racing | No | No | 1-4 | Isometric racing game developed by Rare. Supports 4-player adapter. |
| Takahashi Meijin no Bouken Jima III | Platformer | Password | No | 1 | Adventure Island 3; adds the ability to ride dinosaurs. |
| TaleSpin | Action | No | No | 1 | Based on the Disney show; focuses on flight mechanics. |
| Taz-Mania | Platformer | Password | No | 1 | Developed by Beam Software. Features classic Taz gameplay with a focus on spinning to defeat enemies and breaking walls to find food. |
| Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles III | Action, Platformer | Password | No | 1 | A "Metroidvania" style TMNT game; widely considered the best on GB. |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Action, Adventure | No | No | 1 | Fall of the Foot Clan; very short but charming side-scroller. |
| Tennis | Sports | No | No | 1-2 | Mario features as the referee in this early sports title. |
| Tetris | Puzzle | No | No | 1-2 | The ultimate pack-in game; no battery save for high scores. |
| The Hunt for Red October | Shoot 'em up | No | No | 2 | Asymmetric Multiplayer. Includes a unique 2-player mode where one player controls the submarine and the other deploys Soviet forces to stop them. |
| Tiny Toon Adventures | Platformer | Password | No | 1 | Babs' Big Break; features multiple playable characters. |
| Trax | Shoot 'em up | No | No | 1-2 | A cute tank shooter developed by HAL Laboratory. |
| Wario Land Super Mario Land 3 | Action, Platformer | Yes | Yes | 1 | Wario's first solo outing; features SGB borders and palette. |
| Wave Race | Racing | No | No | 1-2 | The top-down predecessor to the famous N64 Jet Ski game. |
| We're Back! | Platformer | Password | No | 1 | Based on the dinosaur movie; typical licensed platformer. |
| Yoshi Cookie | Puzzle | No | No | 1-2 | Port of the NES/SNES puzzle game. |
| Zen: Intergalactic Ninja | Platformer | Password | No | 1 | Based on the environmentalist comic book hero. |