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My love for the Gameboy has never been understated here on The Outerhaven. Starting with one of my favorite editorials, Ode to the Gameboy, I have always wanted to do more to bring attention to one of the best handheld gaming consoles of any generation PERIOD. I know a lot of people will state differently, that some with superior technology took what the Gameboy did and made it on par with the home consoles that are all over the market, but without the Gameboy to begin all of this, none of those handhelds would have existed.
Now while I could do the "Top 10 Gameboy games of the generation" or "Karl's favorite Gameboy games", I decided to go another way. While the Gameboy had some amazing games in its original iteration (and more with the Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance eras), I thought I would bring some attention to some of the weirder and underrated Gameboy games that people might not have heard about before... And might get a chance to buy on the second-hand market without having to sell body parts to afford.
Now while I could do the "Top 10 Gameboy games of the generation" or "Karl's favorite Gameboy games", I decided to go another way. While the Gameboy had some amazing games in its original iteration (and more with the Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance eras), I thought I would bring some attention to some of the weirder and underrated Gameboy games that people might not have heard about before... And might get a chance to buy on the second-hand market without having to sell body parts to afford.
12. DuckTales 2
Price (Loose): $35-$50
Price (Complete): $1000+
Everyone knows about Ducktales from the NES and the remake on the XBOX 360/PlayStation 3, it's one of the best games featuring one of the best cartoons on the planet. However, not that many people know about the excellent sequel that is both on the Gameboy and NES. This adventure sees Scrooge McDuck chasing down the legendary treasure of Clan McDuck, stopping Glomgold from getting it. The game follows the formula that made the first game a success but goes and gives you more by allowing upgrades to Scrooge's cane and allowing the player to go back to previously completed levels and get more gold and treasures to give them a better chance at getting the better of two endings.
| Release Date | November 1, 1993 |
| Developer | CAPCOM |
| Publisher | CAPCOM |
| Genre | Platform |
| Max Players | 1 |
| Overview | Scrooge McDuck is hot on the trail of the richest adventure ever. Pieces to the map of the Lost Treasure of McDuck have been scattered across the globe, and Scrooge must find them before the greedy Flintheart Glomgold grabs them. It's going to be a race to the finish as both of them try to find the treasure and become the richest duck in the world! Join Scrooge and his nephews as they explore the ancient pyramids of Egypt and do battle with swashbuckling pirates in the Bermuda Triangle. Help them search the haunted halls of an ancient Scottish castle and scale the watery heights of Niagara Falls. Aid Scrooge in his quest for the secret of the island of Mu and you'll gain the final clue to unravel the hidden location of the Lost Treasure of McDuck! |
11. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue
Price (Loose): $25-$110
Price (Complete): $250-$600
One of the weirder entries into the TMNT gaming library, TMNT3 is more of a dungeon crawler than a straightforward arcade brawler. You start out as Michaelangelo, who must rescue the other turtles, along with Splinter and April O'Neil, who has been kidnapped by Shredder. Following the in the vein of games like Metroid and Castlevania, you fight your way through many different sewer systems, parks, and other locations as you search for the kidnapped other characters and face off against the boss villains. Due to the later published nature of this game in the West, the English version is highly-priced, but the Japanese version is a lot cheaper and one of the only editions you can buy complete in a box.
Price (Loose): $25-$110
Price (Complete): $250-$600
One of the weirder entries into the TMNT gaming library, TMNT3 is more of a dungeon crawler than a straightforward arcade brawler. You start out as Michaelangelo, who must rescue the other turtles, along with Splinter and April O'Neil, who has been kidnapped by Shredder. Following the in the vein of games like Metroid and Castlevania, you fight your way through many different sewer systems, parks, and other locations as you search for the kidnapped other characters and face off against the boss villains. Due to the later published nature of this game in the West, the English version is highly-priced, but the Japanese version is a lot cheaper and one of the only editions you can buy complete in a box.
