Summary
TheGame Boylaunched in 1989 and it changed everything. What the NES did for the console market, the Game Boy did for the portable market. Every portable system that followed the Game Boy copied its core concepts to give players the best on-the-go experience possible.
The system had a lot of great games, including titles from the small upgrade of the Game Boy Color from 1998. Everyone remembers games likeTetris,The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, andSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coinson the Game Boy but what about the more obscure titles? Should Nintendo revive these games, give them modern ports, or just leave them in the dust?
TheBionic Commandoseries isone of Capcom’s oldestand generally, they handled the development of each title. For whatever reason, that’s not the case with the Game Boy Color game,Bionic Commando: Elite Forces,which Nintendo took the reins for. Players could choose to play as either a male or female agent at the start of the campaign. They both play the same so it is an aesthetic choice.
The map layout is similar to the original NES title, wherein players could move around a grid to search for relevant data and keys, and occasionally run into enemy soldiers. Players could shoot enemies with various guns, but there was still no jumping in the series at this point. Instead, all movement was conducted with the bionic arm.
This is another example of a series that Nintendo took over.Crystaliswas originally an NES game that was made by SNK, who most may know for theMetal SlugandThe King of Fightersfranchises.Players woke up in a futuristic cave and proceeded on aZelda-like adventure after obtaining a sword.
Defeating enemies would net players EXP, and they would level up like in a traditional RPG. Virtually, this Game Boy Color port from Nintendo is the same experience with a few tweaks here and there. Even graphically, it looks close, which is not a bad thing as the game overall is an underrated gem on both the NES and Game Boy Color.
Kirby’s Block Ballis a clone of an even more obscure game by today’s standards,Breakout.It made a lot of sense at the time to make this type of clone though, because of Kirby’s shape. The original game has players bounce a ball back and forth between a paddle and a wall of destructible bricks.
InKirby’s Block Ball, Kirby becomes the ball and has to break through blocks and defeat guarded enemies too. The graphics are playful, the music is jaunty, and it’s just an all-around good time. This was the era when Nintendo was experimenting with puttingKirby into bizarre spinoffson the Game Boy, and it would be interesting to see that creativity return in some form.
Most of this franchise remains forgotten to time save for the series’ hero, Pitt, appearing inhit titles likeSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monstersis the Game Boy sequel to the NES game, and it plays similarly except for the lack of extreme verticality in its levels. Players will travel the world as Pitt, shooting enemies, looking for upgrades, and exploring doors.
The difficulty is not as brutal as the original, which is a plus. However, the lack of direction will probably frustrate a lot of players. Nintendo was, and still is, trying to figure out what to do with this series, but maybe one day Pitt can return to a universally acclaimed game.
Solar Strikeris aclassic vertical SHMUPfrom Nintendo, which is not a genre that they worked on too often on any of their consoles. There’s nothing too wild about it either, good or bad. Players control a ship, shoot down other ships with blasters, and so on. Certain objects and enemies can grant players power-ups, such as one that creates two blasts of lasers at the same time.
It’s a competent SHMUP, but it’s not much more than that. While Nintendo didn’t work on many entries in the genre, there were quite a few on the Game Boy, likeGradius: The Interstellar AssaultandParodius. Their popularity is probably whySolar Strikeris mostly forgotten.
Super Mario Bros. Deluxeis a remake of the first game on NES. It’s almost a 1:1 port with a few additions to seemingly justify the price. For example, after completing a level, players will be shown a world map. However, players cannot go back to previous levels like in a world mapakin toSuper Mario World.
It is interesting to see the landscape though for a game almost two decades old when this launched on the Game Boy Color in 1999. The sprite work looks a little cleaner and more vibrant, but it’s not a true remake or anything like the version found inSuper Mario All-Stars. Most hardcore Mario fans probably don’t even knowSuper Mario Bros. Deluxewas made.
