Top 16 Classic Game Boy Games Ranked

Launched in 1989, Nintendo's Game Boy revolutionized portable gaming, dominating the market until the Game Boy Color arrived in 1998.

Its 2.6-inch monochrome screen introduced a generation to mobile gaming, laying the groundwork for the hugely successful Switch. With 118.69 million units sold, it ranks fourth among best-selling consoles of all time.

The Game Boy's success stemmed from its stellar game library, debuting iconic Nintendo franchises like Pokémon, Kirby, and Wario. But which titles stood out as the greatest?

IGN editors compiled a definitive list of the 16 best Game Boy games—timeless classics or titles that launched major franchises. Only original Game Boy releases (no Game Boy Color exclusives) qualify.

Here are the 16 greatest Game Boy games ever.

16 Top Game Boy Titles

16. Final Fantasy Legend 2

Bearing the Final Fantasy name, Legend 2 is actually the second entry in Square’s SaGa series, featuring complex, system-driven RPG mechanics. (The Final Fantasy branding was used for its North American release to leverage Square’s reputation, according to SaGa director Akitoshi Kawazu.)

As one of the Game Boy’s earliest RPGs, Final Fantasy Legend 2 surpasses its predecessor with enhanced gameplay, sharper visuals, and a more compelling narrative.

15. Donkey Kong Game Boy

Donkey Kong for Game Boy vastly expands the 1981 arcade original, including its four stages plus 97 new levels spanning jungles, arctic zones, and more.

These additional stages blend platforming and puzzles, enhanced by Mario’s new ability to lift and throw objects, inspired by Super Mario Bros. 2.

14. Final Fantasy Legend 3

Final Fantasy Legend 3 (SaGa 3 in Japan) maintains the series’ robust turn-based RPG mechanics while weaving a richer, time-travel narrative where past and present actions shape the future, echoing Square’s Chrono Trigger.

13. Kirby's Dream Land

Kirby’s Dream Land introduced Nintendo’s iconic pink hero, created by Masahiro Sakurai. This side-scrolling platformer features King Dedede, Dream Land’s whimsical world, and Kirby’s core abilities: flying by inflating and spitting enemies as star projectiles.

With five concise levels, it’s a short but charming adventure completable in under an hour.

12. Donkey Kong Land 2

Donkey Kong Land 2 reimagines the SNES classic Donkey Kong Country 2 for Game Boy, retaining Diddy and Dixie Kong as playable characters and the mission to rescue Donkey Kong from Kaptain K.Rool. Adjusted levels and puzzles suit the handheld’s hardware, and it launched on a vibrant banana-yellow cartridge.

11. Kirby's Dream Land 2

Kirby’s Dream Land 2 evolves the original with Kirby’s signature ability-absorbing powers and animal companions, enabling power combinations. It offers triple the content of its predecessor, per How Long to Beat, making it a fuller Kirby experience.

10. Wario Land 2

Released just before the Game Boy Color, Wario Land 2 stars a durable Wario with a bold charge attack and immortality, fostering aggressive play. Its 50+ levels feature diverse boss battles, hidden exits, and branching paths for rich replayability.

9. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 swaps Mario for the brash Wario, blending Super Mario Land’s platforming with new exploration elements. Wario’s garlic-fueled power-ups—Bull Cap (ground pound, ceiling cling), Dragon Cap (fire stream), and Jet Cap (gliding)—add fresh gameplay twists.

8. Super Mario Land

A Game Boy launch title, Super Mario Land brings Mario’s 2D platforming to handheld with a compact design suited for the 2.6-inch screen. It features quirky elements like exploding Koopa shells, Superballs instead of fireballs, and two Gradius-style shooting levels, plus introduces Princess Daisy.

7. Dr. Mario

Dr. Mario, a Tetris-style puzzle game, challenges players to match pill colors with viruses to clear them. Its addictive gameplay and Mario’s doctor persona make it a standout, using white, black, and shaded sprites to represent colors on the Game Boy’s monochrome display.

6. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins enhances its predecessor with smoother gameplay, larger sprites, and a Super Mario World-style overworld. Players can backtrack and choose from six unique zones, wielding Fire Flowers and Bunny Mario’s gliding jumps, with Wario as the villain.

5. Tetris

Developer: Nintendo | Publisher: Nintendo | Release Date: June 14, 1989 (JP) | Review: IGN's Tetris review

Tetris, a Game Boy launch title and pack-in game in North America and Europe, defined the console’s success. Its timeless puzzle gameplay, with A-Type (endless), B-Type (25-line), and 2 Player modes via Game Link Cable, sold 35 million units, making it the top single Game Boy title.

4. Metroid 2: Return of Samus

Metroid 2: Return of Samus delivers the series’ signature isolated exploration with tight, maze-like level design. It introduced the Plasma Beam, Space Jump, and Spider Ball, plus Baby Metroid, setting up Super Metroid. A 2017 3DS remake, Metroid: Samus Returns, followed.

3. Pokémon Red and Blue

Pokémon Red and Blue sparked a global phenomenon, letting players collect, train, and battle creatures to become Kanto’s Champion. Inspired by Satoshi Tajiri’s insect-collecting hobby, they birthed a franchise with over 100 games, a trading card game, movies, and more.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Zelda’s handheld debut, strands Link on Koholint Island to collect eight instruments and awaken the Wind Fish. Its combat, exploration, and surreal, Twin Peaks-inspired story shine, with a 2019 Switch remake preserving its charm.

1. Pokémon Yellow

Pokémon Yellow, the ultimate Game Boy Pokémon experience, gives players a Pikachu companion that follows in the overworld, mirroring the anime. It tweaks gym leader teams and adds Team Rocket’s Jessie and James. The first-generation games (Yellow, Red, Blue, Green) sold 47 million copies.

Craving more Game Boy nostalgia? Explore former IGNpocket Editor Craig Harris' top 25 Game Boy and Game Boy Color picks on IGN Playlist. Remix and rank the list yourself:

Top Game Boy Classics

Curating the best Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles, this list blends both systems for their shared legacy. Want Game Boy Advance? That’s a different beast entirely.See All1Camelot2Nintendo EAD3WayForward4Nintendo R&D15Nintendo R&D26Konami OSA (KCEO)7Jupiter8Nintendo EAD9Nintendo10Nintendo R&D1