Developed by Nintendo and TOSE Co., Ltd., Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters is the sequel to Kid Icarus – a much-loved game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986. Of Myths and Monsters was published by Nintendo, exclusively for the original Game Boy, in 1991 in North America, and 1992 in Europe. For some reason, it wasn’t released in Japan, where it was made.
Continue reading Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, Game Boy
Pocket Bomberman was initially released for the original black and white Game Boy in 1998, and the following year it was re-worked in colour and released as a launch title for the Game Boy Color. Other than the colour enhancements, the game is pretty much identical to the OG Game Boy version, which is no bad thing as it’s an exceptional game.
Initially published in 1997 for the original black and white Game Boy, by Hudson Soft in Japan and Nintendo worldwide, Pocket Bomberman is a scrolling platform game that incorporates elements from the famous Bomberman series. And I have to say that it works exceptionally well and makes for a very good game!
The 1994 Game Boy version of Taito‘s classic Space Invaders is legendary for its Super Game Boy enhancements. It not only features a variety of well-designed borders and enhanced colour palettes, but it also includes an exclusive, separate ‘arcade’ port that is only accessible when using a Super Game Boy on a SNES.
Wario Land on the Nintendo Virtual Boy (aka Virtual Boy Wario Land) was developed by Nintendo R&D1 and first released in 1995. It’s a platform game that was designed to utilise the Virtual Boy‘s stereoscopic 3D capabilities, and therefore features objects that swing in and out of the screen, and also allows the player (as Wario) to explore foreground and background areas.
When the 1995 Game Boy Street Fighter II cartridge is plugged into a Super Game Boy, a number of enhancements are featured.
Developed by a company called “Sun L” (who are uncredited in the game itself), and published by Capcom in Japan, and Nintendo in the West, Street Fighter II on the Game Boy is a cut-down, monochrome version of the famous Street Fighter II arcade game. It was initially released in 1995.
This game – called simply “X” – was a Japan-only release, in 1992, on the original black and white Game Boy, but its conception and development would later have a profound effect on Nintendo‘s confidence in producing 3D-based games.
X was created by British developer Argonaut Software (specifically, by Dylan Cuthbert, who was later infamously ‘poached’ by Nintendo from Argonaut), and was a demonstration of their ability to produce 3D-based games on home video game systems. This impressed Nintendo, who then tasked Argonaut with creating a new 3D game on their Super Nintendo console, which eventually became the classic Star Fox. And the rest is history… Sort of.
The Game Boy port of Donkey Kong was first released by Nintendo in 1994 and it really is something special. I’m showing the Super Game Boy version of Donkey Kong here, with its special arcade bezel border and enhanced colour palette. It was, in fact, the first Game Boy cartridge released with Super Game Boy enhancements. If you want to see the original B&W version, click here.
The 1994 Game Boy remake of Nintendo‘s iconic arcade game is something very special. It is an enhanced re-imagining of Donkey Kong that begins with the original game and then transforms into something amazing – a brand new game with nine themed stages and 95 individual levels.
The King of Grabs 