| Release Date | November 25, 1993 |
| Developer | Konami |
| Publisher | Konami |
| Genre | Action, Platform |
| Max Players | 1 |
| Overview | The whole sewer crew, except Michaelangelo, is captured in a most heinous hideout. Who could be behind this travesty? Who else. Shredder has returned as Cyber Shredder - half-man, half-machine and he‘s created this twisty-turny fun house" of Turtle torture. Use Turtle strategy and all new moves to help Michaelangelo rescue the gang from Cyber Shredder's Fortress. -The Turtles are sporting some radical new maneuvers. Call on each unique skill to overcome specific obstacles. It helps to round up your scrambled cohorts in a certain order. -Michaelangelo has helicopter hang time, Leonardo dusts concrete blocks, Raphael shells through tight spots and Donatello scales sheer walls. -Fight through 5 rescue adventures. You'll need keen Turtle sense and all the pizza power you can scarf up to make It past bats, goons and hordes of robotic maniacs. -Use the Fortress Map to navigate through places unseen and find valuable Items such as power ups, ID cards, keys an shanghaied Shell Backs. -Who's the Boss you ask? How about Scratch, Dirtbag, Triceraton, Scale Tail and of course Cyber Shredder, as Turtle-hungry as they get. -The Password feature lets you pick up your mission from the last Boss Beast you annihilated. -To make it out of Shredder’s maze of mayhem, you'll need to be as sharp as a sai sword and as tough as a team of sumo wrestlers. |
10. Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman!
Price (Loose): $10-$30
Price (Complete): $60-$70
I love me some Bomberman, but when you do something weird like adding Wario into the game, then you've got my attention. This is basically a port of Bomberman GB, the Japanese version of this game, but with Wario's name slapped on it for the Western market. It's due to this fact that this is one of the rare times where you'll find the English version of the game will cost less than the Japanese version. Either way, you're getting that great Bomberman gameplay in a portable format. Extra points to this version though due to the excellent Super Gameboy enhancements on the SNES, which included boosts to the sound as well as the visuals.
Price (Loose): $10-$30
Price (Complete): $60-$70
I love me some Bomberman, but when you do something weird like adding Wario into the game, then you've got my attention. This is basically a port of Bomberman GB, the Japanese version of this game, but with Wario's name slapped on it for the Western market. It's due to this fact that this is one of the rare times where you'll find the English version of the game will cost less than the Japanese version. Either way, you're getting that great Bomberman gameplay in a portable format. Extra points to this version though due to the excellent Super Gameboy enhancements on the SNES, which included boosts to the sound as well as the visuals.
| Release Date | November 15, 1994 |
| Developer | Hudson Soft |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Genre | Action |
| Max Players | 2 |
| Overview | OH, NO! Wario has stumbled upon the secret gateway into Bomberland! Now the greedy warmonger wants to claim the land, its inhabitants, and treasures as his own. Entering the underground labyrinth, he meets the resistance of the Madbombers - explosives experts who have some TNT tricks and surprises to toss at Wario. The battle heats up as Wario and Bomberman each try to outwit the other, level by level in a dynamite duel! |
9. Boomer's Adventure in ASMIK World
Price (Loose): $2.50-$25
Price (Complete): $850
One of the weirdest games I ever played as a kid, and one of the most challenging. Playing a top-down adventure game where you play as a dinosaur who digs holes to trap enemies and get items to help make his way back up and down a tower is just weird. Also calling this an adventure in an ASMIK world where nobody outside of Japan would have a clue about what's going on, then you have one of the weirdest games out there.
