twenty first April 2024 marks the thirty fifth anniversary of Nintendo’s Sport Boy. Over the subsequent few days, we’ll be publishing numerous options to have a good time three-and-a-half a long time of the standard handheld. We kick issues off with this reader-ranked record.
Keep in mind, that is primarily based on every recreation’s Person Score in our database and is due to this fact topic to real-time alteration even after publication. Get pleasure from!
Searching for a listing of Nintendo’s first-party Sport Boy video games? Marvel what the finest first-party Sport Boy recreation is? We’re right here to assist.
Our ranked record of the High 50 Finest Sport Boy Video games Ever covers each recreation on the system, however right here we’re wanting particularly at Nintendo-developed Sport Boy video games launched within the West. All the video games under had been developed (or co-developed) by Nintendo and due to this fact symbolize the corporate’s in-house output on the Sport Boy. Not the Sport Boy Coloration or the Sport Boy Advance, simply the unique DMG-001 and its Pocket follow-up. And Nintendo printed different titles, too; these are simply the Nintendo-developed video games, so none of HAL’s Kirbys or the Uncommon-developed DKCs.
This can be a reader-ranked record primarily based on the Person Rankings of every recreation in our database. As such, it is topic to real-time change at any time. If you have not personally rated any of the video games under, you’ll be able to assign them a rating out of 10 proper now and exert your affect on the rating. You too can use the search bar under to shortly discover any Nintendo-developed Sport Boy video games and price them as you want:
So, let’s check out each first-party Sport Boy recreation, as ranked by you, starting on the backside…
Baseball was by no means recreation, however the means to play it with buddies meant it was a useful addition to any Sport Boy library. Any fond reminiscences you could have of Baseball embody a second participant, we will guarantee you. With out that second participant, even nostalgia will not assist; this isn’t the sport you bear in mind. You’ll be able to perceive the mechanical simplicity given the {hardware}, and a sure degree of attraction given the dearth of moveable baseball options in 1989, however this one will not be value chasing lately.
This one might not be acquainted to soccer-loving US Sport Boy homeowners, though to be truthful it is unlikely to be on the forefront of European footy followers’ minds, both. Launched in 1992 solely in Europe, Magnetic Soccer was Nintendo’s lacklustre, top-down tackle foosball and definitely not one thing that sticks within the reminiscence.
It is just about normal desk soccer, with rows of gamers scootching left or proper as you chase the ball across the desk, aiming for the (huge) aim on the reverse finish. You’ll be able to maintain the ball and energy up pictures, which makes issues a little extra fascinating, however it’s very primary stuff and the audio grates inside moments of beginning a match.
Primarily Nintendo’s tackle Battleships, Radar Mission continues to be a enjoyable little piece of turn-based gaming historical past, and its charming presentation and glorious soundtrack imply it has aged much better than it might need. Co-developed by Pax Softnica and Nintendo R&D1, it can attraction to anybody within the inspiration for the corporate’s aquatic IP equivalent to Metal Diver, or avid gamers searching for some simple-yet-strategic gameplay with a retro kick. An inessential curio, then.
Except for the Mario cameos (should you concentrate when beginning the sport, you may see that Mario himself jumps into the paddle and pilots it, and lots of the bonus levels are formed like Mario characters), there’s not a lot to say about Alleyway. You bounce the ball along with your paddle to interrupt all of the blocks on the display screen, in time-honoured Breakout fashion. At its finest, it is merely Arkanoid with out all of the fluff. If you happen to grew up with it otherwise you’re after some moderately compelling block-breaking, you would possibly get a kick out of it.
Loosely primarily based on the HAL Laboratory-developed F1 Race for the Famicom launched six years prior (which Satoru Iwata programmed, no much less), F-1 Race is an honest globe-trotting racer maybe most notable for the model that bundled within the Sport Boy 4 Participant Adapter, which — shock! — enabled four-player races. With cameos from a bunch of Nintendo characters, this was a formidable little title [insert limited hardware caveat here] and good enjoyable should you may rally different racers to affix you.
