The Game Boy was a huge leap forward for Nintendo, letting players enjoy their favorite console games anywhere. While handheld gaming existed before, the Game Boy really made it popular. Over the years, Nintendo and other developers created a ton of great games for it, though many were notoriously challenging – a common trait of games from that era. The following list highlights some of the most difficult original Game Boy games. It’s important to note that this list doesn’t include games made for the Game Boy Color, as we’re focusing specifically on the original Game Boy console.
Here are the seven hardest games on the Game Boy.
7) Wario Blast
Wario Blast mixes elements of Mario and Bomberman, but it plays much more like Bomberman. Playing as Wario doesn’t really change things up. The game is fairly easy for most of the way through – not exactly relaxing, but not overly challenging either. However, the final boss is surprisingly difficult, which makes finishing the game feel like a frustrating task, especially for younger players.
6) Kirby’s Pinball Land
While not Hal Labs’ first attempt at pinball, Kirby’s Pinball Land is known for being particularly challenging. This is mostly due to the limitations of the Game Boy itself—the screen wasn’t very clear, making it hard to track the ball. The game’s physics are a bit unusual, and the Game Boy’s controls aren’t always precise. However, it’s still a good pinball game, it just requires some patience and practice to master.
5) Qix
Qix originally appeared in arcades in 1981 and has since been released on many different platforms. The Game Boy version is particularly challenging because it lacks color, making it harder to quickly understand what’s happening on screen. However, Qix is known for getting difficult quickly, and the Game Boy’s limitations make this even more noticeable.
4) Boxxle
Boxxle is a really challenging puzzle game. It’s a type of Sokoban game where you push blocks around to solve each level. While it’s easy to find solutions online now, players in the 90s didn’t have that option! The basic idea of Boxxle is simple to understand, but later puzzles can be incredibly difficult, requiring a lot of thought and effort.
3) Contra: The Alien Wars
Konami brought Contra III: The Alien Wars to the Game Boy, tasking Factor 5 with the port and simplifying the title to Contra. While largely the same game as the Super Nintendo version, the Game Boy edition has a few less levels and doesn’t allow you to switch weapons as easily. It’s a good adaptation, but like other Contra games, it’s famously difficult. Be prepared to lose often and go through a lot of batteries!
2) Mega Man: Dr. Wily’s Revenge
Just like the Contra games, Mega Man titles are known for being challenging. The series originally gained popularity because it was notoriously difficult to finish on the NES. Still, Dr. Wily’s Revenge certainly earns its place on this list of tough games. It’s worth mentioning that this particular Mega Man game was actually developed by Minakuchi Engineering, not Capcom themselves.
You might expect a game made quickly to be lower quality, and while Dr. Wiley’s Revenge isn’t as polished as the main Mega Man games, it’s still enjoyable. It is quite challenging, though! Many of the platforming sections require very precise jumps, and you’ll have to dodge a constant stream of enemies and attacks. Capcom didn’t hold back when it came to making this game difficult for Game Boy players.
1) RoboCop
The video game based on RoboCop first came out in 1988 and has been released on many different systems since then. The Game Boy version, released in 1990, combines fighting and shooting action. This mix of gameplay is challenging on any console, but it’s especially difficult to master on the Game Boy’s small, low-resolution screen.
Even though it was a challenging game, RoboCop was a major early hit for video game adaptations of movies. The PC version sold over a million copies, and the Game Boy version also did well, even though it came out much later. While players might have gotten frustrated with the difficult combat as Alex Murphy, the developers at Data East were happy with the strong sales.
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2026-01-12 01:41