Topic: Best of the 3DS eShop: Virtual Console. Game Boy - Part 2.

[Khushrenada]

I said I'd post the second half of Game Boy titles pretty soon and here they are. Since we've already begun the discussion a bit on the first half, might as well strike while the iron is hot and keep the discussion going by bring in the rest of the Game Boy Virtual Console library.


The main goal of this series of threads is simple. If you have personally played any of these titles, post which ones you have and which ones you highly recommend others should have on their 3DS, which ones might be recommended for Kairon (or a deeper cut for a certain type of fan) and what you think should be skipped. (And sure, even if you haven't played them and have an opinion, I'm not going to argue against you from posting it). I've also included a poll for people to vote on the games they think a person should acquire for their 3DS.

For myself, I know that I didn't always pay as close attention to the eShop and its releases as I did physical releases. And while I have accumulated a few titles from it, I feel there are probably more I should take advantage of especially since Nintendo hasn't created any other source to purchase many of these titles. While I could I slowly go through each title and try to track down reviews, I'd rather get the opinions of the NWR Forum users whose gaming tastes I trust a bit more. Plus, I figured this would be a chance to engage in our favorite practice of reminiscing about games we loved playing (and arguing about the worth / rank of a game. )

These are the latter 25 games available on the eShop in alphabetical order which are up for discussion in this thread:

Lock 'n' Chase
Mario's Picross
Maru's Mission
Mega Man II
Mega Man III
Mega Man IV
Mega Man V
Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge
Metroid II: Return of Samus
Mole Mania
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon
Pac-Man
Pokémon Blue
Pokémon Red
Qix
Quarth
Radar Mission
Revenge of the 'Gator
Side Pocket
Super Mario Land
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Tennis
The Sword of Hope II
Tumblepop
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3


Which games do you think are worthy of being added to one's collection and played?

[Khushrenada]

The game I'm probably most interested in hearing about is Mole Mania. I was looking at that on the eShop and came close to purchasing it but I just hadn't been having good experiences with Game Boy games at the time so I decided to skip it. Yet, going through this list, that title stood out to me again so I'm curious to see if anyone else ever got around to it.

[pokepal148]

Both Mario Land games, (along with Wario Land) are excellent. I actually recommend the original Mario Land the most highly out of the three. It's short but that's also a blessing in disguise for the game because it lets some of the weirdness that game has like exploding koopas run it's course without becoming stale.

[ejamer]

Mario's Picross
...
Mega Man II
Mega Man III
Mega Man IV
Mega Man V
Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge
Metroid II: Return of Samus
Mole Mania
...
Revenge of the 'Gator
...
Super Mario Land
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
...
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3

If you like Picross puzzles, then go ahead and pick up Mario's Picross. It's a simple version of the game, but still totally enjoyable.  Recommended for fans of the genre.

The entire Mega Man set of games on GameBoy are pretty decent for fans of the series - but the later entries have the most refinement. It's also nice when you start getting entirely new content with Mega Man V instead of just revisiting familiar Mega Man enemies in remixed levels.  Recommended, but I'd suggest starting with IV and then deciding on the others based on your reaction to that one.

Metroid II is interesting, but flawed. It's very linear, zoomed in a bit too close, and without a map or significant distinction between many of the areas can be too easy to get lost in. I still like it... but it's been totally replaced by the 3DS remake.  Not recommended.

Mole Mania is a minor gem. Totally recommended.

Revenge of the Gator is pretty awesome for video pinball from this era, but it's also limited to a single table which might - so whether the high score chase will hold your interest or not is hard to say. (I actually think that Kirby's Pinball Land isn't as good a design, but with three tables that you can switch between followed by a final boss encounter, it's definitely more varied.) Recommended for fans of the genre.

Super Mario Land is weird; I wouldn't call it a great game, but it's definitely a unique entry in the Mario series so maybe worthwhile for the novelty? I rather like the soundtrack though, and the inclusion of some simple side-scrolling shoot'em up levels...

