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The best Game Boy games are still the ones most lists agree on: Pokémon Red and Blue, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Super Mario Land 2, Tetris and Metroid II. The more useful question in 2026 is where you can play them without a 30-year-old cartridge. Nine of our 12 picks run on the cheapest Nintendo Switch Online tier, two sit in Switch collections, and Pokémon Red and Blue are back to cartridge-only since the 3DS eShop closed. Below is each game with the place it runs today.
How we chose
We didn’t rank by our own nostalgia. We started from the games that keep appearing in the current top search results for this query, including Retro Dodo’s 50-game list and long-running fan threads on Reddit and ResetEra, and kept the ones that show up again and again. Then we checked every pick against Nintendo’s official list of included games for the Game Boy app on Switch Online, Konami’s and Square Enix’s collection pages, and the Pokémon Company’s notes on the 3DS eShop closure. Product details come from the Amazon listings, checked October 27, 2026. Nobody on our side ran hands-on tests; the product notes summarize listing data and owner reviews.
This list covers original Game Boy games. Where Nintendo only offers the later Game Boy Color edition (Link’s Awakening DX, Tetris DX), we say so.
The best Game Boy games at a glance
| Game | Genre | Switch Online (any tier) | Other legal option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pokémon Red & Blue | RPG | No | Cartridge only (3DS eShop closed) |
| The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening | Action adventure | Yes, as Link’s Awakening DX | 2019 Switch remake |
| Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins | Platformer | Yes | Cartridge |
| Tetris | Puzzle | Yes, plus Tetris DX | Cartridge |
| Metroid II: Return of Samus | Action exploration | Yes | Cartridge |
| Super Mario Land | Platformer | Yes | Cartridge |
| Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 | Platformer | Yes | Cartridge |
| Kirby’s Dream Land | Platformer | Yes | Cartridge |
| Donkey Kong (1994) | Puzzle platformer | Yes | Cartridge |
| Gargoyle’s Quest | Action platformer with overworld | Yes | Cartridge |
| Final Fantasy Adventure | Action RPG | No | Collection of Mana (Switch) |
| Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge | Action platformer | No | Castlevania Anniversary Collection (digital) |
Switch Online availability per Nintendo’s Game Boy – Nintendo Classics page, checked October 27, 2026. Nintendo can add titles over time, so check the app before you buy anything for one specific game.
The 12 games
1. Pokémon Red & Blue
Game Freak’s RPG came out in Japan in 1996 and in the West in 1998, and the link-cable trading is why it took over schoolyards. It is also the hardest pick on this list to play legally today. Nintendo sold Red, Blue and Yellow, plus Gold, Silver and Crystal, on the 3DS Virtual Console, but purchases on the 3DS eShop ended on March 27, 2023. If you bought them before then, you can still redownload them. Pokémon isn’t among the Game Boy games on Switch Online; the only Pokémon title there is the Pokémon Trading Card Game. For everyone else, the original cartridge is the route.
If you go that way, know that Gold, Silver and Crystal cartridges use a small internal battery for both the save file and the real-time clock, which is why so many used copies no longer save. Red and Blue also keep saves on a battery. Ask the seller whether the cartridge still saves before you pay collector prices.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
The 1993 Zelda strands Link on Koholint Island, where he has to collect eight instruments to wake the Wind Fish. It shows up near the top of almost every list we checked, and it has two legal modern versions. Switch Online carries Link’s Awakening DX, the Game Boy Color edition, in the base tier. Nintendo also remade it for Switch in 2019 with new art, a rearranged soundtrack and a Chamber Dungeon mode where you build your own dungeons from rooms you earn.
3. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
The 1992 sequel pits Mario against Wario, and Retro Dodo points to its added depth and shading compared with the first game. Nintendo uses it as the headline game on its Switch Online Game Boy page, so it is one of the first titles you see in the app. If you only try one Mario game from the Game Boy, most lists suggest this one over the first Super Mario Land.
4. Tetris
The 1989 Tetris came with the Game Boy in most bundles, and it is the reason a lot of adults owned one. Both Tetris and the color update Tetris DX are in the Switch Online Game Boy app. Tetris Forever, the 2024 collection from Digital Eclipse, does not include the 1989 Game Boy version, only a tribute mode modeled on it, so don’t buy that collection for this game.
5. Metroid II: Return of Samus
The first portable Metroid (1991) sends Samus to destroy the Metroids, and the world is one continuous area rather than separate stages with loading screens. Played on a Game Boy Color, the cartridge gets its own color palette. On Switch Online, suspend points make the long exploration easier to break up, since you can stop anywhere and come back later.