Price (Loose): $2.50-$25
Price (Complete): $850
One of the weirdest games I ever played as a kid, and one of the most challenging. Playing a top-down adventure game where you play as a dinosaur who digs holes to trap enemies and get items to help make his way back up and down a tower is just weird. Also calling this an adventure in an ASMIK world where nobody outside of Japan would have a clue about what's going on, then you have one of the weirdest games out there.
| Release Date | December 27, 1989 |
| Developer | Dual |
| Publisher | Asmik |
| Genre | Puzzle |
| Max Players | 1 |
| Overview | Sure, maybe on the outside, Boomer is cute and a bit on the pink side. But on the inside, he's all fight! He has to be tough. Boomer is the last warrior left in Asmik World. Before Boomer can defeat the dark lord Zoozoon in his tower, Boomer needs to dig up an assortment of buried weapons and destroy Zoozoon's mutant guards. But if Boomer cannot find the key to the 8 different worlds of the tower, he will never battle Zoozoon for control of Asmik World. Time is running out, both for Boomer and the good people of Asmik World. They need your help NOW! |
8. Mr. Chin's Gourmet Paradise
Price (Loose): $8.00-$20
Price (Complete): $850
Another game where the premise and gameplay make no sense at all. You play as Mr. Chin, a Chinese stereotype who goes around taking weird flaming ball creatures and either killing them or turning them into peaches and eating them. Kind of an action-platformer mixed with a strategy game that makes you think about what you are doing before you do it but also has a fast enough reaction time to adapt to new situations. A great game for the thinking gamer, but still very weird that it doesn't demand a high price online.
Price (Loose): $8.00-$20
Price (Complete): $850
Another game where the premise and gameplay make no sense at all. You play as Mr. Chin, a Chinese stereotype who goes around taking weird flaming ball creatures and either killing them or turning them into peaches and eating them. Kind of an action-platformer mixed with a strategy game that makes you think about what you are doing before you do it but also has a fast enough reaction time to adapt to new situations. A great game for the thinking gamer, but still very weird that it doesn't demand a high price online.
| Release Date | October 1, 1990 |
| Developer | Romstar |
| Publisher | Romstar |
| Genre | Platform |
| Max Players | 1 |
| Overview | In this high skill action adventure game, Mr. Chin is in hot pusuit of his favorite treat. He has come all the way from China to eat as many luscious gourmet peaches as he can before anyone else discovers how to eat this unique treat. As Mr. Chin, you must pursue the mysterious Momos and zap them into peaches with your demoe beam. So hurry up and run, jump, zap and eat as many peaches as you can before they make dinner out of you! |
7. Burger Time Deluxe
Price (Loose): $19-$60
Price (Complete): $80-$250
Take the platforms from Donkey Kong, add food-based enemies, and make the objective about running over hamburger pieces in order to make a complete burger to win, and boom, you have Burgertime Deluxe. Starting life in the arcades, this basic but challenging puzzle title is something that needs to be played to see how challenging it really is. Long before most other puzzle games were ported to the Gameboy, Burgertime Deluxe showed the portable world how things are done.
Price (Loose): $19-$60
Price (Complete): $80-$250
Take the platforms from Donkey Kong, add food-based enemies, and make the objective about running over hamburger pieces in order to make a complete burger to win, and boom, you have Burgertime Deluxe. Starting life in the arcades, this basic but challenging puzzle title is something that needs to be played to see how challenging it really is. Long before most other puzzle games were ported to the Gameboy, Burgertime Deluxe showed the portable world how things are done.
| Release Date | March 1, 1991 |
| Developer | Data East |
| Publisher | Data East |
| Genre | Action |
| Max Players | 2 |
| Overview | If you can't take the heat... Get outta the kitchen. But if you're looking for a little action, have we got the kitchen for you. A renegade band of giant, mutated fast food is after Chef Peter Pepper. Led by the biggest weiner of all time - Frank N. Furter - the Food Fiends are out to get the chef and his world-famous Giant-O-Burgers. It's a wild chase through seven levels in the latest edition of the smash-hit Burger Time series. |
6. Bubble Ghost
Price (Loose): $20-$70
Price (Complete): $300
The objective is to guide a bubble throughout a number of halls in a haunted house. If the bubble hits any walls or obstacles, then it will pop and the player loses a life. Obstacles include lit candles, electricity, and fans. These can be all controlled by the ghost, who can wander around the level freely and blow at things - such as the bubble to add speed, the candle to put out the flame, or switches to turn them on or off. What makes Bubble Ghost such a great game is probably the way that my mother and I challenged each other with this game to see how far we could get before the game was over. She won a lot, but these days I'd probably win.
