Around two weeks ago, I asked the members of the N-Europe Forums to determine the Top Ten NES Games. But that’s only the beginning of my quest for definitive lists. There are still a lot of Nintendo consoles to get through and we’ll be finding out what the Crème de la crème of the Game Boy is.

The Game Boy released in 1990 over here in Europe, it faced some stiff competition from other handheld consoles such as the Atari Lynx and the Sega Game Gear. A lot of these competitors were more technically advanced than the humble Game Boy, but yet the big grey brick came out on top. There are a number of reasons for how this happened, such as the longer battery life. But we can all agree that a large factor was the fantastic library of games that graced the system. Some of these games would prove to have some immense influence on gaming as a whole. But which ones are the best?

For this Top Ten, I asked our forum members to stick to games that were designed first and foremost for the Game Boy. In other words, there are no games in this list that had the Game Boy Color logo on its box art. (Except for one weird example) We’ll be covering that iteration of the Game Boy in a month or so.

It may have the Mario Land moniker on it, but this certainly isn’t your typical Mario adventure! Wario Land was our first foray into a game starring the ultimate arbiter of greed, Wario. After being defeated by Mario in the previous Mario Land title, Wario decides that he’ll buy his own castle… with the money he’ll make by robbing a band of pirates. Oh well, can’t expect sudden redemption from everyone.

"Featuring gameplay revolving around collecting money and finding hidden treasures, Wario Land would be the game that catapulted Wario to be the well beloved antagonistic despicable rival of Mario we all know today. The best Mario platformer on the Game Boy. Nothing more to say." – markderoos

Our first Japanese only title in these Top Ten lists. Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru is a mouthful of a title that follows the Prince of the Sablé Kingdom in his quest to rescue the Princess Tiramisu. Along the way, he gains the power to transform into a Frog and a Snake.

For Frog The Bell Tolls is certainly one of the stranger titles from the Game Boy library and while it certainly isn’t well known to most gamers in the Western world, keen observers will notice some of its influence in other games. Even in a certain positively smashing Switch title.

"Best named game on any system. I've not played it, but you don't need to, to notice true genius." – bob

Known in America as Final Fantasy Adventure and also known as Seiken Densetsu in Japan. The more savvy of you will recognise that this title is the first entry of the Mana series. Unlike the mainline series that the American name is based off of, Mystic Quest plays more similarly to a top-down Legend of Zelda game, with some RPG stat building thrown in.

Mystic Quest is an often overlooked action RPG that was quite ahead of its time. With engaging battle mechanics and hours of length, this is a game that’s well worth a look.

"Its combination of Zelda & Final Fantasy-style gameplay was hugely enjoyable." – WackerJr

The first title in the long running Kirby series, Kirby’s Dream Land is a game designed to be easy to play, even for players who may not be particularly skilled at action games. You’ll finish it in an hour, but that adds to its replayability. Because if you were to scratch beneath the surface, you might find that this game might not be as cute and easy-going as first impressions would show.

Masahiro Sakurai’s first title is still just as finely tuned and accessible as it always was and set the foundations for one of the cutest series gaming knows.

"This plucky 1992 platformer was designed to be approachable for both experts and beginners; as well as short enough to be beaten in a single bus or train ride, while still being a satisfying experience in its own right. And it absolutely was! And still is! I still pull out this dreamish gem on my 3DS on my daily commute and always leave my train with a smile as I beat the crap out of the self-professed monarch yet again!" – Dcubed

You can’t really say that this game is a game that Shigeru Miyamoto is well known for, but with it reaching the 6th spot, you can’t argue about its place as a Game Boy classic. Mole Mania is a puzzle game that tasks Muddy Mole with manoeuvring obstacles in order to progress to the next screen so he can rescue his family. Being a puzzle game at its core, there is all sorts of challenges to rack your brain. But one thing is for sure, you’ll dig Mole Mania! Oh, by the way, those dinosaurs are totally not Yoshis. Sssshhhh.

"The ability to dig promotes lateral thinking and creative solutions. And it's so versatile, they even made a multiplayer mode with it (which sadly, I never got to try). They got strong mileage out of burrowing holes. And the game is super charming from an aesthetic standpoint as well. Muddy's family (his wife, kids, and grandpa), the smiley-face sun, the evil farmer... and super catchy music! Catchy tunes that you'll never get tired of. So important when putting your brain to work.

