Here we are at the fifth console on our Top Ten lists and seeing as it hasn’t been pulled from the site, I must be doing something right, so we’ll get on with it and look at the Game Boy Color. You could make the argument that the Game Boy Color doesn’t really count as a separate console to the Game Boy. It’s a reasonable assumption to make, but what sets this enhanced console apart from others like it is that there’s a vast library of games that take advantage of the colourful capabilities this console commands. It’s also spelt wrong.

For this Top Ten, I asked our members to choose their favourite games that took advantage of the Game Boy Color’s features. Effectively, this means any game that had the Game Boy Color logo on its box art. There are a few more restrictions in place, but I won’t get into them. You probably want to just find out what games won, don’t you? Man, you’re so impatient!

And if you'd like to take a look at our previous Top Ten articles then you can do so by clicking any of the mini banners below...

On the surface, Mario Tennis seems like a typical tennis game, but what people actually got was some sort of weird Tennis RPG. You have to take one of two choices of character up through the tennis ranks in order to become a champion and get an opportunity to take on Mario himself. Which kind of makes Mario the final boss. That’s pretty amusing to me. This RPG mode is what elevates Mario Tennis above other tennis titles and certainly gives you your money’s worth.

"While tennis is inherently a more limited sport than golf, Camelot did an amazing job with wringing out as much as possible from the sport; and in combining it with the RPG mechanics that made the GBC version of Mario Golf such an incredible game. Like its golfing counterpart, the blend of RPG mechanics and tennis see you moving up the ranks and tweaking your character to change the way they play as you progress to super stardom." - Dcubed

It was always going to be a tall order, making a survival-horror game for the Game Boy Color, but that didn’t stop Capcom and M4 from taking a good whack at it. Taking control of series-favourite Leon and meme-factory Barry as they explore a luxury passenger ship filled with horrific zombies (Wait, where have I seen that before?) in order to stop Umbrella’s latest BOW from doing bad things.

The game is initially a bit jarring, as it opts for a top-down perspective that switches to a first-person viewpoint as you play a timing based game in order to fend off enemies, but that only serves to provide a new, different experience for Resident Evil fans. Plus, the story is delightfully bonkers. Resident Evil Gaiden might not quite have the creepy atmosphere of the more well-known games, but it still manages to cement itself as a cult favourite.

"If you’re a fan of the series and hoping to play a game like the other RE games, you’re out of luck with this one. It’s very different. Of course that’s due to the limited hardware of the GBC but it made the developers of this game make use of their creativity and imagination. What came out of it is an impressive attempt to push the franchise in another direction. More leaning towards a puzzling action adventure. I love it for that." – markderoos

“Why would you want a smaller version of an N64 game anyway?” Poor, unknowing, younger me might have had this thought upon receiving this portable version of the classic N64 sports title. Of course, it turns out I was completely wrong; as the GBC version of Mario’s golfing venture doesn’t really feature Mario that much. Instead, you control one of 4 random schmos in an RPG style adventure in order to be better than the moustachioed plumber. Featuring a variety of golfing themed side quests and 5 courses to test your skills with, this game quite possibly had more content in it then the N64 version!

"Doing it way before Golf Story made it cool, Mario Golf takes the polished golf gameplay and course design of its N64 fore-bearer and combines it with RPG mechanics to make for one of the best GBC titles ever made! While the story itself is nothing to write home about, the RPG mechanics are cleverly integrated into the golfing gameplay to allow you to customise your golfer's build and completely change the way you play each course. And this world is littered with lots of clever challenges that subtle teach and train you in the more nuanced mechanics of the game." – Dcubed

"The golf was fun on its own, but it was RPG aspects that really stood out. The game contained plenty of fun challenges & getting a hole-in-one never gets old - remaining one of the most satisfying moments you can achieve in a sports game!" – WackerJr

Fans of Link’s Awakening probably would have been a bit overwhelmed when there were suddenly two new Game Boy style Zelda adventures to play, but unlike a lot of multiple version releases, the Oracle games are two completely different games that could link together to unlock even more content and bonuses. Focusing more on the action side of Zelda games, Oracle of Seasons can feel a bit different to the average Zelda, but that only makes it stand out more. Plus, the Magnetic Gloves and Roc’s Cape are some of the best Zelda items ever, and I won’t hear otherwise.

