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There is no definitive best-game ranking for every Nintendo handheld, but these picks balance how enjoyable each game remains, how distinctively it uses its system, and how approachable it is for a new player. The list covers the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS; a final section notes what changes when handheld play moves to Switch.
How this ranking works
These are editorial picks, not a sales chart or a claim of universal consensus. Each selection earns its place through lasting play quality, a strong fit with its original hardware, influence or distinctiveness, and how well it can welcome someone playing today. The order within each system is a recommendation order, not a claim that one genre or era is objectively superior.
Nintendo reports worldwide lifetime hardware sales, as of June 30, 2026, of 118.69 million Game Boy units, 81.51 million Game Boy Advance units, 154.02 million Nintendo DS units and 75.94 million Nintendo 3DS units (Nintendo hardware and software sales). Those totals show each system’s reach, not which games are best.
Game Boy: the best games to start with
1. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
A compact adventure with a world that rewards curiosity, memorable characters and clever dungeon design. Its island setting gives it a different feel from the familiar Hyrule formula, while its core exploration still makes sense to a newcomer. The original Game Boy version is the foundational release; the Game Boy Color’s Link’s Awakening DX adds color and an extra dungeon.
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2. Tetris
The simplest possible pitch—fit falling shapes together—becomes one of handheld gaming’s most enduring tests of focus. It is an ideal short-session game and a defining example of how well a clear, repeatable idea suits portable play.
3. Pokémon Red and Blue
The original journey through Kanto remains a persuasive mix of exploration, collecting and turn-based battles. Its deliberately spare presentation and link-cable trading are inseparable from its era; players looking for a more modern Pokémon experience may prefer a later entry.
4. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
This is a more expansive, playful platformer than the first Game Boy Mario, with distinct themed zones and a memorable new antagonist in Wario. It is a strong pick for players who want a straightforward game built around jumping and exploration rather than long-term collection systems.
Game Boy Color: the library’s essential picks
1. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX
DX brings color to the Game Boy adventure and includes a color-focused dungeon, making it an especially complete way to experience the original design on Game Boy Color. Its puzzles, item-based exploration and compact scale still hold up. If looking for the physical cartridge, check the specific edition, seller, condition, region and authenticity before buying; availability and prices vary.
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These entries expand the original formula with a new region, a day-and-night cycle and a return to Kanto after the main journey. The added sense of a larger world makes them especially satisfying for players who enjoy exploring and building a team over time.
Rank #2
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3. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons
These companion adventures are distinct rather than simple palette swaps: Ages emphasizes puzzles and time-shifting, while Seasons focuses more on action and environmental changes. Playing both and linking them reveals additional story content, though either one works as an adventure on its own.
4. Wario Land 3
Instead of losing health and restarting at every obstacle, Wario’s unusual abilities turn damage into a tool for solving puzzles. Its interconnected levels reward experimentation, making it a distinctive choice for players who want a platformer with more discovery than speed-running.
Game Boy Advance: standout games for a deeper library
1. Metroid Fusion
A focused action-adventure that pairs tense exploration with a clear narrative thread. Its more directed structure makes it an approachable entry point to Metroid, while its movement, upgrades and escalating pursuit sequences retain the series’ sense of vulnerability.
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This original handheld Zelda uses the shrinking mechanic to make familiar spaces feel newly explorable. Its bright art, brisk pacing and clever scale-based puzzles make it one of the system’s most inviting adventures.
3. Advance Wars
Turn-based strategy becomes easy to read but difficult to master: terrain, unit matchups and limited resources all matter. Its mission-based structure suits portable sessions, and the campaign teaches its tactical vocabulary without requiring reflexes.
Rank #3
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4. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
This comedy-forward role-playing game makes its timed battle inputs part of the action, asking players to dodge and counter rather than simply choose commands. The brothers’ distinct abilities also drive exploration, giving the adventure a lively rhythm beyond its battles.
