Nintendo hit it big with the NES in 1985, but they weren’t done innovating yet. Their successor console, the SNES, became one of the most popular home consoles of all time. In-between these two consoles was another revolutionary gadget, theGame Boy.
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TheGame Boyhad a huge lifespan lasting from 1989 until 1998 when it was replaced by the superior Game Boy Color. There were some remodels in there as well that didn’t boost power but were still cool like the Game Boy Pocket. The original system did for portable gaming what the NES did for the home market. Now, 1993 wasn’t the best year for the portable, but it still had some stellar releases that are worth highlighting.
8Final Fantasy Legend 3
Final Fantasy Legend 3was released in 1991 in Japan before getting the port to the West in 1993. It was calledSaGa 3: Jikuu no Hashain Japan as part of theSaGaseries. The first game in this series that was titled more correctly in the West wasSaGa Frontierin 1998 on the PS1.
The West was completely skipped during the SNES generation ofSaGagames. What makes this game and the rest of theSaGaseries so unique asRPGs is the leveling-up system. Everything players do will increase stats from attacking enemies with spells to getting hit by enemies.
7God Medicine: Fantasy Sekai No Tanjou
God Medicine: Fantasy Sekai no Tanjouwas a Japanese exclusive that remains locked away thirty years later. It has a similar battle design as theDragon Questgameswith players facing enemies head-on without the heroes appearing. It’s not the best RPG on the system as it plays by the numbers.
It does, however, have some cool monster designs like a pumpkin ghost that is holding a fork and a beer. Fans took on the monumental task of translating it into English if RPG buffs feel like checking it out.
6Kid Dracula
Kid Draculawas released in Japan in North America in 1993. It is a sequel and a bit of a remake of the NES original in 1990. That did not release in the West until 2019 when theCastlevania Anniversary Collectionwas released across a plethora of platforms. That was the first collection before the Metroidvaniacollection akaCastlevania Advance Collection.
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The game itself is a spinoff toCastlevaniawhich was a cuter platformer from Dracula’s new design to the enemies he faced. Both games are fun and easily accessible thanks to the aforementioned collection.
5Kirby’s Pinball Land
1993 was a good year forKirbyfans because they got two games to play. NES players got to enjoyKirby’s Adventurewhile Game Boy players got to knock Kirby around inKirby’s Pinball Land. This was the first spinoff in the series that wasn’t a platformer filledwith special abilities.
It made sense to turn Kirby into a pinball given his round design. From there the spinoffs would blow up like withKirby’s Dream Coursethe following year, a remixed idea of golf.
4Mega Man 4
Mega Man 4was like a remixed version of the fourth and fifth games on the NES. The story was new and levels were remixed and bosses would appear from both games. It was a lot likeKid Draculasince it was a remake of sorts from the console games.
It was a bit easier than the console games although the zoomed-in screen on Mega Man could make timing difficult. It may not be the best way to enjoy the bosses fromMega Man 4andMega Man 5, but Game Boy fans at the time were probably thrilled to get the Blue Bomber on the go.
3Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible 2
Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible 2is another Japanese-exclusive RPG. It was remade six years late in 1999 for the Game Boy Color, but both versions are stilltrapped in Japan. It is a spinoff to theShin Megami Tenseiseries, but the gameplay should be familiar.
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Players travel around the world, recruiting demons to aid them in their turn-based RPG quest to save the world. It’s not the best spinoff in this series, but there is an English fan patch for it for those interested.
2Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Radical Rescue
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Radical Rescueis like a Metroidvania. Raphael is the only hero left and he has to rescue his brothers from danger. Every turtle players rescue will unlock a new traversal ability.
The game is not as tough as the first NES game, but it does demand a steady hand. It is the only game based on the TMNT license that is like a Metroidvania, making it a unique treat.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, which was released in2022, made it possible to enjoy this game in all its pixel glory.
1The Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakeningis one of the best games on the Game Boy. It proved that Nintendo could make a full consoleZeldaexperience on the Game Boy. It was a smaller world than any of the console games in the series, but it was still an in-depth treasure-filled dungeon action-adventure game.
The dreamlike nature of Koholint Island gave the developers more freedom to be weird like adding Wart in it fromSuper Mario Bros. 2. It was remade in 2019 for the Switch with some excellent visual improvements, but the original is still just as enjoyable.