Price (Loose): $20-$70
Price (Complete): $300
The objective is to guide a bubble throughout a number of halls in a haunted house. If the bubble hits any walls or obstacles, then it will pop and the player loses a life. Obstacles include lit candles, electricity, and fans. These can be all controlled by the ghost, who can wander around the level freely and blow at things - such as the bubble to add speed, the candle to put out the flame, or switches to turn them on or off. What makes Bubble Ghost such a great game is probably the way that my mother and I challenged each other with this game to see how far we could get before the game was over. She won a lot, but these days I'd probably win.
| Release Date | November 1, 1990 |
| Developer | ERE Informatique, Opera House |
| Publisher | FCI |
| Genre | Puzzle |
| Max Players | 1 |
| Overview | Take a deep breath and enter a topsy-turvy world where one of your greatest enemies is... an electric fan? Control the cute Ghost who loves blowing a bubble through a wacky haunted house. His soft breath can move it, but a fragile bubble doesnt stand a ghost of a chance against a candle flame or the breeze from a fan. If the bubble bursts-pop goes the puzzle! Maneuvering around the many hazards is only part of the fun, you must also find your way through the maze-like halls. Its an a-mazing puzzle that will blow your mind and leave you breathless! - Adapted from the international best-selling PC game - 35 screens-each one trickier than the last - Bonus bar gives you the extra points for speed - Challenges your speed, reflexes, timing and your mind! |
5. Catrap
Price (Loose): $50-$100
Price (Complete): $50-$2800
Catrap is a puzzle game. The player directs the avatar, an anthropomorphic cat, to navigate a room while clearing obstacles and kicking monsters and ghosts off the screen. Once the player has knocked all of the enemies off the screen, they advance to the next level. Advancement grows difficult for the player as increasingly intricate obstacles is presented to complicate the process of overcoming all of the monsters and ghosts. The game encourages trial and error. A player may try one combination of maneuvers by moving the obstacle in one direction, then they may find themselves trapped. The player can hit the 'A'-button to reverse their movements and try again in a different way until they find the solution that enables them to access all of the enemies and knock them off the screen. Trial and error make up a large portion of the game. Players can also create their own mazes.
Price (Loose): $50-$100
Price (Complete): $50-$2800
Catrap is a puzzle game. The player directs the avatar, an anthropomorphic cat, to navigate a room while clearing obstacles and kicking monsters and ghosts off the screen. Once the player has knocked all of the enemies off the screen, they advance to the next level. Advancement grows difficult for the player as increasingly intricate obstacles is presented to complicate the process of overcoming all of the monsters and ghosts. The game encourages trial and error. A player may try one combination of maneuvers by moving the obstacle in one direction, then they may find themselves trapped. The player can hit the 'A'-button to reverse their movements and try again in a different way until they find the solution that enables them to access all of the enemies and knock them off the screen. Trial and error make up a large portion of the game. Players can also create their own mazes.