Super Mario Land 2 is a big departure from that game. It's got huge sprites, and lots of neat ideas. The game is super easy to beat though. I have a lot of nostalgia for this Mario entry and would recommend it without much hesitation. Being the first introduction of Wario is also kind of a fun landmark, although his character changed quite a bit in later games.

Wario Land represents another big departure, and is also different from any of the other Wario games. The game has a slower pace than you might expect, but also has a lot of great ideas. A lot of the game is learning how to exploit the special powers Wario can get, and figuring out which powers you'll need to hold onto throughout the levels. Environments in some levels also change significantly over the course of the game, so if you revisit them later things will be different and you might be able to access new treasures to get the best ending. I find this game relaxing and interesting, but suspect that my enjoyment is greater than what the average gamer today would find.

[Adrock]

I have a good bit of nostalgia for the original Super Mario Land. It was the first non-Game and Watch handheld Mario. I don’t know how well it holds up. The sprites are really small. I think my favorite thing about the game is the box art.

Super Mario Land 2 is like Super Mario World-Lite. Also, there’s this Mario themed zone. The crotch-area stage features a bunch of balls.

It was a weird time. I was surprised to see that sheer lack of subtlety in a Nintendo game especially in the 90s.

I can’t recommend Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 because I barely played it. I missed the boat in 1998 when I received that beautiful ice blue Gameboy Pocket so I didn’t buy it until like 2012. I’m sure the cartridge is sitting in a box somewhere. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 is a platformer, yes. That’s all I can really say about it. I don’t recall it really grabbing me. Wario Land II is the money Wario game.

Pokémon Blue stands as the only main series Pokémon game I’ve ever played. It was good from what I remember; I’m too scarred to return to it. I’m considering Pokémon Shield.

[ejamer]

...
Pokémon Blue stands as the only main series Pokémon game I’ve ever played. It was good from what I remember; I’m too scarred to return to it. I’m considering Pokémon Shield.

I played Red and Blue back when they were freshly released.
They are probably fine games... but like Adrock I'd be scared to go back to anything before the GBA releases. The series has gotten more complex over time (which might or might not be a good thing) but it's also smoothed out a lot of rough edges the first games had. Going all the way back is probably best either for nostalgia, or if you really do feel a need to catch them all.

[Adrock]

They are probably fine games... but like Adrock I'd be scared to go back to anything before the GBA releases.

To clarify, “scarred” wasn’t a typo. My brother and I didn’t realize there was only one save slot so he saved over my file. I was in the final dungeon before the Elite Four. That pretty much destroyed Pokémon for me. I haven’t been able to get into the series since.

[Order.RSS]

I don't know anything about Maru's Mission, but man oh man, does it have some awful/amazing cover art.
   

Stuff I did play:
Pokémon Blue/Red - Phenomenal games that still hold up to a degree. Yes, LeafGreen/FireRed basically render them obsolete, and it's rough when you consider the QOL features Gold/Silver added aren't here (no contextual button press to activate HMs, can't use Select to bring up the bicycle, no held items, Psychic types are very overpowered due to quirky programming).
But man, the music, the spritework, all the weird glitches you could do, the sheer amount of creatures with simple but iconic designs... I think if you played these before they're still fun to go back to. Newcomers should maybe consider a later version.

Sidepocket is a fun version of the billiards classic. Includes some of the trickshots, and the game gives you the expected pattern of a shot too which is neat. Sidepocket is better on SNES and Genesis for sure, but this version at least has more features than the WonderSwan port.
Real talk though, Break In is on TG-16 virtual console and way more stylish. Although nothing approaches the cool factor of Sidepocket 2 for Sega Saturn:


Super Mario Land: Underrated in my opinion. Game's turning 30 this year, and if you compare it to other 1989 and 1990 releases (barring Tetris) it's so much more impressive than Alleyway, or even platformers like Amazing Spider-Man (AWFUL game). Mario Land still plays smoothly, has fun shooter stages, and some level theming and villains that we never saw again.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins: Hell yeah. Space Zone was the best, but almost all levels here are winners. Remember the crow bossfight, or the one with 3 rolling piggies? The weird anthill levels? The water levels which somehow don't suck? The fun carrot-upgrade that gave you flying bunny ears? Hot take: the Mario Land series is a lot more creative than anything in New Super Mario Bros. U.

