DAR Games: 5 Retro Gameboy Classics

By @TrueGodImmortal

The Gameboy is one of the most important handheld consoles of all time. Ahead of its time in many ways, the Gameboy was a pivotal moment in handheld gaming, allowing you to play on the go. It sometimes would give you hours upon hours of fun, as handheld gamers were stuck to their console with hopes of reaching new levels and beating their game. Today, I wanted to take a brief look back at the games that shaped the way we play handheld games forever and the original handheld system that took the world by storm. Let's look at 5 classic Gameboy classics.

*Super Mario Land

-One of the most important games in Gameboy history has to start off the article. There is no way you can consider yourself a fan of Nintendo and neglect to mention the original. Yes, the sequel is better and also more popular, but the original is... well, the original. Sure, the sequel was slightly more flashy visually and featured a much broader world, but this original has a charm unlike any other game on the Gameboy honestly. There is a bit of variety in the game and a myriad of locations that allow you to sink into the game and never put it down. While I started with the sequel due to my age, I would later go back and play the original and I'm still partial to it now. Super Mario Land is legendary.

*The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening 

-One of the most important Gameboy games of all time, this is quite possibly the most notable one on this list. The Legend of Zelda series was coming off of a successful run with the Super Nintendo version of A Link To The Past, when this game arrived and somehow managed to earn an even bigger legacy (or at least a legacy very close to) than the SNES game. While the graphics were a step down and the sound of course took a hit, but the gameplay was just as amazing if not better, which is a testament to the power of the Gameboy. When the game was remastered for the Gameboy Color, it would look better and sound better, truly giving it the full experience that handheld gamers deserved.

*Tetris

-I will go on record and say this might be the most popular game of all time on handheld consoles. Tetris is universal and everyone knows the game when the name is mentioned. Most people went out to get a Gameboy solely for this puzzle game, which is unique in how it executes every level you have to figure out. Tetris was one of those games that got you addicted from the start and never let you go. In the era of the handheld, there was no game quite like Tetris and this might still be the greatest game of them all. I still enjoy playing Tetris from time to time on the new updated versions of the game available, but nothing compares to the feeling you got playing it on your Gameboy.

*Pokemon Red And Blue

-If you mention Gameboy, I suspect Pokemon would follow at some point and get discussed. I was never a huge fan of the Pokemon brand in general, but I did enjoy this game. I think with this being one of the starting points for the franchise, perhaps I was inclined to give it a try without knowing much about it. Despite some bug issues with the game, this was a lot of fun overall, and it actually provided the gamer with a lot of variety for the time. Pokemon is a franchise that has taken off and become something out of this world, but before it reached those heights, it was just trying to find the right audience for them. This game hasn't aged too well much like most of the games from the Gameboy, but to deny the classic status of it would be criminal.

*Metroid II: Return Of Samus

-I loved this game, but I have very few recollections of my days playing it as a child. The original on the Nintendo system is a classic, but this sequel showcases just how vital the Gameboy was to the Nintendo systems in general. With a fanbase already in place after the first one, this game allowed the developers to have a little more fun and freedom in a compact way, despite the game lacking the color and graphics that could have put it over the top. The gameplay was excellent however and inspired hours of excitement for most gamers. Some people might not recommend this game, or any of these games now for obvious reasons, but if you have a local retro gaming store in your area, revisit these games and the console itself and enjoy.

-True