It's a sad fact that most gamers, even the most hardcore, totally ignore the original Game Boy today. Sure, many of us revisit the NES via emulation, whether it be legal through the Wii VC or otherwise, and many of us still have our old consoles. But how many of us actually look back to the monochrome monolith that entertained us in orthodontist waiting rooms and long car rides to Grandma's (though not on the ride back home at night of course)? The truth is that there are a ton of games that are not celebrated or even talked about today that still were amazing games for their time and are still great to come back to.
This week, I decided to break out my GBA Player and one of the more popular GB games, Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land. I wanted to rediscover the spin-off series' roots and see how the game stacked up by today's standards. I have to say that the character of Wario is one of the most fascinating aspects of the game. I find it hilarious that his sense of drive comes from wanting to be wealthy as opposed to Mario's desire to rescue Peach in hopes of "cake" (which may or may not be a lie depending on how many stars you collect). The game itself was a little on the easy side as I completed it with all of the hidden treasures and hidden levels unlocked without a FAQ in only two days. However, I was surprised with the clever level design and decidedly different approach to the Mario-style platformer (being more exploration based). The whole experience has definitely given me the wanderlust for more original Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles that I've never heard of or played. What are your favorite GB and GBC games?
