GameBoy Original
Here we have all the games in the GameBoy Original Section.
GameBoy Original
Platform
Subtitled ‘Takahashi Meijin’. Old school platforming in all its springs, strawberry and skateboarding cliched brilliance.
GameBoy Original
Platform
Old school platforming in all its springs, strawberries and skateboarding cliched brilliance. Simple character sprites, colourful backgrounds, good play mechanics all add up to a title that built Hudson into a major developer. Full Japanese name ‘Takahashi Meijin no Daibouken Shima II.’
GameBoy Original
RPG
A fine take on the fishing RPG genre popular on the GameBoy and given plenty of Konami polish that saw it rise to become a grand master in its gaming field. Lovely, cute sprites.
GameBoy Original
Action
Bomberman style action where players use carefully placed bombs to take down opponents and clear the stage. Care must be taken to not back yourself into a corner with a ticking bomb for company. The levels become more and more devious as progress is made, but never unfair. Known as Atomic Punk in America and Dynablaster in Europe.
GameBoy Original
Simulation
In depth exploration of the Shin Chan world and it certainly never lacks intrigue. Enjoyable and friendly escapades on the well loved GB handheld.
GameBoy Original
Simulation
Create a dinosaur which doesn’t require any toilet training thankfully. Battle against other dinosaurs to gain valuable HP points. Looking very cute on the GameBoy.
GameBoy Original
Platform
Nintendo treats gamers to plenty of special moments within this well composed platformer with solid sprites squeezing every squashed banana of performance out of this little monkey magic machine. The movement of Diddy works well to give variety to a well represented genre.
GameBoy Original
Sports
Mario Kart tribute with the fun characters from Doraemon: Nobita, Shizuka and Takeshi making for varied kart attributes, just like Nintendo’s opus.
GameBoy Original
Puzzle
Viruses must be wiped out by aligning them with the correctly colour coded vitamin pill. Simple premise but it soon generates sweaty palm syndrome and prickly heat that even the good Doctor Mario would have trouble curing.
GameBoy Original
Simulation
Tactical selection of weaponry and an immense two player experience made for some very popular GBA updates, but all the series appeal can be found in this humble GameBoy title. Plenty of hidden Nintendo magic behind the smoothly presented, user friendly take on the war sim.
GameBoy Original
Action
Genjin, or PC Kid, enjoys to dish out a few head butts, clearly a fan of the John Otway song. Here they are used ina series of mini games: dispatching adversaries back into the pipe they just popped up from, keeping the ball moving instead of using a flipper in the pinball style mini game, or more traditional platforming. The rollercoaster level in particular shows what a well-suited hero PC Kid was to platforming, just lacking the marketing clout of Nintendo and Sega’s more renowned mascots.
GameBoy Original
Action
HAL always gets to grips with the architecture of its chosen hardware and it fits like a glove, as well suited as the Ghostbusters team are to their Gothic HQ. Said team are well represented on the small screen and instantly recognisable as they go about taking down the supernatural around New York city whilst avoiding excess exoplasm.
GameBoy Original
Sports
Early GB golf title with that unique Nintendo magic in terms of both characterisation, presentation and gameplay. American and Japanese courses.
GameBoy Original
Platform
Never has a game character been more suited to rolling around on screen more than Kirby – Hal Laboratory’s rotund, pink creation. Cute, cuddly and colourful with the tight play mechanics Nintendo always delivers.
GameBoy Original
Sports
Hawking back to the days when Arsene Wenger and Gary Lineker had their names always uttered with an honourific ‘san’ suffix comes J League Winning Eleven with a fluid engine and good use of the systems hardware to bring back the league razmatazz.
GameBoy Original
Simulation
A refreshing and imaginative action RPG set on the islands and foliage of a far away land making for unusual situations and adversaries. Being tossed overboard whilst your darling is zipping away kidnapped on a boat is not the best foot to get off on.
GameBoy Original
RPG
A rare Starfish release for the GB which features a delightful dinosaur theme with players band being joined by capture prehistoric creatures.
GameBoy Original
Simulation
Captures the innocent times of youth in the Japanese countryside with warm, well-knit community and ages of time to explore capturing insects. Known in Japan as Konchuu Hakase which could be translated as Professor Insect.
GameBoy Original
Simulation
A tidy RPG from Konami whose high production standards shine through. Also stars Koukiatsu Girl and some imaginative characters.
GameBoy Original
Shooter
A similar title to Kikikaikai with its scrolling shooting action, Shinto priestess and many references to Japan of old in lanterns, Oni bosses and hopping, one eyed umbrellas. In the GB game however the action is force scrolled along, but this is a fine little blast for fans of a Japanese flavoured broth with many varied ingredients thrown into the stock. Ninjas, a Shinto priestess, a Buddhist priest rumbling along dispatching feudal adversaries in ancient Japan: Genki would love to claim the glory, but if we were let loose on a project, this wouldn’t be far off. Think Kikikaikai for the GameBoy. Known in Japan as Tenshin Kaisen.
GameBoy Original
Platform
Kemco goes for an early Disney look approach to realising Mickey in this good, clean platform adventure. Clever touches and plenty of sweet animation to put a spring back in your gaming step. Known in the West as Mickey Mouse Magic Wand.
GameBoy Original
Action
Miyamoto magic at hand here yet somewhat slipped off the radar due to a certain yellow monster that radiated strange rays from its eyes. The bespectacled mole is out to rescue his poor folk kidnapped by the tough, gruff farmer. Levels are puzzle is style and players seek out a way to dispatch the bomb to move onto the next challenge. Bosses a plenty, but it’s the ability to dig that help players get out of a tight spot and takes the game onto a different level. Its Japanese name is Mogura Nya.
GameBoy Original
Sports
Kickstart for the GameBoy with daring loops that require a power up to negotiate. But its not just full throttle: players must keep the bike at the right angle or flip off the handlebars, losing valuable time.
GameBoy Original
A Bit Special
A fine compilation of Mappy, Galaga, Namco Classic and Battle City. The platforming delights of Mappy, shooting action of Galaga and golfing exertions of Namco Classic are well known and summaries are on the site. Perhaps the lesser known element in the package is Battle City which involves the players tank defending a position against a whole armoury of opponents tanks with cool calculated shots a requirement to progress.
GameBoy Original
Side Scrolling Beat Em Up
Miniature version of Renegade for the GameBoy with the Kunio crew suiting being shrunk down to squat characters to squabble it out. Such a slick gaming engine it was released as Double Dragon II in the West.
GameBoy Original
One on One Beat Em Up
Great use of the two buttons to provide some cracking special moves with many colourful in game characters.
GameBoy Original
Action
Hardware appropriate graphical achievements and gameplay to match as the players penguin pecks platforms to negotiate a safe passage for the egg through the screens laden with traps and adversaries. A real gem in Sega’s crown that shows why it enjoyed the fine times ahead.
GameBoy Original
Simulation
A wonderful premise of a game: try and keep the family of the household happy. Cheap rent is always a good place to start. Very compelling.
GameBoy Original
Sports
Simply animated on screen action and appealing avatars convey the emotion of the simple yet at times frustrating game. A fine all round representation of the sport and a pleasure to whittle away long journeys.
GameBoy Original
Puzzle
Like all the best puzzlers – easy to pick up, but refuses to let go. Puyo Puyo is at the pinnacle of its genre: sublime, fluid gameplay backed up with zany characters including a samurai mole and a grape aubergine…?