Nintendo’s remake of The Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening for Nintendo Switch has gotten me thinking. The Game Boy has a large amount of titles that would also benefit from modern remakes on Nintendo’s hybrid system. Here are nine choices for Gameboy and Game Boy Colo games for whom remakes would be perfect.
Metal Gear: Ghost Babel
Metal Gear on NES was not good. That is not up for debate and Kojima feels it missed what he was trying to do. Metal Gear Ghost Babel was a great return to the style of the original MSX Metal Gear that also took ideas and concepts from Metal Gear Solid to create an incredible experience. A remake using modern visuals, and ideas from the Metal Gear games after Ghost Babel came out would no doubt be a big hit and a way to earn back fans that were burned on Metal Gear Survive. It would show that even without Kojima, the series could live on. It has a full framework to use and so much potential to build on.
Super Mario land and Super Mario 2: 6 Golden Coins
The two Mario Land games on Game Boy were something out of the norm for the series up to that point. Thanks to having a different development team, we saw new ideas and powerups introduced, in addition to a new set of characters. The games were unique and while I feel individually they are not enough for a remake, a remake of the first and second game combined would be extremely welcome. Think of it like the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, with the original games being given a massive facelift in addition to Super Mario Bros Deluxe, which added a lot of new content to that game.
Wario land Trilogy and Wario Land VB
Similar to the above, but with a bit of a cheat. I am including a Virtual Boy game here because it is the one game from the system that everyone agrees was amazing. This would be best done as I suggested above, an N Sane Trilogy style remake for all 4 games to let a new audience experience them for the first time. The Wario Land games were different. They had a very unique identity to them, and different play mechanics that made Wario himself stand out. It would be great for audiences to appreciate Wario’s first great games that came before the WarioWare series began.
Trax/Solar Striker
This one is again slightly different. Trax and Solar Striker were shooters for the Game Boy, but with different gameplay styles. Trax saw you play as a tank and go through levels destroying enemies and fighting bosses, while Solar Striker was a more conventional space shooter. My idea for this would be an eshop release that contained remakes of the two games as one offering. Not everything needs to be a full budget remake, and these two would be great as smaller budget releases as we will see with the next entry
Revenge of the Gator
Pinball games are awesome and I cannot get enough of them. Revenge of the Gator was a unique pinball game that required a lot more strategy than is typical of the genre. For such a simple idea as pinball, it was extremely addictive and satisfying. My idea here is similar to what was done with Alien Crush getting a reimagining as Alien Crush Returns. Give it more story elements, more strategy features and expand the gameplay further. There is a reason this game is so beloved by Game Boy fans and a new generation would enjoy it as well.
Mole Mania
Shigeru Miyamoto made a lot of games that we all love, but some of his creations just fell by the wayside. Mole Mania was one of his games that failed to catch on and that is a shame. The game is a very puzzle action game and has a very decent challenge to it. The original was a bold new idea, and one that shouldn’t be forgotten. This shouldn’t be a 1:1 remake though, and should go all out with the concept. A remake could expand the view of digging and add new ways of completing puzzles. Boss fights could be done in a variety of ways, and co-op would be a marvelous addition here.
Castlevania 2: Belmont’s Revenge
Castlevania The Adventure got an incredible remake on the Wii in the form of The Adventure Rebirth and my idea here is more of the same. A Rebirth style remake of Belmont’s revenge would be extremely welcome so we can once again jettison what didn’t work about the game and what worked brilliantly. The game is considered much better than the first GB game, and there is a lot more to work with here. It would also be a great way for Konami to capitalize on the success of the Castlevania anime by bringing a new entry based on a handheld classic.
For The Frog The Bell Tolls
Many westerners do not know what this is. This was a Game Boy game only released in Japan and used the same engine as Link’s Awakening. In fact, characters from this game cameoed in Link’s Awakening. A remake could use the same engine and gameplay ideas from the Link’s Awakening remake in a nod to the original and maybe add in a Zelda cameo or two. A remake would be a great idea, because it would give a chance for audiences outside Japan to get to enjoy this game and give the IP the chance it never got before. An action adventure role playing game, this is a title that would wow audiences in the west, if it gets the chance. It could even take a page out of the recent Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, in terms of expanding the gameplay and transformations.
Donkey Kong 94
Donkey Kong was the first big hit for Nintendo, and a port to the Game Boy seemed simple enough at first. After finishing the initial levels though, it became clear that this was so much more. The amount of content added cannot be overstated, as it was not just several hours worth, but content that defined how the Mario games would play going forward. Multiple worlds were added and Mario got a whole new moveset that is still with him today. The boss levels were unique and the game had neat use of the Super Game Boy.This is the model to use when doing remakes and it should be applied to a Switch remake of DK 94. The game could be further expanded and take ideas from what the first Mario vs Donkey Kong had while innovating even more. In fact, ideas from recent 2D Mario games and even Super Mario Odyssey could be added to make this the best way to experience Donkey Kong
These were just nine ideas. What games would you like to see?
Disclaimer: The above was the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of ROG or its staff.
In addition, for access to an extensive variety of active retro gaming groups on Facebook, visit Retro Gamers Hub.
Definitely Gargoyle’s Quest! It desperately needs a remake!
Good picks on here. It’s kinda cheating, but Oracle of seasons and ages could use an update too.