"Oracle of Seasons is certainly a very enjoyable Zelda title which has plenty of amazing sights to see along the course of your more 'traditional' adventure out of the two games, the somewhat familiar structure of the overworld - at least partially inspired by previous games - helps in subtly guiding you along as you traverse every corner of the land. For what it lacks in narrative, it certainly gains in battle experience so while you might not feel quite as motivated by the plot; there is still much to love about what is considered to be the more underrated of the two Oracle games, play it first and revel in the simple joy of enjoying a basic but brilliant Zelda game." – S.C.G

Some things can seem like really obvious ideas in hindsight, such as batting a Poké Ball around a pinball table in order to catch as many Pokémon as you can. It makes too much sense to not base a game on and that’s precisely why we have Pokémon Pinball. It’s an endlessly replayable game with a cool twist on the usual pinball formula. Plus, the cartridge has rumble support. So that has to count for something. It also has a grainy Pikachu voice sample, which probably doesn’t help these days…

"Sometimes a game is just pure fun and Pokémon Pinball was exactly that. It wasn't without flaws, the Red table was significantly harder than the Blue table, but adding the catch 'em all element to Pokémon makes perfect sense and makes for the most complete and long lasting pinball game ever created. The inclusion of Bonus Stages and as a result Boss Battles was something not seen too much in pinball games at the time and in a strange way, the features added to make the game easier than the hardcore experience actually added more depth to the gameplay as tilting without penalties could be a strategic mechanic to save yourself.

Also it worked very well because of the use of a Poké Ball as the ball in the table. This game was so good that I wish it had got far more than just the one sequel on GBA (the Pokémon Mini one doesn't count as from what I hear that is a completely different type of game). I have however never managed to get all the Pokémon in the game..." – GenericAperson

"My personal favourite of the Pokémon spin-offs. Pokémon Pinball is a wonderful idea to make Pinball more engaging, and an excellent way to utilise the main series' critters.

Not only do we have a highly interactive table that's very Pokémon-themed, the main mechanic of the game is catching and evolving Pokémon. Pinball's main flaw is that we lack concrete goals besides improving our hi-scores, and that solves it. By interacting with the table, we can "travel" between areas, trigger Pokémon into appearing, and triggering Pokémon you already caught (only during that run) into evolving. And it's super addictive." – Jonnas

"Space Cadet Pinball for Windows XP but with POKÉMON?? Yes please!!" - Sofiz

Everyone’s favourite awful role model is quite the portable console star, which is probably thanks to cracking games like this. Trapped in a music box, Wario is tasked by a mysterious face to find 5 other music boxes so face dude can be freed. This particular entry in the series focuses heavily on exploration where getting to a certain place can be challenging in and of itself. Not to mention, the multiple humourous and useful transformations that Wario can use to solve puzzles and find secrets. Wario Land 3 may not feature the kind of hero that we should aspire to be, but who cares when it’s this much fun?

"It works a lot like a Metroidvania divided by individual explorable levels, and in addition to permanent power-ups (because it does have those); there are also items that change the layout in other levels. For example, finding a bar of dynamite in the swamp level causes an explosion at the rocky volcano's base, opening up new level segments there.

It sounds so simple, but it's actually fantastic to explore levels that have parts of it clearly sealed off, only to later find something that finally unlocks that pesky obstacle. Level design is some of the best I've ever seen in a 2D game, not just because of the way it is structured, but also because every level takes into account how to deal with Wario's immortality, and how to push him off a platform. It's a paradigm shift, but one that the designers handled with aplomb." – Jonnas

"Wario's GBC Exclusive outing is probably the most intricate GB title ever made. Its complex, multi-layered Metroid-like level design is an absolute treat; where things that happen in one stage will actually influence others! There's even a day/night cycle, where the levels change and the areas you can access will also change!