[Mop it up]

I believe that you have forgotten one: Pokémon Yellow.

As with my list in the other thread, it's been many years since I've played these games so I probably can't be very specific with them.

Mario's Picross
There are loads of picross games on 3/DS so I personally see no reason to go back to an old one like this, unless a person has somehow played every other game.
Not Recommended

Mega Man Dr. Wily's Revenge thru Mega Man V
With the exception of Mega Man V, all of these games include the same robots from the NES games, and their respective stages use the same themes and enemies. However, most of the stage layouts are pretty different, so there may still be reason to play them for fans who still want more. There are some obvious concessions made to fit things on a smaller screen though there are many times the games don't compensate for this very well; the fourth game is the one I felt was designed the best around the Game Boy. After the first game, they also included robots from two different games, so for example Mega Man II has 4 robots from NES MM2 and 4 from NES MM3, and so on. Most of the music is similar to NES music but there are still some new pieces of music such as intros and such which are actually pretty good. Mega Man V is an entirely new game with new robots, stages, music, and weapons, making it the most unique of the bunch and the one I would recommend the most. Mega Man III is the one I remember easily being the worst, having the cheapest and most terrible level designs.
Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge: Recommended for Kairon
Mega Man II: Recommended for Kairon
Mega Man III: Not Recommended
Mega Man IV: Recommended
Mega Man V: Recommended

Metroid II: Return of Samus
I wasn't a fan of this game, in fact I'm tempted to claim it as feeling even more primitive than NES Metroid and the worst one in the series. I just don't think a Metroid game works well on the Game Boy, as it suffers from lack of colour more than many games do, and the small screen space isn't good for exploration. There is also a remake on 3DS though I haven't played it, so I don't know how it changes things. However, I know people still like this game so I'm not going to call it a bad one nor flat-out dismiss it.
Recommended for Kairon

Mole Mania
This was certainly a criminally overlooked game which I also had never heard about until its VC release. Also like with Donkey Kong, I tracked down a cartridge since it has some pretty neat Super Game Boy features. The simplest term to describe this game would be "puzzle" but there is still danger from enemies in many areas and it's also sort of like an adventure game since you travel between continuous screens rather than levels. Your main goal is simply to figure out how to exit the current screen to continue on to the next, by doing things like pushing objects and digging through ground to other sections. I believe there was also some sort of bonus objective but it's been so long things are fuzzy. It starts off simple but there are some very clever puzzles later on which will grant nice feelings of satisfaction once they're finally figured out. I am tempted to claim this as the best game on the Game Boy but considering what happened to you with Game Boy Donkey Kong, that would probably just make you less likely to try it out which would be a shame.
Strongly Recommended

Pokémon Blue, Pokémon Red, and Pokémon Yellow
As someone who is not a fan of this series but still likes to play one now and then, I see no reason to return to these games else than nostalgia, especially when the series has never deviated from this same formula so there isn't anything I find unique about them. As the first in the series they are also pretty rough and lack some important information. I believe that Yellow is an enhanced version of Red and Blue, so if a fan absolutely wants to see the roots of this series, that's the one I would say to get.
Pokémon Blue and Red: Not Recommended
Pokémon Yellow: Recommended for Kairon

Super Mario Land
This is probably going to be controversial but this is one of my least-fave Mario games and I feel it doesn't hold up at all. While it may have some weirdness factor to it with the level themes and things like exploding Koopas and shooter sections, it still doesn't come close to topping Super Mario World for the strangeness award. As the first Game Boy game it has really tiny and plain graphics, though that'll be less of an issue on 3DS. It's also really short at 12 levels. The music is the only thing about the game which I still like.
Recommended for Kairon

