Donkey Kong (1994) - not really rare or obscure, but definitely not talked about enough.
It starts out like regular donkey kong but then it goes somewhat differently.
The colorization is only complete with SuperGameboy so it might be tricky to play that way but there is a colorization hack being worked on.
Donkey Kong. I think people just think it's a port of the arcade game because it has the same first few levels but it becomes something more afterward and is incredibly fun.
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Great game
Metal Gear Solid for GBC is never mentioned in all time lists for the series, but it’s my favorite, straight up.
I can’t believe they managed to cram a true MGS experience onto a GAMEBOY Color cartridge.
Pocket Bomberman is also legitimately great.
That's the first game I bought for my GBC. I didn't have enough money for a playstation and was jealous of all my friends playing MGS. It's super well done. I just got an analog pocket and I think I'll dig MGS out again after I finish my Castlevania games.
Weirdly enough, my favorite Zelda game of all time is The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Weirder still, it's the story that I really love, driven almost entirely by the fact that it's the least Zelda Zelda game. No, I don't know what's wrong with me.
I mean it's probably entirely nostalgia, but I still hear the in-game ballad in my head from time to time.
They remade it for switch. Totally worth buying again.
I had no idea, guess I'll have to do a little early Christmas shopping lol. Thanks!
I started Zelda so many times as a kid but never finished it. Was so happy to finally beat it thanks to the remake. It is solid and adds a few tweaks to help game play. Totally worth picking up!
Oracle of seasons was a masterpiece, oracle of ages and minish cap also were great, some novel ideas and beautiful execution, lots of hours of gameplay if you play casually and explore along the way
As a kid I got a lot of mileage out of The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle. It was honestly nothing special but it was a fun if very basic game. Password-based and not all that difficult for an adult.
Dragon quest monsters (dragon warrior monsters in America)
This game was the bomb, I loved the monster breeding mechanics, you could breed monsters of different types to get entirely new ones.
On December 1st, new dragon quest monsters is coming out for switch
It looks really fun! I have a copy of the Japanese version. I was surprised to find out it was a Game Boy Color launch title!
Final Fantasy Adventure. Zelda style top view. Absolutely loved it. Music scope and story.. Played through at least a dozen times. A decently high quality remake came out for phones a few years back. I still love it.
Rockman/Megaman EXE
As a kid, I found Gargoyles Quest infuriatingly addictive. I wasn't good enough to do well at it, it annoyed me, but I kept going back for more.
Survival Kids
It's a bit of a silly survival game that starts with you being stranded on an island. I got a kick out of it because there were a few different game endings that were dependent on the actions you took earlier in the game.
This Beyblade game that was like an obstacle course on checkered platforms. I practiced a lot to beat the par times on each course.
Took me a while to find the name. Have you played Quarth?
I have! I picked up a copy a couple of years ago. It took me a little while to realize, it's not about clearing the screen, but about getting a high score. It's very clever, and a little addicting!
Yes! Got it as a present so it wasn't on my radar but it was a pretty good puzzle game. I seem to recall playing this way more than I played Tetris.
Pokemon TCG for GB was arguably the best Pokemon RPG. I've not played the English fanlation of 2 yet though, so maybe that's better.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets.
Are they good games? No
But they are well themed and have chiptune version of Jeremy Soule’s soundtrack. I like replaying the, from time to time.
Kirby Pinball. Just a chill and fun game.
Pitman, also known as Catrap in US: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catrap
It's not really something special or so, but I had it in my youth and used the level editor to build countless levels with my friend. It's a side scrolling puzzle game, with the abiliy to go back in history with a nice backwards animation.
This is a little off topic for "RetroGaming", but my favorite new soon-to-be-hidden gem for Gameboy Color is "Grimace's Birthday".
https://www.grimacesbirthday.com/
The overall game is only about ten minutes long, but it's just so dang well made for a silly throw-away advertisement, and I just adore that it's a Gameboy Color game released in 2023.
Edit: To be clear, I have no association with anyone involved in the game. It just gives me the giggles to get a new retrogame for a licsned property, for actual classic hardware in 2023.
Heiankyo Alien. It was the cheapest game in the store, so that's the one my parents let me buy. For a long time it was one of only a couple games I owned--that one and whatever it shipped with... Tetris?
Here's one that came to mind: Heiankyo Alien for the Gameboy DMG. I remember playing this a ton in the car as a kid. It's a game where you have to dig holes for aliens to fall in and bury them to kill them.
I ahem acquired a copy of Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak from my elementary school lost and found, played it whenever I had a minute for the next few weeks. I don't know if I'd have the patience to play it today, but it's still an adorable little puzzle game. The sound and animation of the actions was spot on.
The metal gear solid game was pretty awesome actually
Bubble Ghost. I had it on a 99 in 1 cart. Might just be that it wasn't popular where I'm from.
I'll throw Boxxle on the list. It's one of the earliest GB games, so the graphics are pretty much what you'd expect. But it's a great puzzle game that has a very simple premise, but requires you to perspective-shift and learn new strategies many times over as the difficulty progresses.
James Bond: 007 was a surprisingly good game that I enjoyed way more than expected. I don’t know why I got the game, I was and have never been a fan of the series.
Donkey Kong. Not Donkey Kong Country. The original arcade Donkey Kong, until you realize after beating the original levels that there is SO MUCH MORE to it!
Just one thing. Fuck that level with the long bridge of disappearing floor tiles. That was the worst!!
Gonna have to be Kirby and the Amazing Mirror and MegaMan Battle Network 6 for me on the GBA.
Alfred Chicken. Impossibly difficult, with a ridiculous plot.
Played this on SNES and it's way underrated
Radar Mission. I can hear the music in my head from both game types whenever I think about it, right down to the music when the carrier launches the fighter. I enjoyed both game types a lot, though I remember getting frustrated as a kid until I learned the nuances of the opponents.
Warlocked for GBC - it was ambitious as hell, and has some quality scenario ideas.
Cosmo Tank. Got it as a gift from my dad and loved it when I was a kid. I may have to revisit it myself.
Vegas Stakes - simple casino games, perfect time-killer for the format.
Wendy Every Witch Way - concept of reversing gravity has been used in other platformers since, but this might be the OG, and is very solid.
Vintage gaming community.
Rules:
If you see these please report them.