Wario's trademark invincibility from the last entry is back in full force and expanded upon even more! Vampire Wario! Drunk Wario! Hyperallegnic Wario! This game has it all!" – Dcubed

Card games that don’t involve traditional playing cards are about as nerdy as you can get, no-one can deny that. The only thing that could possibly be nerdier is a video game based on a nerdy card game. Enter Pokémon Trading Card Game, an RPG style game based off of the popular children’s card game. In this game, children’s card games are serious business. You play as a kid who, and I quote, “is crazy about Pokémon and Pokémon card collecting” Despite this, he has absolutely no cards what-so-ever. So in other words, he’s a complete fraud.

After being given a starter deck (Probably because you’re completely pathetic), you aim to build the ultimate deck and defeat the 8 club masters to get a shot at winning 4 pieces of plastic. The stakes have never been higher!

All joking aside, Pokémon TCG might have a silly premise, but who cares when the game is so good? Collecting the perfect cards to build your ultimate strategy is very satisfying and battling other card collectors is always exciting, probably because of that awesome music.

"This game is really fun and nostalgic, and it's more convenient than carrying a bunch of cards around, setting them all up, etc. etc." – Sofiz

These days, survival games are quite common. You can almost definitely see a lot of aspects in other games if you look around a little. Back in the 90’s though, that wasn’t the case. Which only serves to show how ahead of the times Stranded Kids was. Playing as either a boy or a girl, you have to survive on a desert island with whatever resources you can find in an effort to escape said island and return to civilisation. What makes this game stand out is that there are multiple different endings depending on what you do and discover during your time on the island. Which is great for those that like to get multiple playthroughs from one game. Stranded Kids is one of the most unique GBC games out there and is well worth a look.

"One of the original desert island survival games & still one of the best! Exploring, building, surviving, escaping - it was all enjoyable, and you felt a great sense of accomplishment when (if!) you finally got off the island. With plenty of secrets & a variety of endings, I was happy to play it over & over again until I finally manage to achieve the ‘best’ ending." – WackerJr

The other half of the Zelda Oracle games, Oracle of Ages is the counterpart to Oracle of Seasons that focuses more heavily on the puzzle aspect of Zelda games. It’s also got time travel, which is almost always a plus. As far as top-down Zeldas go, this had some of the more difficult puzzles in the series, making it a great game for Zelda veterans to sink their teeth into. I’d make a timeless joke at this point, but unfortunately, I used up that bad pun in the SNES Top Ten. Oh well…

"Oracle of Ages is definitely the deeper Zelda title of the two thanks to its rather rich plot development, more memorable characters and much more besides. Thanks largely to the plethora of puzzles contained within the adventure, it always feels like it takes that much more thought to progress, this is a classic Zelda element which should be celebrated as much as it might be bemoaned by some. Clearly you really should play both titles though, pick your favourite, play it to the end, obtain the password and then use it to start a linked game on the other title, the added extras are more than worth it; ultimately one thing is for certain... it will take you ages to complete seasons and it will likely take you seasons to complete ages." – S.C.G

"I prefer this to Oracle of Seasons as it my opinion the storyline is stronger here. OK, neither of these are the strongest in the series but Ages manages to make great use of Time Travel as a gameplay mechanic and has some great dungeon design as a result, particularly the 6th dungeon that requires you to enter it twice in both the present and the past. This game does a better job of building up its antagonist than Seasons does and the focus on puzzles leads to some of the stronger puzzle designs in the series. On, and it has Tokay Island in it, a precursor to a similar type of island in Breath of the Wild." – GenericAperson

"Following up the best Game Boy game (according to the N-Europe readers) by giving the opportunity to develop it to a 3rd party seemed a bold move, but Capcom were up to the task & produced a huge & clever game, worthy of the ‘Zelda’ name!" – WackerJr

If you’re like me and think that the original Pokémon games, while influential, are a bit out-dated, then the second generation of Pokémon titles should be right up your alley. Absolutely dominating this top ten with little competition, these Pokémon games are the most jam-packed games the Game Boy Color has to offer. 100 new Pokémon to collect, more refined battle mechanics and an in-game clock that has a stark effect on gameplay are just a tiny fraction of improvements to discover in the region of Johto. Every self-respecting RPG fan should play this game, because it’s a bona-fide masterpiece.