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Not that I can be one to talk as a lot of people don't like this game, but I enjoyed it quite a bit and think it's still one of the best games on Game Boy. It takes some more cues from Super Mario World with things like the spin jump and having a world map, as well as feeling like it has more of a focus on exploration and discovery which is always what I enjoy in games. I also like how you could choose the order of the worlds, and they have some pretty unique themes for a Mario game that were always a delight.
Recommended

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
This is another of my fave GB games that I really enjoyed a lot. It has an even further focus on finding secrets which is the main reason I was into the game so much, and it almost feels inspired by SMB2 USA with the way Wario can chuck enemies at other enemies. Wario's abilities also feel unique from Mario which helps make this feel more like its own game, and finding treasures can sometimes hinge on figuring out the best way to utilise a power. However, if someone is looking for a more fast-paced or action-packed platformer then they may walk away from this one feeling disappointed.
Recommended

[nickmitch]

I don't think there's any point in playing the original Metroid II when the 3DS version exists.

As for Pokemon, they're tough to recommend because of how they've aged.  Plus, there's the GBA remakes, which are better/(slightly) more modern and Pokemon Let's Go, which is a remake of Yellow, but it takes things to a weird place at times.  I would still recommend if you don't mind older RPGs.

[pokepal148]

Lock N Chase is a fun little arcadey romp. If that's your cup of tea.

They are probably fine games... but like Adrock I'd be scared to go back to anything before the GBA releases.

To clarify, “scarred” wasn’t a typo. My brother and I didn’t realize there was only one save slot so he saved over my file. I was in the final dungeon before the Elite Four. That pretty much destroyed Pokémon for me. I haven’t been able to get into the series since.

Funfact: Modern Pokémon games basically require you to put in some bizarre Konami Code type thing to get the option to delete the current save file and unless you do so if you start a new game you won't be able to save.

[Adrock]

I don't think there's any point in playing the original Metroid II when the 3DS version exists.

Yeah... Metroid II isn’t good now and wasn’t particularly good back in the day. It’s so cramped. I had a hard time recommending it before Samus Returns; it’s especially hard to recommend now unless someone really wants to play the entire series. I’d honestly just wait until the inevitable HD Switch port of Samus Returns. Yes, it’s coming, and I’ll hear no sass from anyone regarding this.

Funfact: Modern Pokémon games basically require you to put in some bizarre Konami Code type thing to get the option to delete the current save file and unless you do so if you start a new game you won't be able to save.

That’s comforting. I am trying to hype myself up to buy Pokémon Shield. I know there’s controversy surrounding the limited Pokédex, but if a Pokémon wasn’t in Super Smash Bros. post-Blue, I don’t know what I’m missing anyway. I digress.

[pokepal148]

As far as modern Pokémon is confirmed I strongly recommend considering Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon.

The totem battles in those games are just leagues above the totem battles in Sun and Moon and the gym battles from older games in terms of design. Pokémon has always struggled with weird difficulty spikes out of nowhere but Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon's totem battles (outside of the first one which is still pretty easy so as to introduce the mechanic) generally bend Pokémon's various mechanics in interesting ways to make the fights more consistently difficult and memorable.

The second totem battle for example has you face a Pokémon named Araquanid. Araquanid is a water and bug type Pokémon so it's water and bug type moves get a power boost. It also has the ability "water bubble" which increases the power of water type attacks. It's raining during the battle which, you guessed it, increases the power of water type attacks used by any Pokémon on the battlefield. Basically all of it's water type moves hit like a truck, even on something that resists water, it can use Aurora Beam to clip the wings off of that grass starter of yours, and it has leech life for a bug type move that drains health from whatever it's up against and Aqua Veil which it can set up to get some passive healing.

Now you may be thinking, "that's just one battle, Gold and Silver had the infamous Whitney's Miltank but the rest of the gyms were generally pretty easy". Here's the thing, all of Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon's totem battles pull stuff like this. It honestly feels like because Gamefreak knew they were going back to gyms for Sword and Shield they were willing to go all out with the Totem fights this time around.