So yes, a game that deserves to be mentioned much more often in these discussions." – Jonnas

Kind of strange that a port of an arcade game would get so high on a Game Boy Top Ten. I feel like I’m missing something, because I can’t think of why that happened… It's just like the old arcade game I remebe... wait, what's going on? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S A WHOLE OTHER 97 LEVELS TO GO!?!? – Dcubed

Oh right, yeah. It’s that version of Donkey Kong. What starts off as the traditional arcade platformer suddenly jerks in a different genre direction and becomes a puzzle platformer instead. Using Mario’s extensive acrobatic abilities to get oversized keys to matching doors, the game demands some critical thinking from the player in a jam-packed game that is sure to make you feel a bit foolish on more than one occasion. The original title might be the more important title, but I think this one is the far superior title.

"Incredible level design, incredible player movement mechanics (which Mario 64 would end up stealing wholesale from this game!) and outrageously inventive gameplay mechanics make for one of the freshest, most unique and most utterly captivating games (not just on Game Boy!) ever made!" – Dcubed

"Despite not featuring the name "Mario" in the title, this is hands down one of the best 2D platformers of all time. Expanding on the original Donkey Kong arcade formula, this is a long and rewarding platform / puzzle game that successfully executes on a great concept and is a joy to play." – Nicktendo

Wow, three puzzle games in a row? Although, maybe this one isn’t so surprising. Honestly, if you owned a Game Boy, there’s a very high chance that you’ve played this game. Tetris is a title that needs no explanation. The game is immediately understandable and infinitely enjoyable. Tetris is a phenomenon of the highest calibre and may possibly be the closest we’ll ever get to a perfect game.

"For a long time this was the only videogame I could get my dad to play. That maybe says something about the strength of Tetris. It's so easy to pick up, and yet is hard to really master. As a kid I thought it was a fun game but I would rather spend my time on more action-oriented games. Nowadays I think Tetris is one of those games that deserves a Hall of Fame spot, and that all started on the Game Boy. Plus that Tetris tune." – Vileplume2000

"There aren't many words to give to Tetris, oddly enough. We all know how it plays, and we all know why it works. It's such a simple formula, future iterations didn't change a thing, only applying it in other contexts (like Tetris 99). Like a game in the previous list, Tetris is a quintessential game. Psychological effects have been named after it, the music has been in our brains for decades... this game is an indelible part of our culture." – Jonnas

The sequel to quirky Super Mario Land decided to lay on the quirkiness factor quite thick. Mario’s on a quest to get his castle (No, I don’t know where he got a castle) back from new villain on the block, Wario. This classic platformer has a whole load of weirdness in its location that probably just asks more questions than it answers. I mean, why is there a giant mechanical Mario anyway? Who built it?

Sorry, not important. What is important is that this title stands just as proud as its fellow Mario platformers and deserves it place as the finest Game Boy platformer game.

"This game really brought the Mario universe to life on the small screen. The chunky sprites gave the characters loads of personality and Kazumi Totaka's wonderful soundtrack is so catchy it's permanently embedded in the brains of anyone who played it. And let's not forget that this game also gave birth to Wario, and we all know the gaming world is a much better place due to his existence." – RedShell

"While the original Super Mario Land is brilliant in its own right, the sequel just brings so much more to the table in terms of larger sprites, an overworld map filled with varied worlds and one of the best protagonists ever created in the form of Wario. Super Mario Land 2 is a game which will have you grinning from ear to ear while playing it and humming the tunes in your head when you're not, even decades later in my case. If you've never played this classic, you really, really should." – S.C.G

While Pokémon Yellow technically counts as a Game Boy Color game, for the purposes of this entry, I’m counting all three games as the same title.

And what a title it was! Not content with one global blockbuster, the Game Boy decided that it would have lightning strike twice with the first entry in the long running Pocket Monster series. The first generation of Pokémon is a gargantuan game that beggars belief in how it all fits in that tiny Game Boy cartridge. With 151 different monsters to collect across the land of Kanto (Although that didn’t have a name at the time), you could tailor a team to fit the kind of strategy you wanted and with the downright genius implementation of multiple versions, Pokémon was a very social aspect of 90’s gaming. Every kid wanted to trade with each other in an effort to “Catch ‘em all”

This game may have more than a few bugs, and it may be a tad outdated compared to the more refined modern titles, but the original Pokémon games will forever be the most influential game in the series, whether I like it or not. (I do like the game, though)