"Pretty much a no-brainer, these are some of the best Pokémon main series games out there." – Sofiz

"I mean, who isn't going to choose this for No.1?

The biggest change was the day and night schedule. It added a lot of depth and variety to Pokémon appearance rates and sidequests, but it also gave the players a schedule they could personally follow. Seeing as lifestyle games are so common these days, Pokémon Gold & Silver were significantly ahead of their time. Other significant changes include gender, breeding, and the ability to hold items.

And of course, the ability to return to Kanto, meet old characters, and see how the world is progressing. That was a lovely bit of continuity. And fighting the previous protagonist (who is still silent) as the ultimate boss? Brilliant." – Jonnas

"The long awaited sequel to the original Pokémon game did not disappoint! It fixed almost all of the mistakes of its predecessor and greatly expanded on everything that we loved about the original game. More Pokémon, new Dark and Steel types, item holding and a huge world (well... actually... make that TWO huge worlds!); this game is utterly massive and absolutely jam packed with tons of new ideas and a world that feels absolutely alive.

While I could rag on about all the little things I love about this game, be it the radio station, the Pokémon breeding or the mad hunt for the legendary dogs; I think the best thing I can say about this game is that it feels complete. It doesn't feel like it's missing anything, it's just the complete Pokémon experience from start to finish. And it absolutely deserves the heaps of praise that it has gotten since its original release all those years ago. This game is a masterpiece." – Dcubed

"When it comes to Game Boy games this game is arguably the most complete experience the console has ever seen, featuring a massive campaign spanning two regions, a realistic day/night cycle based on actual real world time, considerable improvement over the original game in every single department by turning a functional if flawed set of RPG battle mechanics into something far better.

They added breeding, allowed you to actually see how good your moves are, allowing you to hold items, added the experience bar, added two more types to create a far more balanced and superior multiplayer experience compared to its predecessor, advanced the scope of Poke Ball variety, added an actually useable inventory system that didn't severely limit what you can carry and even to this day still contains two of the hardest gym battles in the series history. If you owned a Game Boy, this is the best possible game you could have owned for it, it was the best game in the console's entire history." – GenericAperson

"While the original first generation of Pokémon games were amazing for their time, there's no denying that the full colour sequels bettered them in nearly every single way. Set in the new region of Johto, you would now have the chance to add another hundred Pokémon to your digital collection on top of the original 151 making for a seemingly huge at the time 251 critters to catch and battle, not only that but upon beating the game which was already huge in itself, you'd get to return to the previous region of Kanto meaning that there were a total of sixteen gym badges to obtain across the two regions and it is with great thanks that we give to the late, great Satoru Iwata for making this possible because if he hadn't had lent his skills to Game Freak at the time then a good proportion of the game simply would not have been possible; you could even say that without this great feat of engineering that the larger future of Pokémon might have been very different to how it is today, so this is something which should not be overlooked.

I can still remember the excitement of seeing the first screenshots in magazines or on Nintendo sites at the time, checking out the Japanese version as much as I could before realising that the language barrier would prove too great and then buying the American import versions of Gold and Silver for me and my younger brother because we knew that we couldn't wait those extra months for the UK release. We would both go on to play, complete, trade and battle endlessly on those two titles, plus who could forget the original gambling corner before it had to be changed in the later DS re-release and even though both of our previously battery-backed save files have since been erased by time, the feeling of nostalgia for them couldn't be stronger and at least we now have the games in Virtual Console form on the 3DS even though we'll likely never put in the hundreds of hours in as we did the first time around." – S.C.G

If you'd like to be part of N-Europe's Top Ten game lists, then check out the thread on our forum as while it's too late to nominate any GBA titles, we're now down to the last decisive moments as the shortlist should be available soon and voting will close within the week, most likely at midnight on 08/06/19 but in any case please stop on by. It will be interesting to see if we get any newcomers voting for either the GBA edition or for the next unannounced Nintendo platform, as we would very much welcome your input because these articles simply wouldn't happen without the valuable feedback and memories from our community.

Exciting times indeed, catch you next time when the article for the best Game Boy Advance titles goes live on N-Europe some day in the not too distant future.