[Luigi Dude]

Megaman IV and V are must plays for anyone that's a fan of the series.  The internet is always debating which games are the best and ranking each entry, but the Gameboy games are always ignored.  Now this is understandable for the first 3 Gameboy games, even though I still like I and III, but IV and V deserve to be ranked up there in the top half of the series at least.

Both games have top notch level design, where the developers at Minakuchi Engineering who made I and III (the 2nd GB game was outsourced to a different company, and Capcom was not happy with the results so they got the developer of first GB back to handle III-V) have really refined and polished what they were trying to do and it shows.  Now V is completely unique but even IV makes some pretty big changes to it's levels despite still sharing themes with Robot Masters from 4-5.  Actually, I find many of the Robot Master stages in IV better then there NES counterparts from 4-5.

[Khushrenada]

Pokémon Blue, Pokémon Red, and Pokémon Yellow
Pokémon Yellow: Recommended for Kairon

Hey now! Pokemon Yellow actually falls under the Game Boy Color VC so save your recommendation of it for when we get to that section.

[Khushrenada]

Lock N Chase is a fun little arcadey romp. If that's your cup of tea.

So far, you are the only person to comment on this title. Care to elaborate a bit more on it?

[Mop it up]

Pokémon Blue, Pokémon Red, and Pokémon Yellow
Pokémon Yellow: Recommended for Kairon

Hey now! Pokemon Yellow actually falls under the Game Boy Color VC so save your recommendation of it for when we get to that section.

Pokémon Yellow is very much an original Game Boy game, but I looked it up and it is indeed listed as GBC on the VC. It would seem the VC version allows it to play as if it's on GBC hardware. However, the added colour is no different than the simplistic colour the GBC system adds to every regular Game Boy game, so that's pretty odd they allowed Pokémon Yellow to run on GBC emulation but not every other original Game Boy game. I guess they wanted to further differentiate it from Blue and Red on VC to try to get those people to buy it again. Personally, I would still count it as a Game Boy game and not GBC since unlike other games it has no real GBC features, but it's certainly one of those messy cases up for interpretation.

[pokepal148]

Crystal was the only one that didn't actually run on the OG GB at all. Gold and Silver could run on an original gameboy and I don't think they had any specific GBC features other than how mystery gift worked on those games. That's actually why shiny Pokémon like the Red Gyarados have that swirling star animation to this day. It was introduced so people playing on an OG gameboy can still tell them apart.

Lock N Chase is a fun little arcadey romp. If that's your cup of tea.

So far, you are the only person to comment on this title. Care to elaborate a bit more on it?

It's kind of a pac-man clone but your character can put up little gates throughout the maze to block the enemies from reaching you. Also the gameboy version has redesigned stages because unlike Namco, Data East realized that just bringing Pac-man to the Gameboy when you can't even see the whole stage is a terrible idea and designed a handful of unique challenges that use the original Lock N Chase gameplay and work better for the gameboy format.

[Khushrenada]

I’ll throw in my two cents on the few games here I’ve bought and tried:

Mario's Picross – This has actually been one of the better titles from the Game Boy Virtual Console because the gameplay and design around solving Picross puzzles is still very playable today and hasn’t changed much from modern iterations of the title. The one thing I find a downgrade is having to move around a curser to mark the board accordingly compared to having a touchscreen to do that. Plus, the lack of color although it’s not like color adds that much in a modern version either. I thought it was neat to see the first introduction of Picross on a Nintendo system.

Metroid II: Return of Samus – Very disappointing. It’s a bit better than the NES version of Metroid but not enough to keep me from quitting it. I took down the first two Metroids and got the Spiderball but just lost interest to keep going. After Samus Returns was released, I thought I’d try this game out again now that I had a better idea of the possible layout of the land but that enthusiasm very quickly burned out. As others have said, Metroid 2 is basically obsoleted now with the release of Samus Returns much like Zero Mission has obsoleted the original Metroid.