| Release Date | September 1, 1990 |
| Developer | ASK Kodansha |
| Publisher | ASMIK |
| Genre | Puzzle |
| Max Players | 1 |
| Overview | Banished to a mysterious underground labyrinth of complex mazes, two explorers are faced with one chance to reverse the curse: solve all 100 puzzles set out in mazes before them. But watch it! Every maze has monsters patrolling the depths of the labyrinth. Help Catgirl and Catboy push around huge blocks to bridge a path to yet another maze, or topple a block a few stories over the pursuing monsters. If you make a mistake, simply use the rewind function and travel back in time to correct it. With 100 mazes in this labyrinth, it will be quite a challenge to get out of the curse's reach! Catrap is more than just a game of mindbending intrigue and action. Be the architect of the underground labyrinth and make your own games of intricate puzzles. Whether you choose to be a maze builder or a maze solver, we know you can help Catboy and Catgirl land on their feet. |
4. Solar Striker
Price (Loose): $10-$30
Price (Complete): $70-$500
The player controls the advanced space fighter, code-named Solar Striker. There are six levels of play against enemies known as the forces of Reticulon. These enemies appear from the top of the screen. The player can amass power-ups by shooting special ships. One power-up doubles the player's firepower, three power-ups triples the player's firepower, and five power-ups causes shots to explode on impact with enemies, greatly aiding combat against tough enemies and bosses that take many hits to destroy. There are a variety of enemies as well as sub-bosses in later levels.
Price (Loose): $10-$30
Price (Complete): $70-$500
The player controls the advanced space fighter, code-named Solar Striker. There are six levels of play against enemies known as the forces of Reticulon. These enemies appear from the top of the screen. The player can amass power-ups by shooting special ships. One power-up doubles the player's firepower, three power-ups triples the player's firepower, and five power-ups causes shots to explode on impact with enemies, greatly aiding combat against tough enemies and bosses that take many hits to destroy. There are a variety of enemies as well as sub-bosses in later levels.
| Release Date | February 1, 1990 |
| Developer | Minakuchi Engineering |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Genre | Shooter |
| Max Players | 1 |
| Overview | You are locked in ferocious combat on an interstellar battlefield. Dodging and taking aim, alien rocketships stream past, circle, and attack. There are too many to count! Fire, fire, fire! The enemies' first wave is repelled. A moment's rest, and the attack begins again. Gather extra life and firepower from floating energy cells. Prepare to duel batwing fighters and insect spaceships, avoid churning energy fields, alien cruisers and more! |
3. Motocross Maniacs
Price (Loose): $5-$20
Price (Complete): $40-$80
The player controls a motorcycle moving one way horizontally, much like Nintendo's Excitebike for the Nintendo Entertainment System. When a level has been completed within its time limit, the player starts on the next. With only eight different levels and fairly simple gameplay, the game's complexity is not too different from other Game Boy games released around the introduction of the system. Despite this, Motocross Maniacs requires quite some skill to master. Additionally, the game provides replay value by letting the player beat previous time records, which are announced at the completion of a level. The game's cartridge, however, does not retain these records after the Game Boy is turned off.
Price (Loose): $5-$20
Price (Complete): $40-$80
The player controls a motorcycle moving one way horizontally, much like Nintendo's Excitebike for the Nintendo Entertainment System. When a level has been completed within its time limit, the player starts on the next. With only eight different levels and fairly simple gameplay, the game's complexity is not too different from other Game Boy games released around the introduction of the system. Despite this, Motocross Maniacs requires quite some skill to master. Additionally, the game provides replay value by letting the player beat previous time records, which are announced at the completion of a level. The game's cartridge, however, does not retain these records after the Game Boy is turned off.
