Game Boy Games of the 90s: Standout Picks by Genre
The original Game Boy (1989) ran a library spanning tight platformers, portable puzzle games, and, by the mid-90s, full RPGs that didn't feel scaled down.
Platformers
Super Mario Land (1989) launched alongside the hardware in Japan, and Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992) expanded the formula considerably.
Play the original Link's Awakening
An original Game Boy cartridge of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (1993), discussed above.
Check price on Amazon →Puzzle games
Tetris, bundled with the Game Boy in most regions starting in 1989, is frequently credited as a major reason the hardware sold as well as it did.
Role-playing games
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (August 1993) proved a full Zelda-style adventure could work on Game Boy hardware, and Pokemon Red and Green (Japan, February 1996) later turned the platform into a phenomenon.
Original hardware considerations
The original Game Boy's monochrome screen has no backlight, so lighting conditions matter a lot more than on later color handhelds; later hardware revisions like the Game Boy Pocket improved contrast but still didn't add a light source.
Frequently asked questions
Was Tetris made specifically for the Game Boy?
No, but its Game Boy version, bundled with the hardware starting in 1989, is frequently credited as a major factor in the console's early sales success.
Is Link's Awakening a full Zelda game or a simplified one?
It's considered a full entry in the series, built specifically to prove that Zelda's overworld-and-dungeon structure could work within Game Boy hardware limitations, not a stripped-down spin-off.
Does the original Game Boy screen have a backlight?
No. Its monochrome screen has no light source, so playing in good lighting matters much more than on later color Nintendo handhelds.
Sourcing and corrections
Release dates for Super Mario Land, Super Mario Land 2, Tetris, Link's Awakening, and Pokemon Red and Green were checked via web search against sources including Wikipedia in September 2026.