twenty first April 2024 marks the thirty fifth anniversary of Nintendo’s Sport Boy. Over the following few days, we’ll be publishing varied options to have fun three-and-a-half a long time of the standard handheld. We kick issues off with this reader-ranked listing.
Keep in mind, that is based mostly on every sport’s Person Ranking in our database and is subsequently 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 very best first-party Sport Boy sport is? We’re right here to assist.
Our ranked listing of the Prime 50 Greatest Sport Boy Video games Ever covers each sport on the system, however right here we’re trying particularly at Nintendo-developed Sport Boy video games launched within the West. All the video games beneath have been developed (or co-developed) by Nintendo and subsequently signify the corporate’s in-house output on the Sport Boy. Not the Sport Boy Shade 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.
It is a reader-ranked listing based mostly on the Person Rankings of every sport 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 beneath, you may assign them a rating out of 10 proper now and exert your affect on the rating. You too can use the search bar beneath to rapidly discover any Nintendo-developed Sport Boy video games and fee them as you want:
So, let’s check out each first-party Sport Boy sport, as ranked by you, starting on the backside…
Writer: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Baseball was by no means a superb sport, however the skill to play it with mates meant it was a purposeful addition to any Sport Boy library. Any fond recollections you have got of Baseball embody a second participant, we are able to guarantee you. With out that second participant, even nostalgia will not assist; this isn’t the sport you keep in mind. You’ll be able to perceive the mechanical simplicity given the {hardware}, and a sure degree of enchantment given the dearth of moveable baseball options in 1989, however this one isn’t value chasing nowadays.
Writer: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
This one is probably not acquainted to soccer-loving US Sport Boy house owners, though to be truthful it is unlikely to be on the forefront of European footy followers’ minds, both. Launched in 1992 completely 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 (large) purpose on the reverse finish. You’ll be able to maintain the ball and energy up pictures, which makes issues a little bit extra fascinating, nevertheless it’s very primary stuff and the audio grates inside moments of beginning a match.
Writer: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
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 may need. Co-developed by Pax Softnica and Nintendo R&D1, it’s going to enchantment 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.
Writer: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Except for the Mario cameos (if you happen to listen when beginning the sport, you may see that Mario himself jumps into the paddle and pilots it, and lots of the bonus phases are formed like Mario characters), there’s not a lot to say about Alleyway. You bounce the ball together with your paddle to interrupt all of the blocks on the display screen, in time-honoured Breakout type. At its finest, it is merely Arkanoid with out all of the fluff. When you grew up with it otherwise you’re after some fairly compelling block-breaking, you may get a kick out of it.
Writer: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Loosely based mostly 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 if you happen to may rally different racers to affix you.
Writer: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
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.
Writer: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
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 sport’s linearity, though it may be a problem if you happen to put it down for some time and don’t keep in mind the place you bought to. There is a first rate 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 sport and as such continues to be very a lot value enjoying. After all, the 3DS remake is arguably one of the simplest ways to play the primary return of Samus nowadays, however the unique nonetheless has a lo-fi allure of its personal.
Writer: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EAD
This unique top-down Wave Race kicked off the collection in 1992, though its sequels on Nintendo 64 and GameCube would make far larger splashes sooner or later. Do not get us unsuitable, this a tremendous sport in its personal proper (particularly if you happen to’ve obtained a hyperlink cable and three friends), however the majesty of its successor’s wave physics wasn’t attainable on Sport Boy and, whereas enjoyable, that is merely a reliable (wave) racer.
Writer: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
A primary-party vertical-scrolling shmup, Gunpei Yokoi and Satoru Okada — the 2 designers primarily answerable for the Sport Boy itself — have 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 wonderful soundtrack.
Writer: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Between the NES and Sport Boy variations of Tennis, that is the one folks often keep in mind, and for good motive: it is much more pleasurable merely resulting from its presentation. As with the equally bluntly-named Golf, it is a primary sport 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 pleasurable, enjoyable little sport which can preserve you entertained for a set or so. Good for a brief journey, though we might advocate Camelot’s Mario Tennis on GBC if you happen to’re after one thing with extra strings on its racket.
Writer: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D2
Whereas definitely primary, Golf would not have many overt flaws. You get a easy sport conducive to brief bursts that controls properly and appears fairly good. However you aren’t getting a lot that can preserve you coming again: with solely two programs and no surprises alongside the way in which, the sport begins to really feel very repetitive in a short time. When you love golf video games, you most likely have one thing higher to play already. And if you happen to do not, this most likely is not the very best place to begin.
Writer: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Tremendous Mario Land was a formidable accomplishment in 1989. The sequel may need made this primary shot at translating the plumber’s platforming to the overworked, underpowered handheld appear quaint by comparability, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a enjoyable Tremendous Mario expertise, albeit a brief one. Crafted by Gunpei Yokoi’s R&D1 fairly than Shigeru Miyamoto’s group, 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 this — it is value enjoying via at the least as soon as to see the place Mario’s moveable adventures started. Cracking music, too.
Writer: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo R&D1
When you’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, nevertheless 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.