| Release Date | January 19, 1990 |
| Developer | Konami |
| Publisher | Ultra Games |
| Genre | Racing |
| Max Players | 2 |
| Overview | This is pure insanity. And to take the checkered flag, you'll need sheer intensity to throttle past hundreds of obstacles, including the Head Spinning Loop and the Sky Riding Ramp. You'll also need precision skills to refuel with Nitro Turbo Boosts that'll power you to victory! There are 8 championship tracks and 3 ultra-challenging levels (Rookie, World Class and Daredevil) to choose from. You can even race against the clock or computer. Or attach your Video Link and spit some mud in the face of a friend. So get down and dirty in an off-road rad race where speed and courage are the difference between popping wheelies and biting the dust. |
2. Penguin Wars
Price (Loose): $8-$20
Prince (Complete): $Unknown
The player participates in a sport called "Dojiball" (ドジボール, dojibōru), a pun on the Japanese pronunciation of "Dodgeball". In the arcade and Nintendo Entertainment System editions of the game, the five animals featured are the penguin, bear, panda, koala, and beaver, with the penguin being controlled by the player. In the Game Boy version, the player can choose any one of the five animals, which, in addition to the penguin, are a cow, rabbit, bat, and rat. In all versions of the game, the player plays against all the other animals. In each game, the participating animals find each other on opposite sides of a square table with five balls on each side. The object of the game is to roll those balls over the table. As soon as all ten balls are on one player's side, that player loses the game. Each game also has a time limit of 60 seconds; if that is reached, the player with the fewest balls on their side wins.
Price (Loose): $8-$20
Prince (Complete): $Unknown
The player participates in a sport called "Dojiball" (ドジボール, dojibōru), a pun on the Japanese pronunciation of "Dodgeball". In the arcade and Nintendo Entertainment System editions of the game, the five animals featured are the penguin, bear, panda, koala, and beaver, with the penguin being controlled by the player. In the Game Boy version, the player can choose any one of the five animals, which, in addition to the penguin, are a cow, rabbit, bat, and rat. In all versions of the game, the player plays against all the other animals. In each game, the participating animals find each other on opposite sides of a square table with five balls on each side. The object of the game is to roll those balls over the table. As soon as all ten balls are on one player's side, that player loses the game. Each game also has a time limit of 60 seconds; if that is reached, the player with the fewest balls on their side wins.
| Release Date | July 1, 1990 |
| Developer | UPL |
| Publisher | NEXOFT Corporation |
| Genre | Sports |
| Max Players | 2 |
| Overview | Are you ready to indulge in some animal antics? To compete with some fun-loving characters? Then PENGUIN WARS is the game for you! The action never stops as you try to roll ten balls across the playing court while your wacky opponent attempts to do the same. Pitch 'em! Dodge 'em! You won't have a second to rest once this game gets rolling! |
1. Snow Bros. Jr
Price (Loose): $80-$160
Price (Complete): $150-$400
Snow Bros. is a platform game reminiscent of Bubble Bobble and Tumblepop, where players assume the role of snowmen twins Nick (P1) and Tom (P2) through 50 increasingly difficult stages, each with a boss at every tenth stage that must be fought before progressing any further, in an effort to rescue twin princesses Puripuri and Puchipuchi from captivity as the main objective. Now the Gameboy version is only 1 player, but it manages to capture all the gameplay of its arcade original to perfection. This version is my personal favorite because its a great game to throw on for a lazy afternoon playthrough.
Price (Loose): $80-$160
Price (Complete): $150-$400
Snow Bros. is a platform game reminiscent of Bubble Bobble and Tumblepop, where players assume the role of snowmen twins Nick (P1) and Tom (P2) through 50 increasingly difficult stages, each with a boss at every tenth stage that must be fought before progressing any further, in an effort to rescue twin princesses Puripuri and Puchipuchi from captivity as the main objective. Now the Gameboy version is only 1 player, but it manages to capture all the gameplay of its arcade original to perfection. This version is my personal favorite because its a great game to throw on for a lazy afternoon playthrough.
| Release Date | January 1, 1992 |
| Developer | ToaPlan |
| Publisher | CAPCOM |
| Genre | Arcade |
| Max Players | 2 |
| Overview | The gameplay of Snow Bros. is similar to Bubble Bobble, released in 1986. The game supports up to two players, with each player taking the part of one of two snowmen Nick and Tom. Each player can throw snow at the enemies. The player must throw snow at each enemy until it is completely covered, when it turns into a snowball. An enemy partially covered in snow cannot move until it shakes it off. |
