With the success of Link’s Awakening, we can’t help but wonder what other Gameboy games Nintendo may have in mind for a remake. The Gameboy catalog features several fan favorites that could easily be translated to 3D.
The handheld console featured every genre from puzzle games to story-rich RPGs that are considered classics by many retro fans. Many Nintendo exclusives are also available on the original Gameboy that newer fans have never had the chance to play. While buying classics on the Nintendo Store is nice, there are a few games we’d love to see a full remake of for Nintendo Switch in 2020.
10 Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
For the past few years, Wario has had a lack of love outside of the Smash Bros. series. We’d love to see Wario come back with his first game in the Wario Land sage. Unlike the title suggests, Wario Land for the Gameboy wasn’t just another Mario game. Instead, the developers took advantage of Wario’s sluggish nature to create an adventure based platformer.
Wario Land also features a more aggressive combat system. Wario true to his character uses brute strength in the Wario land games in order to progress, even today, this would be a breath of fresh air in the Mario universe
9 Balloon Kid
Balloon Kid is the sequel to Balloon Fight for the NES. Balloon Kid greatly builds upon its predecessor by adding in stages, and treasure to find throughout the levels. The sequel gave the series a more structured feel and is fun to play for hours on end. The combat centers around you rising and falling to avoid obstacles while trying to reach the end of the stage.
In this game, you were given a few more gameplay options, such as letting go of your balloons while in flight. Once you have released the ballons, you can switch to a classic ground-based platform-style that most players are familiar with.
8 FINAL FANTASY ADVENTURE
In Final Fantasy Adventure, you play as a character who is being held by the Dark Lord. After escaping from his grasp, you start to learn that you are connected to the mana tree, the very object the Dark Lord intends to control. You begin on an adventure to save the mana tree and save your comrade.
Final Fantasy Adventure channeled inspiration from the top-down Zelda series. This series is also said to have inspired the later Mana series that recently got a remake on consoles. We’d love to see this get the Square Enix remake treatment for the Nintendo Switch.
7 CASTLEVANIA II: BELMONT’S REVENGE
Now that Simon Belmont is officially a character in Smash, we can’t help but want to see Castlevania II remastered. This was the fan-favorite choice for the Castlevania series on the Gameboy thanks to its innovative gameplay and level design.
The story once again has Christopher taking on Dracula, who has kidnapped his son. To make matters worse, Dracula even goes as far as to turn his son into a demon. We can only imagine the rich dialogue that could come with a full-remake and the innovative levels we would get to explore on the Switch.
6 KID DRACULA
Kid Dracula was the quirky Castelvania spin-off that we never knew we needed. The game has gameplay similar to the rest of the Castlevania series but in a more cartoony setting. In Kid Dracula, you play as, well, Dracula who is trying to reclaim his castle. In the game, his arch-nemesis Galamoth has taken both his home and his minions.
You need to jump and fireball your way through the levels to ensure this adorable rendition of Dracula reclaims his home. We’d love to see this game made in modern-day graphics not only would it be a great treat for Castlevania fans, but we doubt Nintendo Switch owners could resist the games charming design scheme.
5 TRIP WORLD
Trip World is a cult classic that sadly never made it’s way to America. Many gamers hail the music and graphics as being among some of the best on the handheld system. In Trip World, you play as a bunny-like creature named Yakopoo. You are in search of the Maita Flower, a plant that keeps peace within your world.
The game also features interesting mechanics as you can transform Yakopoo into three different forms. Depending on what form he takes, your gameplay style will be completely changed. These forms give you the ability to maneuver stages through flight, running or swimming if water is present
4 Harvest Moon GB
With the return of Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town, there is hope that some of the older games in the franchise will be remade. The game features the basic “you inherit your farm from your grandpa” story line that requires you to save the farm. Harvest Moon GB allowed you to play as a male or female character but didn’t have a romance option in the game.
Instead of trying to find a marriage partner, your attention is primarily on caring for your crops and animals. The game does have a higher level of difficulty, as players will get a game over if their farm didn’t perform well throughout the year. A Switch remake would be a great test for modern-day farm simulation lovers who are looking for a challenge.
3 METROID II: RETURN OF SAMUS
We, of course, want Metroid Prime 4, but a remake of Metroid II this year would be a great appetizer. The gameplay centers on Samus going through levels in order to exterminate a set number of enemies. The game features new weapons and abilities for the bounty hunter to use in order to make her missions much easier. These weapons are the laser and plasma beam many fans are familiar with.
The plot of the game revolves around Galactic Federation sending Samsus to the Metroid’s home planet to exterminate the species. As she explores the planet, more of the alien’s lore is revealed to her. The game does have an emotional ending that we won’t spoil, but it would be wonderful to see in current-gen graphics.
2 GARGOYLE’S QUEST
Gargoyles Quest is another game that lets you play as the bad guy. This time you take the role of Firebrand from Ghosts ‘N Goblins. In the game, Firebrand has set out to save the ghoul realms King Breager.
The game features a top-down view along with a side view for the platforming portions of the game. Gargoyle’s Quest has an interesting mix of platforming and RPG elements that make it stand out among other Gameboy titles. Firebrand even gains objects that increase his stats in-game. We could easily see this being a fun remake for RPG fans that are looking for a unique twist on the formula.
1 Kirby’s Dream Land
Kirby still reigns as one of the most charming characters Nintendo has ever created. Kirby’s Dream Land has Kirby taking on King Dee Dee, who has decided to steal every bit of food he can get his hands on. It’s up to Kirby to float through levels and defeat the evil glutton. Instead of using enemies for power, though, Kirby gains temporary abilities through the foods he consumes.
It would be no surprise to see Nintendo decide to remake Kirby’s Dreamland for the Switch. This was the first Kirby title ever made and features many of the franchise’s beloved features along with the origin story of the franchise.
NEXT: The Best Kirby Copy Abilities, Ranked By Power