Have you ever looked back and wondered how the games you played the most growing up hold up all these years later? Growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, I didn’t have the internet to look up what was good. My games relied on my mom looking at game covers and what the underpaid teenager in the video game section of Kmart would suggest.
The Game Boy Color came out when I was in 1st grade. Growing up we had an NES and SNES as well, but those technically belonged to my sister. The Game Boy Color was the first console that was mine and shaped my gaming tastes. Here are the 5 games I remember the most from that handheld and how they hold up today.
The Rugrats Movie
Going to get obliterated by this ball
If you grew up in this era, you know licensed games were popular. Some of them were actually good (see here and here), but this one? Eh, not so much. As a huge Rugrats fan as a kid, this game made me so mad. The platforming is frustrating and there are a ton of blind jumps. Some of the jumps are glitched as well and you get stuck in the animation.
The gameplay for this game is awfully slow as well. It could have benefitted from having a sprint button, but instead, you have to slowly and clumsily jump around. The graphics are nice though and that is a redeeming factor for this otherwise mess of a game.
Score: 1/5
Quest for Camelot
Big head sprites
Yes, another licensed game, but the difference with this one is that I never saw the movie. I still haven’t seen this movie and as a kid, I didn’t even know there was one. I like this game so much more as a grownup than as a kid because I can actually figure out what to do.
With limited gaming skills and even more limited reading skills, this game made no sense to me. The sprites of the game are very interesting and comical looking. It is kind of a Zelda-lite, and that is okay. There is a variety of weapons and you can even ride a horse. The interesting thing is that is part of the Nintendo Switch Online service, so you can play it there if you have it.
Score: 2.5/5
Pokemon Yellow
Goodbye Pallet Town
This game was the reason for me even to get a Game Boy Color. This game I credit to helping me learn to read, or probably at least give me purpose. When I think about playing with a worm light or needing the guidance of the inconsistent street lamps in the back of the car at night, this is the game I imagine. I remember getting in trouble for stealing batteries out of the remote to play this.
How does it hold up today? I still love Kanto Pokemon to this day. This is a comfort game to keep coming back to time and time again. My turn-based RPG preferences are most likely the root of this. The game is huge with secrets, people to talk to, and Pokemon to collect.
What made this game special was you could get all 3 starters! You could have such an overpowered team and it felt very good. I used to pretend I was Ash as a kid and replicate his team. I wouldn’t even let some of my Pokemon evolve if he didn’t in the show.
Overall: 4.5/5
Looney Tunes Twouble
Looking for Tweety
Yes, another licensed game. This one did not make much sense to me as a child. The first part of the game has you chasing Tweety and it was fun, but then it goes into this isometric view inside the house. There are puzzles to solve to get past certain areas. You have to collect items and combine them to make other items.
As a kid, that was confusing. As an adult? I kind of really like this. I had fun walking around the house in this dare I say, Metroidvania-lite. It isn’t a masterpiece, but for a licensed Game Boy Color game it is solid. A perfect game when I get choice paralysis and want to relive some childhood memories.
Score: 2/5
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Yes, I have one of these
To this day, this is my favorite Zelda game. That probably comes from the nostalgia of having this game as a kid, but it is also just so charming. It was so cool seeing other Nintendo characters in this game. I also really enjoy the Switch remake now as an adult.
As a kid? I had no idea what I was doing and still had a blast! What I did was cut grass with my sword, collect enough money to buy the shovel, and then dig everything for more money, I would then go fishing or play the crane game in the shop. My goal in the game was to get the big fish or the Yoshi plushy. I remember starting beef with the chickens and foxes that roam around and get obliterated. This game rocks.
Score: 5/5Â
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