While there is still a part of me that remembers reading a bit about Hero of Time’s journey and his being able to appreciate it and hoping that might happen to me, I just can’t justify it to myself to spend the effort on this title with the amount of other games I’d like to play and have yet to get around playing while not even really caring much about what I have played so far of this title. Another reason why I stopped caring about the Game Boy games released on Virtual Console after always seeing this as a top rated Game Boy title.

Super Mario Land - This was the only other Game Boy game I ever actually owned besides Game and Watch Gallery 3. It's an odd title in the Mario series for sure but despite its odd choices, as a Game Boy game, it's still one of the better titles to play. To echo some of the earlier comments, I still like the music for it to, I think it still holds up as a game worth playing today and I agree with Pokepal that it is the best of the Mario Land titles. I kind of prefer the tiny look of Mario and the level design of blocks and enemies. Always felt like it fit the screen better. SML2 feels like it is a bit too zoomed in and I'm not getting the best view spatially of the level. It is short but I appreciated that back when I played it on the Game Boy since it has no save feature. If you wanted to beat it then you had to play it all the way through in a sitting. The Restore Point of the VC takes away the trial and error of continually starting over and working your way forward some more as you learn the later levels but that's not a bad thing. Just something to keep in mind for anyone new that they may be able to finish it pretty quickly. It gets a strong recommendation for me and would probably round out my top 5 of Game Boy games I've played and liked available for the VC.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins - I'm not sure I can agree with the sentiment of this being Super Mario World-Lite. Mario may look closer to his SNES version in this game but it controls very differently. When I did my first Run the Series thread on 2D Mario platformers, I had this game at the bottom (although SML 1 was the next game ahead of it) but one thing I mentioned then is how forgettable this game was to me. It might be another case of having over-hyped it in my mind growing up and the game not meeting the hype. I still remember the Wario commercials from back in the day trying to hypnotize viewers into losing so that he could win. That I remember more than levels in this game. Right now, the only thing I can really picture of the game is Mario with the Bunny Hat sort of flapping around some clouds. I'm also tempted to say this game is something people should feel free to pass on but then I think of Metroid 2 and realize that at least this game was more playable than that. Thus, I say it is recommended for fans willing to play a deeper cut of the 2D Mario series. I have thought about giving it another chance since I checked later on after finishing it and found out I never discovered all 32 levels in the game. Perhaps coming back with lower expectations now may help but for now that remains a low priority idea.

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 - I don't want to comment too much about this game since I really haven't gotten that far into it. I've done maybe the first 4 stages of it. I don't want to seem too harsh on this game but the reality is that after playing and being disappointed in SML2, DK '94 and quitting Metroid 2, Wario Land was the game that basically got me to call the GB Virtual Console quits until now. I'd heard plenty of positive talk on the Wario Land series, particularly from TYP on these forums, and I was looking forward to finally getting into it. The idea of different abilities by hats and searching for treasure in a platforming setting sounded appealing. However, I found the movement and controls a bit stiff and the gameplay a bit obtuse at first. I just felt like I was in for more of the same experience like SML2 and since nothing struck me as particularly fun in that opening bit, I just started another game and never got back to it. Recently, I got a bunch of old Nintendo Power issues going back to the SNES and Game Boy days including ones that cover WL:SML3 from when it released. Looking over that again with the tips and hints got me interested in playing this game again and giving it a better shake. Once I finish DKL3 then I probably will go back to this so perhaps I'll be more positive on this game in the future but, for now, it felt like another game highlighting the limitations the Game Boy system caused to game design resulting in an experience that isn't worth revisiting much today.

[Khushrenada]

It's kind of a pac-man clone but your character can put up little gates throughout the maze to block the enemies from reaching you. Also the gameboy version has redesigned stages because unlike Namco, Data East realized that just bringing Pac-man to the Gameboy when you can't even see the whole stage is a terrible idea and designed a handful of unique challenges that use the original Lock N Chase gameplay and work better for the gameboy format.

