The Nintendo Switch Online Classics Library is a great way to revisit games from years past. Many of the more recent retro catalogues, from Game Boy Advance to Nintendo GameCube, require an Expansion Pass upgrade. But as for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color classics? Those are available to anyone with a Nintendo Switch Online membership. That means that some of the great games that started modern beloved IPs, as well as some forgotten hidden gems, are at the fingertips of Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.
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The Game Boy originally came out in 1989, with the Game Boy Color following almost 10 years later. Both systems have a whole host of classics well worth revisiting. I already rounded up some of the best Game Boy games on offer. But I’ll admit, my own childhood falls much more solidly in the Game Boy Color era. So, I’m excited to follow up that initial list with an even more personally nostalgic roundup. If you’re looking for the best Game Boy Color classics on Nintendo Switch Online, these 5 should be at the top of your list.
5) Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble
Admittedly, opinions on Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble are mixed. However, many consider it among the best games on Game Boy Color. And I tend to agree, as who can resist an action puzzle game where you roll around as cute little Kirby? This spinoff leans into Nintendo’s love of motion controls, having players tilt their Game Boy Color (or Switch) to move Kirby along the level.
Depending on how you like fast-paced action puzzles and motion control gimmicks, Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble is either one of the worst or best Kirby spin-offs. It’s well worth playing as part of the Game Boy Classics library, if only to settle the debate of where you personally land on this one.
4) Survival Kids
Survival games are popular now, but the genre itself is hardly brand-new. Survival Kids launched for the Game Boy Color back in 1999, challenging players to survive on a deserted island. Developed by Konami, Survival Kids has all the classic survival elements we associate with the genre today, including hunger, thirst, and fatigue mechanics, and crafting.
Survival Kids was a solid early entry in the survival gaming space. It isn’t remembered as often as some of Nintendo’s heavy-hitter first-party games on the Game Boy Color. And yet, as the foundation for the Lost in Blue series and inspiration for the 2025 Switch 2 follow-up, also called Survival Kids, this game is well worth revisiting.
3) Wario Land 3
The Wario Land series began as a Super Mario Land spinoff back in 1994. It became its own fully fledged series with the 1995 release of Wario Land on Virtual Boy (the original, though it has returned for the 2026 version of the console). The best game in the series of puzzle platformers is up for debate, but Wario Land 3 is definitely among the contendors. And it is available as part of your Nintendo Switch Online membership.
In this installment, Wario finds himself in a strange new music box world. Players have to navigate a series of platforming levels, uncovering secret treasures to move on to the next stage. The game is unique for its lack of health points. Wario can simply keep traversing each level until the player solves it and moves on to the next. This, along with the entertaining and varied gameplay, makes Wario Land 3 a solid classic well worth revisiting.
2) Mario Tennis
Yes, we just got a new Mario Tennis game in the form of Mario Tennis Fever. But sometimes, you just want to revisit the classics. And the Game Boy Color version of the OG game that started it all is part of the Nintendo Switch Online Classics Library. You might think a tennis game wouldn’t be a handheld console win. And yet, Mario Tennis is surprisingly solid, making good use of the Game Boy Color’s controls and capabilities.
The Game Boy Color version of Mario Tennis has its own exclusive story mode, adding to its appeal as a single-player title. It also has plenty of mini-games, along with more traditional tennis gameplay. If you enjoy the modern Mario Tennis titles, it’s well worth going back for this solid first installment. It’s even been praised as one of the best games ever released for Game Boy Color.
1) The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages
The games that are personally responsible for my childhood fear of The Legend of Zelda. But even if young Amanda struggled with the dungeons, these games are among the best ever released for the Game Boy Color. Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages are sort of companion games. Released around the same time, they’re rather different in overall gameplay, but feature companion quests and story elements that come together for a broader story.
Back in the day, I assumed this was a Pokemon Blue or Pokemon Red situation and only played Oracle of Seasons. This is more action-based, whereas Ages leans a bit more into puzzles. However, both are well worth replaying to get the whole picture of early Legend of Zelda lore as it first appeared on Game Boy Color.
What is your favorite Game Boy Color game? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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