5. Pokémon Emerald
For a substantial classic Pokémon journey, Emerald offers the Hoenn region alongside the Battle Frontier, a challenging postgame built around varied battle formats. It is a strong fit for players who want a long adventure and optional goals after the main story.
Nintendo DS: games that make the dual screens count
1. The World Ends with You
This stylish role-playing game uses the two screens as part of its combat identity, with battles demanding attention to both protagonists. Its setting, fashion and soundtrack give it a singular personality; the unusual split-screen action may take practice, but it is precisely why the game belongs on DS.
2. Mario Kart DS
A sturdy, accessible kart racer with a generous set of tracks and local multiplayer appeal. Its core racing is easy to pick up, while drifting and item timing leave room to improve. It remains a natural choice for quick play with friends.
3. Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
These remakes revisit Johto with a substantial journey that also returns players to Kanto. A Pokémon following the player adds charm, while the expanded presentation makes them a welcoming option for someone who wants the classic region with more modern polish than the Game Boy Color originals.
Rank #4
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4. Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Its touch-screen puzzles and storybook mystery make the DS feel like a natural home for a different kind of adventure. The puzzles are the main attraction, so it is best for players who enjoy stopping to reason through a challenge rather than racing through action.
5. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Designed around touch controls, this entry makes drawing paths and tapping the screen central to movement and combat. Its sea voyages and dungeons are approachable, though players who prefer button controls may find its stylus-first approach less comfortable.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Nintendo 3DS: essential games to play
1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
This inventive adventure builds on the map and world of A Link to the Past, then adds a wall-merging ability that changes how players approach dungeons and routes. It is welcoming to newcomers and rewards series fans without requiring extensive prior knowledge.
2. Animal Crossing: New Leaf
New Leaf makes the player the mayor of a town and turns small daily routines into the point: decorate, visit neighbors, collect and gradually shape the place. It is a better match for relaxed, ongoing play than for anyone seeking a tightly plotted campaign.
3. Fire Emblem Awakening
A tactical role-playing game with strong character relationships and battles that reward careful positioning. Its support conversations give the strategy an emotional through-line, making it a particularly good entry for players curious about the series.
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4. Super Mario 3D Land
This compact platformer adapts 3D Mario to shorter levels and portable play, using the 3DS’s stereoscopic display as an optional aid to judging depth. It offers a clear, brisk route through a large number of inventive stages.
5. Mario Kart 7
A polished kart racer that adds gliding and underwater driving to the familiar track-and-item formula. It is also the 3DS’s best-selling game in Nintendo’s worldwide lifetime software list: 18.99 million units as of March 31, 2026 (Nintendo 3DS top-selling software). That sales figure is useful context, not a measure of artistic quality.
6. Pokémon X and Y
The move to fully 3D environments gives the Pokémon journey a fresh sense of scale, while its familiar collecting and battling loop remains easy to understand. Nintendo lists worldwide lifetime sales of 16.80 million units as of March 31, 2026; commercial popularity is one reason it is notable, not the reason it ranks here.
Can you play these games today?
Access depends on the game, its platform and current service availability. Nintendo states that 3DS-family systems play Nintendo DS game cards, which can make original DS cartridges a practical route for owners of compatible hardware (Nintendo 3DS family systems). Nintendo’s eShop overview describes the 3DS digital library, but it does not guarantee that a particular game can currently be purchased digitally. Check current platform and service details for the exact title before relying on a digital option.
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What changes with Nintendo Switch?
The Switch is a hybrid console rather than a dedicated handheld generation, but it can be played in handheld mode. Nintendo Support documents handheld play for compatible Nintendo Classics software; whether a particular historic game is offered, and what subscription or other access it requires, depends on Nintendo’s current catalog (Nintendo Support: Nintendo Classics and play modes). Check the catalog for the specific title instead of assuming every Game Boy-era favorite is included.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