Ok. That's not what I was expecting with that game. Sounded more like a shooter of some kind. And are you also saying you played Pac-Man Game Boy and talking about that game in the end of the paragraph?

[Khushrenada]

Mole Mania
This was certainly a criminally overlooked game which I also had never heard about until its VC release. Also like with Donkey Kong, I tracked down a cartridge since it has some pretty neat Super Game Boy features. The simplest term to describe this game would be "puzzle" but there is still danger from enemies in many areas and it's also sort of like an adventure game since you travel between continuous screens rather than levels. Your main goal is simply to figure out how to exit the current screen to continue on to the next, by doing things like pushing objects and digging through ground to other sections. I believe there was also some sort of bonus objective but it's been so long things are fuzzy. It starts off simple but there are some very clever puzzles later on which will grant nice feelings of satisfaction once they're finally figured out. I am tempted to claim this as the best game on the Game Boy but considering what happened to you with Game Boy Donkey Kong, that would probably just make you less likely to try it out which would be a shame.
Strongly Recommended

I don't mind you claiming it as the best Game Boy game. It won't stop me from playing it and in fact I'm more likely to play it first over other Game Boy games. While we may differ on other titles and what we think is better, like a stopped clock, you've got to be right at some point in time. 

Pokémon Blue, Pokémon Red
As someone who is not a fan of this series but still likes to play one now and then, I see no reason to return to these games else than nostalgia, especially when the series has never deviated from this same formula so there isn't anything I find unique about them. As the first in the series they are also pretty rough and lack some important information.
Pokémon Blue and Red: Not Recommended

Yeah, with Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen in my collection, I saw no point in purchasing these and replaying them. I know there were quite a few people who did based on their nostalgia of this game because of Miiverse and screens of people playing it at the time it was re-released but FR and LG seem to be the way to go now if it is your first time to play this particular game. And now there's Let's Go Pikachu / Eevee which are the Pokemon Yellow updates of this game as well. While these are probably still fun games to play (they basically became the face of the Game Boy line in the end), I don't see myself ever picking them up at this point and wouldn't consider them a top title one should pick up for their own Virtual Console collection unless they really are a big Gen 1 fan.

[Adrock]

All of your opinions are fair. I will say if you didn’t play most of these games in the 90s, it may be difficult to see why people like them. For example, I’ll always love Link’s Awakening (I know it isn’t on either thread) though the limited controls of the Gameboy may spoil the experience for someone playing it for the first time 25+ years later. Having to pause to every time you want switch items is something we haven’t had to deal with in decades. Many of even the best games on Gameboy suffer from similar quality of life issues.

I haven’t played many of these games since the 90s, and I’m glad I got to experience them when I did. I’m tempted to dig them out of storage. There is a part of me that’s afraid of breaking these rose-tinted glasses. I feel like maybe it’s better to keep the memories in tact.

That said, I still recommend Wario Land II.

[ejamer]

One nice thing about Mole Mania is that it's well-suited to the hardware.

Many of the "big name" Game Boy games seem to be big experiences boiled down, that didn't really fit very well on the small portable. Screens that are zoomed in too far, controls that are cumbersome, and design issues that end up disappointing. But not with Mole Mania - it's a cute game, and fit the platform really well.

However, it's also the kind of cute and fun puzzle game that holds up well today. You might get a Sokoban feel, because there is a lot of pushing/pulling blocks, but there is also more to it.

[Mop it up]

And here I thought I was going to get chewed out for dissing Metroid II! But I guess I didn't have anything to worry about in the end.

Yeah, I actually do think that in general, the Game Boy has aged even worse than the NES, despite being newer. Like with NES there are still a few standout titles which may be worthwhile, but honestly I'm hesitant to recommend any of the games to anyone younger and / or isn't already familiar with NES and Game Boy.

[Khushrenada]

And here I thought I was going to get chewed out for dissing Metroid II! But I guess I didn't have anything to worry about in the end.

Nope. Heck, you should make a thread just for Dissing Metroid 2. It could be the most popular thread to hit these forums yet!