The Game Boy Color is an iconic piece of history. While it didn’t boast much over its original, chunkier sibling on the power front, it did have something even better: full-color graphics. Seeing Shiny Gyarados for the first time was a life-changing event. And for this episode of Waypoint Wishlist, we’re traveling back in time to 1998 to chat about what game from the handheld we’d love to see come back for a new generation. Grab a snack and lean back; it’s about to be a wild ride.
Welcome Back to Waypoint Wishlist: Game Boy Color Edition
SHaun Cichacki – COntributor
There are so many games that I’ve poured countless hours into on the Game Boy Color. As my first official handheld, it was basically my introduction to gaming on a more mainstream level. But I don’t think there is any other game that I would love to see make a comeback than the Pokemon Trading Card Game. While I spent plenty of time collecting cards in real life, this was my first actual introduction to the battle portion.
Playing like a typical RPG of the era, the Pokemon Trading Card Game game was all about showing your opponents that you were the real deal. It was easy to learn, quick to play, and somehow even more exciting than the base game. It was a great complementary piece to the typical Pokemon affair that ruled my life at the time. But even years after this game was released, I can’t help but look back on it with the most pleasant of thoughts.
Matt Vatankhah – Contributor
Aside from the original Pokemon Red, I missed out on the handheld Pokemon craze. So, I’m going for a slightly more obscure Gameboy title – Final Fantasy Adventure. Also known as Mystic Quest in Europe, or Seiken Densetsu in Japan, or the first entry in the Secret of Mana series. Yeah, uh, this isn’t actually a Final Fantasy game, but rather a Secret of Mana game that plays more like a classic Legend of Zelda. It gets weird.
Now, was it rereleased on mobile, and then later on Switch as part of the Collection of Mana bundle? Yes. Did it get an actual remake in the form of Sword of Mana? Also yes. Is that gonna stop me from mentioning it because I didn’t really play that many Gameboy Color games to begin with? No way, buster! Final Fantasy Adventure was an interesting game with plenty of jank you’d expect from an old, retro RPG. NPCs blocking your movement, enemies immune to weapons without any indication as to what those weapons are, you name it. But that’s my kind of jank, and I welcome it with open arms.
Dwayne Jenkins – Managing Editor
I believe I subtly articulated my hot take of “I think handheld/mobile games stink, actually,” right? Let me go on the record and say: that’s not true! It’s just rare that handheld/mobile games command my attention. And it wasn’t a lack of trying — I had an OG Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, multiple iterations of the DS, and the Vita. So, I had a challenging conundrum for this edition of Waypoint Wishlist. “What Game Boy Color game would I like to see make a comeback that’s not a goofy platformer from that era?” And the answer finally came to me: Conker’s Pocket Tales!
…I’m not ashamed to admit that I like Conker’s Bad Fur Day more than most. Listen, it’s not one of Rare’s best, but it’s criminally underrated! It’s funny, it’s irreverent, it, uh… may not have aged well in some parts. But — oh my God, I think I suddenly understand everyone’s fascination with Gex. Anyway! Conker’s Bad Fur Day was meant to be a cute 3D platformer before it went full edge. With a modern Conker’s Pocket Tales revival, I’m curious as to what “full-scale” wholesome Conker would be like. Are there enough “cute platformers”? …No. There’s never enough!
Anthony Franklin II – Contributor
My picks for this week are the classic Wario Land 3 and Tomb Raider. I don’t know how many people played that Tomb Raider game but it was a solid time, followed up by GBA versions that were better. But this is where it started for me. I kind of wish we got even more portable Lara Croft adventures before she got turned into a survivalist.
I love the newer versions, but the OG Lara was a badass in her own right, overshadowed for obvious reasons. Wario Land 3 doesn’t need much of an explanation, but this is as classic as classic platforming can get. I love WarioWare, but what the hell are we doing where these games aren’t getting another run?
And That Does It For ANother Episode of Waypoint WIshlist
Portable gaming has advanced quite a lot, hasn’t it? I’ve been partaking a fair bit by playing some of my favorite games on my ModRetro Chromatic lately, and a lot of these games have truly stood the test of time. Sure, I’d love to see some of them get a graphical face-lift and look more modern, but they still look just as lovely as I’d like them to. Thanks for tuning into Waypoint Wishlist, and until next time!
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