"The very first video game I ever owned was Pokemon Red and I owe it to this game for becoming a gamer in the first place. In spite of all the glitches that plague the game I think this game is one of the most expansive on the system and one of the longest games on the original Game Boy with maybe one exception. The fact that it defined a game franchise that is still going on even to this day and is about to enter its eight generation says all you need to know." – GenericAperson

"Pokémon Blue is one of the games that have made a massive impact on my gaming life. I think the real magic was the split between Red and Blue, where you talked with your friends who should pick up which version. Trading through a good old link cable was a way of interacting in games I never experienced before, and collecting all the 'mon with the help of friends was just awesome. The timing was perfect as well, as the TV show was being watched by everyone at the same time Red and Blue came out. That helped a lot for the overall Pokémon experience." – Vileplume2000

"I can remember when the original Pokémon games were coming out, I remember saving up nearly enough for the Blue version and then buying a replica Ocarina from The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time and then finally purchasing my first Pokémon title, which was easily the game I sunk the most hours into on my original Game Boy. It wasn't long after that one of my brothers bought the Red version and that cemented our love for the series for many, many years to come. These days, I don't put anywhere near as much time into any Pokémon title for various reasons but those early memories of starting my very own journey in the wonderful world of Pokémon, where I explored every secret, caught and traded for every critter, battled many trainers and players and then... lost my entire progress years later when the original cartridge battery died, will surely stick with me forever." – S.C.G

It was close between the top 2, with only two points between them, but Zelda’s second handheld title (Yes, second) managed to defeat the Pocket Monsters and reign supreme in the Game Boy Top Ten.

"It may be a smaller cartridge, but there’s a lot of good ol’ Zelda adventure packed in there. 8 dungeons in the sprawling Koholint Island stand in the way of Link’s escape from the formerly mentioned island, but could there be more to this island than meets the eye? I won’t say. Link’s Awakening is a finely tuned game that shows that the Zelda formula can be just as amazing on any platform it graces. With old item staples such as the Bombs along with new toys to play with such as the Roc’s Feather, Link’s Awakening is every bit a great sequel to the previous games in the title as any other. The upcoming Switch remake has a lot to live up to. The most interesting 2D Zelda Nintendo made. It’s quirky, it’s charming, it’s creative and very different from the rest of the franchise." – Markderoos

"A world full of memorable characters, challenging dungeons and it has an interesting story as well which differs from the more "tried and tested" Zelda template. Best of all, it plays like a dream." – S.C.G

"My first Zelda game and an experience I'll never forget! Does so much with so little to work with, a stupendously fun adventure with fantastic puzzles and a memorable soundtrack. Holds up today much better than the NES games despite its age and still fun to replay every now and again. A masterpiece." – Nicktendo

"Classic Zelda gameplay with a surprisingly touching tale to tell! Drawing inspiration chiefly from Twin Peaks, it features one of the most surreal and endearing cast of characters in the entire series, with some of the greatest dungeons and puzzle gameplay to go along with it!" – Dcubed

"For a Game Boy game it's surprising just how much it introduced to the Zelda series, even over Link to the Past of all games. It was this game which pretty much defined the modern dungeon structure with requiring the Big Key to get into the Boss' room, rather than an item you get for opening the item chest. The actual game itself was a very interesting idea and as the game goes on things get stranger and stranger." – GenericAperson

"Despite the significant limitations of the Game Boy, the developers still managed to create a deep and engrossing portable Zelda experience, and the end result was truly amazing. Featuring superb presentation, fantastic gameplay and a vast amount of content to explore, Link's Awakening is not only a great Game Boy title, but also one of the best and most beloved entries in the entire Zelda series!" – RedShell

Play the original on the Game Boy, the enhanced version on Game Boy Color, the Virtual Console version on the 3DS or even wait for the remake on the Switch; however you decide to experience this game, please play The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening if you haven't done so already as you really owe it to yourself.

If you'd like to be part of N-Europe's Top Ten game lists, then check out the thread on our forum as while it's too late to choose for the Game Boy titles, we're almost down to the shortlist for the SNES but the voting doesn't close until 20/04/2019 so why not stop on by? We could do with the help as it's not easy choosing just five games from the entire SNES library to then hopefully go forward to the vote for the final ten, of which you can only choose three from the shortlist.

Exciting times indeed, catch you next time when the article for the best 16-Bit titles on Nintendo's classic platform goes live on N-Europe in about two weeks time.