A primary playthrough of Kirby’s Block Ball lasts about three hours — it’ll take most gamers longer to surmount every world’s benchmark excessive rating and unlock the ultimate world — and there’s replay worth to be present in score-making. The basic gameplay of Breakout and the pleasant Kirby presentation, music, and distinctive power-ups come collectively properly, even when there could be a tad an excessive amount of ready and hoping in later worlds. Nonetheless, Block Ball is a stable block of leisure.
Metroid II: Return of Samus expands on the unique NES title properly. There’s nonetheless no map for the sport’s big world, which isn’t essentially an issue resulting from this recreation’s linearity, though it may be a problem should you put it down for some time and don’t bear in mind the place you bought to. There is a respectable quantity of exploration and hidden objects to search out, and the hunt to search out and kill the 39 Metroids is pretty enjoyable. Though nowhere close to as refined because the 2D masterpiece that’s Tremendous Metroid, Metroid II has held up higher than the unique NES recreation and as such continues to be very a lot value taking part in. In fact, the 3DS remake is arguably the finest solution to play the primary return of Samus lately, however the unique nonetheless has a lo-fi appeal of its personal.
This unique top-down Wave Race kicked off the sequence in 1992, though its sequels on Nintendo 64 and GameCube would make far greater splashes sooner or later. Do not get us incorrect, this a tremendous recreation in its personal proper (particularly should you’ve obtained a hyperlink cable and three buddies), however the majesty of its successor’s wave physics wasn’t potential on Sport Boy and, whereas enjoyable, that is merely a reliable (wave) racer.
A primary-party vertical-scrolling shmup, Gunpei Yokoi and Satoru Okada — the 2 designers primarily accountable for the Sport Boy itself — had been deeply concerned within the improvement of Photo voltaic Striker. Launched in 1990, inside a 12 months of the Sport Boy’s debut, its hectic motion confirmed simply what the modest machine was able to and, whereas it hasn’t gone down as a celebrated basic in Nintendo’s annals, it is nonetheless a quietly stable shooter with a superb soundtrack.
Between the NES and Sport Boy variations of Tennis, that is the one individuals often bear in mind, and for good motive: it is much more pleasing merely resulting from its presentation. As with the equally bluntly-named Golf, it is a primary recreation however extraordinarily stable in these fundamentals. It is obtained spectacular controls and physics for such a small title, and whereas there’s probably not that a lot to do, you are getting an pleasing, enjoyable little recreation which can hold you entertained for a set or so. Good for a brief journey, though we would advocate Camelot’s Mario Tennis on GBC should you’re after one thing with extra strings on its racket.
Whereas actually primary, Golf does not have many overt flaws. You get a easy recreation conducive to brief bursts that controls properly and appears fairly good. However you aren’t getting a lot that can hold you coming again: with solely two programs and no surprises alongside the best way, the sport begins to really feel very repetitive in a short time. If you happen to love golf video games, you most likely have one thing higher to play already. And should you do not, this most likely is not the most effective place to start out.
Tremendous Mario Land was a formidable accomplishment in 1989. The sequel might need made this primary shot at translating the plumber’s platforming to the overworked, underpowered handheld appear quaint by comparability, however it’s nonetheless a enjoyable Tremendous Mario expertise, albeit a brief one. Crafted by Gunpei Yokoi’s R&D1 moderately than Shigeru Miyamoto’s workforce, it is a surreal but compelling tackle the template which takes some adjusting to these days. And simply when issues are actually getting good, the credit roll.
If you have not performed Tremendous Mario Land earlier than, you owe it to your self to do that — it is value taking part in by not less than as soon as to see the place Mario’s moveable adventures started. Cracking music, too.
If you happen to’re a fan of Child Icarus on the NES, you owe it to your self to choose up the sequel. Not solely does it seize the identical magic discovered within the NES launch, however it builds on lots of the nice gameplay concepts featured within the unique. The problem has been toned right down to make it a bit extra approachable, however there’s nonetheless loads of problem to be discovered and a reasonably prolonged journey. Some improbable boss fights make for explicit highlights, and Child Icarus: Of Myths & Monsters is a superb prelude to Child Icarus: Rebellion.