6. Super Mario Land
The 1989 launch-era Mario is short and odd: Mario rescues Daisy instead of Peach, and one stage puts him in a submarine. Retro Dodo cites sales of well over 18 million copies. It is worth an evening for the history, and it is included in the same Switch Online app as the sequel, so there is no extra cost to try it.
7. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Nintendo handed the lead role to Wario here, and the title shows the hand-off from the Super Mario Land series. It is the start of the Wario Land series, and Wario Land 3 for the Game Boy Color sits in the same Switch Online app if you want to keep going.
8. Kirby’s Dream Land
Kirby’s 1992 debut is a pick-up-and-play platformer where Kirby inhales enemies and floats over trouble. It is short and forgiving, which makes it a good first game for a child. Kirby’s Dream Land 2 is also on Switch Online.
9. Donkey Kong (1994)
It opens like the arcade game, with Mario climbing toward Pauline while Donkey Kong throws barrels, then keeps going with new levels and rising difficulty. It is part of the Switch Online Game Boy library under the plain title “Donkey Kong”, so it is easy to miss in the menu.
10. Gargoyle’s Quest
Capcom’s 1990 spin-off from Ghosts ‘n Goblins stars Firebrand, the red demon enemy from that series. It splits into an overhead world map with towns and random encounters, and side-scrolling action stages. Firebrand can cling to walls and hover for a short time, both of which improve as you progress, so stages play more like movement puzzles than a straight run. Yoko Shimomura worked on the music early in her career. It is in the Switch Online app and gets far less attention than the Nintendo games above.
11. Final Fantasy Adventure
Square’s 1991 action RPG was the first game in what became the Mana series. It isn’t on Switch Online. The legal modern route is Collection of Mana for Switch, which bundles it with Secret of Mana and Trials of Mana and adds a quick-save feature to all three. GameSpot also notes screen-size and color-mode options for Final Fantasy Adventure in that collection.
12. Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge
Konami dates the US release to 1991: Christopher Belmont returns 15 years after the first Game Boy game to rescue his son Soleil from Dracula. Neither it nor the first Game Boy Castlevania, The Adventure, is on Switch Online (only Castlevania Legends is), but both are in Konami’s Castlevania Anniversary Collection, released in May 2019 at an SRP of $19.99. Konami’s support page lists the collection as a digital download only, on Switch, PS4, Xbox One and Steam.
What you need to play them on a Switch
Nine of the 12 games above need the same thing: any Nintendo Switch Online membership. Unlike the N64 and Game Boy Advance libraries, the Game Boy app doesn’t require the Expansion Pack tier. Nintendo launched it on February 8, 2023, and it supports TV, tabletop and handheld mode.
Nintendo Switch Online 12-Month Individual Membership
Who it’s for: anyone with a Switch who wants most of this list for one low yearly cost. Who should skip it: players who only want Pokémon, Final Fantasy Adventure or the Game Boy Castlevanias, none of which are in the app.
- Covers 9 of our 12 picks, plus Link’s Awakening DX and Tetris DX.
- Includes the NES and Super NES libraries; Nintendo’s page counts more than 100 games across NES and Super NES.
- Suspend points in every game, so you can stop in the middle of a dungeon.
- Cloud backup for save data in compatible games, per the listing.
- 4.8/5 from 25,700+ Amazon ratings (October 2026); delivered as a digital code.
Cons: it is a subscription that auto-renews at the then-current price unless you cancel, and the classic games are only available while the membership runs. Amazon’s review summary rates the online multiplayer features as mixed, with several owners finding them limited. The listing is non-returnable. Nintendo also notes that compatibility and play experience may differ on the Switch Lite.
Check price on Amazon: Switch Online 12-Month Membership
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Switch remake)
Who it’s for: players who want Link’s Awakening as a full modern game rather than a small Game Boy screen. Who should skip it: purists who want the original look; Link’s Awakening DX in the Switch Online app is the closer match.
- Same island, dungeons and story as the 1993 original, with new art and arrangements of the soundtrack.
- Quality-of-life changes: more items equipped at once, conversation review and new map navigation, per the listing.
- Adds the Chamber Dungeon mode; Zelda amiibo unlock extra chambers.
- 4.8/5 from 24,600+ Amazon ratings (October 2026); Amazon’s review summary praises it as faithful to the original.
Cons: on the day we checked, it cost more than a year of the base Switch Online tier. The review summary on the digital-code listing mentions frame rate issues that some buyers found very distracting. The story and dungeons follow the original, so if you know the 1993 version well, there are few surprises.
Check price on Amazon: Link’s Awakening (Switch)
Collection of Mana (Switch)
Who it’s for: RPG fans who want Final Fantasy Adventure legally, plus two Super Nintendo-era follow-ups on one cartridge. Who should skip it: anyone who only wants Game Boy games, since two of the three titles are SNES-era.
