The Absolute Best Game Boy Color Party Games of All Time

The Game Boy Color was an awesome console with a lot of party games. It took everything great about the original Game Boy and added a color screen which really brought games to life. So many details could be conveyed compared to the previous device, which made it great for mini-games and puzzles. The Link Cable also made it possible to connect multiple Game Boys for some good multiplayer.

Mario Tennis

Nintendo started pushing hard toward sports games featuring their characters in the late 90s. But one of the most popular and longest-running sports franchises is Mario Tennis. It came out around the same time as the Nintendo 64 version but did not have nearly as good of graphics. Still, this version offers plenty of fun on the go.

One of the strange things about this game is that it features a story with some random characters. Even odder is that you cannot play as Mario until you’ve played through the entire story. Regardless, this doesn’t detract from the game at all, and there is even a small world you can navigate through to get to each match.

It uses some simple mechanics that work and makes it easy for anyone to start playing. Some mini-games include other popular Nintendo characters like Donkey Kong. Mario Tennis also supports multiplayer via the Link Cable, making it a great choice for parties.

Pokemon Gold/Silver

After the major success of Pokemon Red and Blue on the Game Boy, Pokemon Gold/Silver had some major shoes to fill. Fortunately, they lived up the to their predecessors and improved on them in almost every way possible. The biggest and most obvious improvement is that Gold and Silver are in color thanks to the new console.

Gameplay is essentially the same and consists of collecting Pokemon, trading them, and battling. Another major difference is that there are over 100 new Pokemon to collect. The color screen made it possible to transition between day and night, which Pokemon are split between. Gold and Silver featured new mechanics, such as breeding all new Pokemon.

What makes Pokemon Gold and Silver great is that there is something for everyone. You can focus on combat, playing mini-games, or just raising Pokemon. Of course, the multiplayer and ability to trade Pokemon make them some of the best party games, and they certainly will not disappoint.

Austin Powers: Welcome to My Underground Lair!

Today Rockstar is known for games like Call of Duty and Red Dead Redemption, but in the early 2000s, they had some really strange titles. Austin Powers: Welcome to My Underground Lair is one of the oddest games by the studio and among the few based on IP. Combining Rockstar and Austin Powers sounds like a what-could-go-wrong scenario, and little does.

The game starts with you entering some information about yourself and giving a little backstory. It asks a few more questions before showing a selection of mini-games. The best is Mojo Maze, where you need to pick up all of Austin’s mojo without touching one of the enemies.

There is also a game called Domination, where you need to connect colored dots, which does support two players. The cartridge has some other neat things on it, too, that fans of Austin Powers are sure to enjoy. While this isn’t the most well-known party game, it offers a decent amount of fun and is a good conversation piece.

Mario Golf

Mario Golf is another prime example of Nintendo getting into sports games. Sports games are popular because of their fast-paced nature and how easy they are to start playing. But golf is different since it requires massive courses and complex mechanisms to work correctly. Somehow Mario Golf manages to pull all of this off flawlessly on a handheld.

The gameplay consists of playing rounds of golf. It takes a less realistic and more arcade-like approach to the sport. One nice feature is that you can create your character or play as one of the characters from the popular Mario franchise. Although it is not a very serious golfing simulator, you can use many options to perfect your game.

Your character improves and levels up as you play. There are tons of little details, like cutscenes, that play after some shots. It also has some other modes with mini-games and even a training session. But if you are looking for a party game, you will probably want to check out the multiplayer mode.

Mickey's Speedway USA

Made by Rare, Mickey's Speedway USA continues bringing titles from the Nintendo 64 over to the Game Boy. Racing games, especially arcade racers, are always hit-party titles because they are great to play with others. Mickey’s Speedway USA takes the beloved Mickey Mouse and puts him behind the wheel of a racecar.

Unlike most racing games, this one has a story. Mickey and his friends try to rescue Pluto from Weasels (no one said this was a good story). Nonetheless, gameplay consists of the usual racing around a track. The camera follows from a top-down perspective at a slight angle behind the car. The camera always faces the same way, so it controls like a regular top-down racing game.

There are also things to pick up on the track, like in Mario Kart. The graphics are pretty good, and all the characters are very clear. If you are a fan of Mickey Mouse and his pals, then you should try Mickey’s Speedway USA.

Super Mario Bros

Our list won’t be complete without Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, one of the best games you could get on the Gameboy Color. This version brings back the original version from the NES in full color on a handheld. This was the first time the game made it to a handheld console, and Nintendo knew they shouldn’t mess with perfection. So Super Mario Bros. Deluxe remained almost identical to the original.

If you’ve been living under a rock, Super Mario Bros. is a 2D sidescrolling platformer that has shaped nearly every game after it. You play as Italian plumber Mario as he makes his way through various levels to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser.

One of the biggest changes in Super Mario Bros. Deluxe is that you can save a game. But once you beat the game, you unlock some new features that weren’t in the original, such as the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2. While numerous games have come out since The Game Boy Color version is easily one of the best party games.

Tetris DX

Tetris took the original Game Boy by storm with its simple yet addictive gameplay. While that version remained popular and even playable with some enhanced shading on the Game Boy Color, a new full-color version was on the horizon, [amazon link=”B00000IWYS” title=”Tetris DX”.

To indicate this difference, the cartridge is black and shaped like the older-style ones rather than the new clear ones. Gameplay is the same as every other Tetris game ever made. Sort blocks as they drop down and try to get a full row. Once you get a full row, it will disappear. But you have to shift blocks around and get them in place before they hit the bottom.

Blocks stack up quickly, and you lose once they reach the top. One of the cool features of this new version is that you can save your high score. A few other modes were also not present in the previous iteration. Tetris will always be one of the best party games because it is so simple to play, and you can compete for a high score.

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