Readers' vote issue 126 - Favourite Game Boy game

[NickThorpe]

For issue 126, we want your favourite Game Boy games - the original monochrome slab, rather than the later models in the line.
If you can give us your top five, with choice 1 being your favourite that will be a massive help

[markopoloman]

You mean it had more games than Tetris?

[joefish]

Probotector - without a shadow of a doubt. The pick-up-and-play again-and-again readiness that you want from a hand-held game; smooth scrolling (without being so fast it blurred), alternate side-on and overhead levels and all the best features and set-pieces of the Contra series; and all in a far better sprite:screen size ratio than any Contra game before or since.

Close runners-up would be The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (for the most emotionally engaging story of any Zelda adventure before or since), R-Type (a great conversion, but let down by two missing levels - where were you Bob Pape when we needed you? ) and Wario Land (Mario but done chunky and fun and with a bit of adventure).

If you only had one for Tetris then you were missing out - particularly as you could have got a perfectly decent dedicated LCD version of Tetris for a tenner from Tandy.

Ah, you want a top 5? Last one is tricky. I feel Jon Ritman's Monster Max should be on there, but it never quite matched up to the fun of Head over Heels on the Spectrum. So I'll go for Super R.C. Pro-Am, as another pick-up-and-play game, this time a racer. Into-the screen racing didn't work so well on the GameBoy's little screen; it could go all too fast and just become a blur. So could scrolling (see the disaster that is Zool), but Super R.C. Pro-Am, like the other 2D games I've listed, managed to get it just about right.

1. Probotector
2. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
3. R-Type
4. Wario Land
5. Super R.C. Pro-Am

[The Laird]

There are quite a few candidates for this one but I am going to go with Double Dragon, a brilliant re-interpretation of the arcade with cracking graphics, brilliant sound and rock solid gameplay. The was one of the few titles that used to make me swap my Lynx with my brother's Game Boy back in the day!

[nakamura]

The Gameboy regularly out performed its limitations back in the day but no title highlights this better than Zelda. It was and remains incredible with superb gameplay and stunning design. Factor in very good visuals and audio and you have a masterpiece. Probably my favourite game in the series.

[ncf1]

1. Super Mario Land (super boring choice but... its easily the best game on it!)
2. Double Dragon (terrific conversion)
3. All Star Baseball '99 (quite a decent baseball game)
4. Tetris (yep getting even more boring now)
5. R-Type

[craigy132]

1 tennis - for playability
2 double dragon
3 tetris
4 super mario land
5 chessmaster

[Jeremiah Jones]

Monster Max is terribly underrated, especially west of the Atlantic.

1. Monster Max
2. Gargoyle's Quest
3. Link's Awakening
4. Tetris
5. Boxxle

[Mayhem]

1) Link's Awakening - simply sublime.
2) Tetris - never mind the blocks.
3) Monster Max - Jon Ritman does the Gameboy.
4) Mario Picross - puzzletastic.
5) Mole Mania - mole manic.

[smilertoo]

Easy one, Advance wars...i bought a gameboy just for this game.

[Charco]

Easy one, Advance wars...i bought a gameboy just for this game.

You mean the Japan only Game Boy Wars? Advance wars wasn't released on the original Game Boy but on the Game Boy Advance.

[ArchaicKoala]

1) Links Awakening
2) Wario Land
3) Pokémon Red
4) Duck Tales
5) Tetris

Links Awakening - I didn't really have much of a clue as to what I was doing the first time I played it but I remember being in awe of the graphics and the sheer fun that could be had hacking away at bad guys, playing a crane grabber game and of course shop lifting

[Morkin]

1. Mr. Chin's Gourmet Paradise
2. Heiankyo Alien
3. Tetris
4. Bomb Jack
5. Super Mario Land

[Ryan_McN]

Either The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening or Donkey Kong '94. Link's Awakening was a real epic adventure crammed onto a little cartridge, while Donkey Kong expanded on the original Donkey Kong concept with added puzzles.

so:

1. Legend of Zelda : Link's Awakening
2. Donkey Kong (1994)
3. Super Mario Land 2
4. Super Mario Land
5. Duck Tales

[Eric]

Robocop. Even in monochrome the Gameboy version is very fast and very playable. The music of course adds a great deal of atmosphere to the game.