The Classic Portable Gaming Tribute Thread

A lot of us seem to have had our interest in handheld gaming increase lately with all the great DS games out. I figured it would be a good time to take a look back at the classic portables(Game Boy, Lynx, Game Gear) and the good games they had. A lot of these don't have modern portable equivalents.

The Milton Bradley Microvision(1979) and Epoch Game Pocket Computer(1984) deserve nods for being the first programmable portable games systems. Unfortunately I have yet to play these but discuss them too if you want.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...icrovision.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...och-GPCBox.jpg

There are also more obscure early '90s monochrome portables like Bit Corporation's Gamate and Watara's Supervision. I was never very impressed with those.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ter/gamate.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...upervision.jpg


Here are thirty games from the Game Boy, Lynx and Game Gear that I consider quality. There are a lot I didn't include so please add more to the thread.


Shinobi II: The Silent Fury(GG)
Instead of porting the SMS Shinobi games or merely downgrading the Genesis ones, Sega released a superb side series that stood apart from the other Shinobi games with its non-linear design and use of multiple ninjas with different skills.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ggshinobi2.gif

Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening(GB)
I think this is still the best portable Zelda. I would rank it third in the whole series after Ocarina and ALTTP.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...r/gb-zelda.jpg

Sonic Chaos(GG)
Technically this isn't an original game as the near identical SMS version came out around a month earlier in Europe but for most people in North America this was brand new and awesome. I can see how some prefer the faster pace of the first SMS/GG Sonic though.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...c_chaos-gg.gif

Donkey Kong(GB)
An excellent puzzle platformer and unfortunately the last game in the series to really resemble the old trilogy in style.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...eater/dk94.png

Blue Lightning(Lynx)
Back when there weren't even console games with hardware scaling effects this was mindblowing stuff. It's still a great game.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...elightning.gif

Power Strike II(GG)
The GG had two exclusives in Compile's Aleste series. I would say they're still the best portable shooters ever made.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...iigamegear.jpg

Tetris(GB)
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../tetris-gb.jpg

Toki(Lynx)
The NES and Genesis ports failed to live up to the arcade game but this one succeeded.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../toki-lynx.jpg

Operation C(GB)
I thought the GB Castlevanias were decent but this GB Contra is what impressed me most for Konami games on the system.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...operationc.jpg

Sylvan Tale(GG)
This great Zelda-ish adventure was left in Japan but the language barrier isn't really a problem.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...sylvantale.gif

Ninja Gaiden Shadow(GB)
Originally intended to be part of the Shadow of the Ninja series, this Ninja Gaiden game by Natsume turned out quite nicely.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...idenshadow.gif

Gates of Zendocon(Lynx)
I just love the atmosphere in this shooter.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ofzendocon.gif

Shining Force II: The Sword of Hajya(GG)
Between this series and Crystal Warriors the GG had the SRPG genre covered very well.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...g_forcegg2.png

Metroid II: The Return of Samus(GB)
I haven't played this since it came out so I'm guessing it has aged a bit but I thought it was a worthy sequel at the time.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...Metroid_II.png

Battlezone 2000(Lynx)
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...e2000_lynx.gif

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins(GB)
I never liked this series as much as the console games but it was still quality and evolved into the Wario franchise.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...rio_Land_2.png

Roadblasters(Lynx)
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...asterslynx.jpg

Revenge of the Gator(GB)
The first of the impressive GB pinball games by HAL.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ofthegator.gif

Electrocop(Lynx)
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ElectroCop.png

Battletoads(GB)
Just to be confusing, this game is not a port of the NES game but Battletoads in Ragnarok's World is.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...tletoadsgb.gif

S.T.U.N. Runner(Lynx)
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...unner-lynx.jpg

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(GB)
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...r/tmnt1gbb.gif

Xybots(Lynx)
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ybots-lynx.jpg

Coca Cola Kid(GG)
Cheesy product tie-in but a good Sonic-ish platformer.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ocacolakid.gif

Rygar(Lynx)
This and Ninja Gaiden were two quality ports of Tecmo arcade games.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../rygarlynx.jpg

Kenyuu Densetsu Yaiba(GG)
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ater/yaiba.jpg

Bionic Commando(GB)
An original game in the vein of the NES game.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...commandogb.png

Defenders of Oasis(GG)
It's too bad most GG RPGs were left in Japan. At least this good one wasn't.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ndersoasis.gif

Burai Fighter Deluxe(GB)
Better than the NES game before it, fans of shooters like Forgotten Worlds should check out this Taxan game.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...hterdeluxe.gif

Robo Squash(Lynx)
A neat 3d Breakout type game.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...robosquash.jpg

What are your favourites?