- Final Fantasy Adventure, Secret of Mana and Trials of Mana, the last one localized in English for the first time.
- Quick save in all three games, so you aren’t tied to the original save points.
- Local multiplayer, per the listing.
- 4.7/5 from 2,900+ Amazon ratings (October 2026).
Cons: the Game Boy game is the smallest part of the package. Owner reviews are positive about Final Fantasy Adventure but rarely enthusiastic; one reviewer called it “alright” for a Game Boy release.
Check price on Amazon: Collection of Mana
Which route fits you
- You own a Switch or Switch 2 and want the most games for the least money: the base Switch Online tier covers 9 of the 12, plus the NES and Super NES apps.
- You want Link’s Awakening as a modern game: buy the 2019 remake. For the classic version, Link’s Awakening DX in the Switch Online app is enough.
- You want Final Fantasy Adventure or the Game Boy Castlevanias: Collection of Mana and the digital Castlevania Anniversary Collection are the legal options.
- You want Pokémon Red, Blue or Gold: original cartridges and hardware. Check that the cartridge saves, and see our retro handheld console picks for what to play them on.
If you have the Expansion Pack tier, the next step up is the Game Boy Advance app; our best Game Boy Advance games list covers that library, and our best N64 games guide maps the N64 one the same way.
FAQ
What is the best Game Boy game of all time?
Pokémon Red and Blue and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening are the most common answers in the lists and fan threads we checked. Tetris usually wins for sheer reach, since it came with most Game Boy bundles.
Do I need the Expansion Pack for Game Boy games on Switch?
No. Nintendo says the Game Boy library is included with any Switch Online membership. The Expansion Pack is needed for the N64 and Game Boy Advance libraries.
Is Pokémon Red on Nintendo Switch Online?
No. It isn’t in Nintendo’s list of included Game Boy games as of October 2026. The 3DS Virtual Console versions can only be redownloaded by people who bought them before the eShop closed on March 27, 2023.
Why won’t my old Pokémon cartridge save?
Game Boy cartridges like Pokémon keep their save data on a small internal battery, and Gold, Silver and Crystal also run a real-time clock from it, so those drain faster. When the battery is dead, the game still plays but can’t keep a save until the battery is replaced.
Sources
- Nintendo, Game Boy – Nintendo Classics product page (included games, membership tier, play modes, release date, Switch Lite note): https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/game-boy-nintendo-classics-switch/ (checked 2026-10-27)
- PokémonBlog, 3DS and Wii U eShop closure, March 27, 2023, and Pokémon Virtual Console titles: https://pokemonblog.com/2023/03/28/all-nintendo-3ds-users-can-now-use-poke-transporter-without-an-active-subscription (checked 2026-10-27)
- Power Up Gaming, cartridge save batteries and the real-time clock in Gold, Silver and Crystal: https://www.powerupgaming.ca/blogs/retro-gaming-guides/why-old-game-saves-stop-working-cartridge-batteries (checked 2026-10-27)
- Retro Dodo, 50 Best Gameboy Games Of All Time (release years, consensus picks, Tetris bundle, Super Mario Land sales, Metroid II palette): https://retrododo.com/best-gameboy-games/ (checked 2026-10-27)
- Wikipedia, Gargoyle’s Quest (release year, gameplay); Enjoy Game Japan museum page (Yoko Shimomura): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gargoyle%27s_Quest and https://museum.enjoygamejapan.online/en/games/gargoyles-quest (checked 2026-10-27)
- GoNintendo and Wikipedia, Tetris Forever contents (no 1989 Game Boy Tetris, tribute mode only): https://www.gonintendo.com/contents/42596-tetris-forever-includes-a-unique-1989-game-boy-tribute-reveals-tetris-effect-s and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris_Forever (checked 2026-10-27)
- Konami, Castlevania Anniversary Collection game list, release years, SRP and platforms: https://www.konami.com/games/us/en/topics/1250/ and https://eu-support.konami.com/hc/en-gb/articles/9647814215063-Castlevania-Anniversary-Collection (checked 2026-10-27)
- GameSpot, Collection of Mana launch article (contents, quick save, Final Fantasy Adventure display options): https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2019-nintendo-switchs-collection-of-mana-out-no/1100-6467724/ (checked 2026-10-27)
- Amazon listing ASIN B07FV64QLX (Switch Online 12-Month Individual Membership, features, rating, review summary) – checked 2026-10-27
- Amazon listing ASIN B07SG15148 (Link’s Awakening for Switch, features, rating, review summary) and ASIN B07SMBJVS8 (digital code, review summary) – checked 2026-10-27
- Amazon listing ASIN B07SYVMN29 (Collection of Mana, features, rating, owner reviews) – checked 2026-10-27
- Owner notes / photos: none