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.
RetroGaming
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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.
This game was a giant part of my childhood. I fondly remember playing in the car on late night road trips as streetlights went by.
I still have my DMG, and Donkey Kong is still in the slot. It's hands down the most nostalgic piece of my past that I still have.
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.
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.
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.
Not weird at all! It's actually my favorite Zelda game too. 🙂 I think I'd actually say Majora's Mask is even more not-Zelda. 😄
...also Marin > Zelda 👀
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
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.
I picked this one up when I was in high school. Never did get rescued... I looked the other day and prices for this one are pretty high, so apparently we're not the only ones who remember it!
Edit: And apparently there's a lot of sequels? Who knew? I guess it was called Lost in Blue later on. They all sound like they have the same basic story...
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.
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.
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.
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.
Kirby Pinball. Just a chill and fun game.
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.
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.
Bubble Ghost. I had it on a 99 in 1 cart. Might just be that it wasn't popular where I'm from.
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
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?
Alfred Chicken. Impossibly difficult, with a ridiculous plot.
Played this on SNES and it's way underrated
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.
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.
Warlocked for GBC - it was ambitious as hell, and has some quality scenario ideas.
Aside from a few classics I'm sure you've already played, I remember playing Wario Blast and Taz-Mania fairly often.
I haven't played either one in years, so I don't know how well they still hold up.
The Moomin game is great but nobody talks about it. The two Survival Kids games are incredible as well but damn they can be depressing. They really out a full on survival game on a Game Boy. Complete with multiple endings, open world and hunger and thirst mechanics.
Boomer's Adventure in ASMIK World
I never figured out why they gave the world such a weird name, or didn't just call it Boomer's Adventure