My favorite Game Gear games were the Sonics, although I never played Chaos (isn't it on the Gems collection?). I also loved Aladdin, which got across more of the movie's story and emotion than any other version. I liked that they didn't just dowgrade the Genny version, but instead made an all-new game that succeeded where other games didn't.

As for the Game Boy, Metroid II is a favorite of mine, and has aged pretty well. The original Kirby game is also still enjoyable, and while it's probably the easiest game I've ever played, it remains fun to play in spite of that. The Super Mario Lands were also great fun to play, much like the GG Sonics, you could rely on them to capture the feel of the console games, but put a new spin on them as well.

Super Mario Land 2 was crap - too easy, pretty lame graphics and level design. And Wario sucks. The first game was way better, it was like Super Mario Bros. if Miyamoto was on (even more) LSD when he made it.

Mario's Picross 4 life, son.

You pretty much got them all...at least the ones I've played.

I'd add in Gargoyle's Quest, Alleyway, and Kid Icarus for gameboy.

the only portables i've owned are the lynx, the original gameboy, the gamegear and the ngpc. i always wanted a nomad and turbo express.

ninja gaiden, zenophobe and rygar on the lynx were awesome.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

Super Mario Land 2 was crap - too easy, pretty lame graphics and level design. And Wario sucks. The first game was way better, it was like Super Mario Bros. if Miyamoto was on (even more) LSD when he made it.

Mario's Picross 4 life, son.

---

Though I don't agree with you about Wario, I have to agree that the first Mario Land is easily the better game. Yeah, Mario is small and blah blah blah, but that allows the level design to actually spread out for a decent amount and feel like a real Mario game, rather than the stupidly zoomed in feel of 2.

Also, Kwirk (for the Gameboy) was awesome, if annoying difficult later on.

NeoZed pretty much covered my favorite handheld games of the past, even Gator's Revenge (I thought I was the only one who played that game).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by g0zen

Gator's Revenge (I thought I was the only one who played that game).

---

Nah, I played that a ton, too. Super Mario Land 1 was probably my favorite out of all of the GB ones, but Virtual Wario Land is probably my favorite out of the "portable" Nintendo platformers.

Oh, and props to GB Dr. Mario for having a damn bottle big enough so that you could take out the highest germs on level 20 without having to take out the middle by doing the sides first.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by diffusionx

Super Mario Land 2 was crap - too easy, pretty lame graphics and level design. And Wario sucks. The first game was way better, it was like Super Mario Bros. if Miyamoto was on (even more) LSD when he made it.

---

I might like the first one better too but I haven't played it in ages so I put up the sequel's pic instead. Miyamoto didn't make the game but yeah it was trippy.

Though not as good as Operation C and more like a really linear Turrican in Contra clothing, I liked the Game Boy version of Contra III. I'd go so far as to say I think it's far more faithful to the SNES version than the GBA version is.

I liked the Game Boy Mega Man games. I was disappointed with the Game Gear version; if it would have compensated for the small screen as the Game Boy versions did, it would've been killer, but the blind jumps and whatnot killed it.

Here are a few of my faves that NeoZeedeater didn't mention.

Metal Gear Solid (GBC)
http://www.computerandvideogames.com..._pic_21415.jpg

Psychic World (GG)

http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/gamegear/a/psych_13.gif

Final Fantasy Adventure (GB)

http://dorando.emuverse.com/images/s...nsetsu1_01.png

Metal Slug: 1st Mission (NGPC)

http://screenmania.retrogames.com/ng...p_0010_029.png

Samurai Shodown 2 (NGPC)

http://members.tripod.com/ngpc/image...m_samurai2.gif

Sonic Pocket Adventure (NGPC)

http://www.defunctgames.com/pic/revi...dventure-1.jpg