GameBoy What are Good GB RPGs?

[MaxKopf]

I am looking for GOOD RPGs for the GB. Of course I love Mystic Quest - Final Fantasy Adventure in the USA I think? Amazing game. I also love the OG Pokemon. So one is an action RPG one is turn based. What are some other good RPGs? Maybe stuff that was not released back in the 90s in the west but got a translation patch later or maybe a ROM Hack like the amazing Embers of Mana which I like a lot.
Can you suggest stuff. Of course I am open for suggestions for any GB RPG really, can also be GBC.

 

[ImpPlushie]

Metal Walker for GBC

 

[PhaseJump]

Sequel to Star Ocean 2nd Story, Blue Sphere

 

[brettd94]

Great Greed. It's a rather unique and quirky Rpg. It's turn based but there are no menus, your commands are tied to buttons. There are some truly strange monster designs and plot elements. I quite liked the music. It's very classical sounding, like Dragon Quest.

 

[gastd]

Pokemon Gold and Silver

 

[PhaseJump]

Brand new games that are worth looking at.

 

[SoThankful]

See if you like the Medarot games.

 

[Stardust Queen]

Seconding Pokemon GSC, they are actually good JRPGs in their own. RBY is definitely rougher around the edges but it's even more like a traditional JRPG than GSC is.

Dragon Quest I, II and III are on the GBC, and III is really good. Surprised no one else mentioned this.

I've heard someone made a demake of FF11 via GB Studio, but I've not tried it yet. Also apparently theres a one piece tactical rpg lol i've also not tried it.

 

[random0nonsense]

Last Bible or Dragon Quest Monsters.

 

[Xdqwerty Xdqwerty]

Quest: brian's journey

 

[diapered]

Metal Walker for GBC

I dunno how much I can recommend it because I can see how some can find aspects of it annoying, but I really love that one ^_^

 

[Dew Prism]

Dragon Quest III

I spent countless hours on that one, and still go back to it.

 

[MaxKopf]

Sequel to Star Ocean 2nd Story, Blue Sphere

I have never played the SNES game, that is the first, right? Is the SNES game good?

Post automatically merged: Mar 29, 2026

Metal Walker for GBC

this looks so cute and I had never heard of this one either and it is from Capcom! I kind of regret that I have said GBC is also fine because I was mostly hoping for OG GB titles and now everyone suggests GBC XD but it is okay because those games look amazing and I had never heard of them. I am an old fart who is very well aware of the GB libary but even though I had a GBC (day one) and actually a lot of games for it I do not know the games people suggest here.

I was actually waiting for someone to suggest Quest for Camelot since I did enjoy that one on the GBC and it is an action adventure rpg thingy (at least to me). if you think the genre is wrong then: yeh I am also looking for games like this.

 

[Graw]

The Final Fantasy Legends games at least the first two. They're actually part of the SaGa series. For some reason they were renamed to Final Fantasy Legends in the west, I guess in hopes it would sell better. The third one was made by different devs and is fairly different from the other two, at least on gameboy. There's a DS remake of the third made by the original SaGa developers though that brings it more in line with the other two games. They're kind of weird games that blend fantasy and Sci-fi and have some odd character building systems but they're solid games.

 

[PhaseJump]

I have never played the SNES game, that is the first, right? Is the SNES game good?

Post automatically merged: Mar 29, 2026

SNES game is good, but you're probably better off playing the PSP remake. Star Ocean First Departure.

It's direct sequel, taking place a generation later, is PS1 masterpiece Star Ocean The Second Story, or the PSP remake Star Ocean Second Evolution.

That game was the high mark for the franchise. It was remade again for all the new platforms a few years ago.

The GBC game was stuck in Japan but got translated, it is a direct followup featuring a bunch of the party characters of the second game, it's nowhere near as good, but it's still a follow up sequel worth checking out.

 

[Dakarus]

Embers of Mana

 

[Aldia Aldia]

I'm just pulling in to say you should consider searching for games made with GB Maker as well! There's plenty of free ones on Itch.io.

 

[Bandini]

Bomberman Quest
Azure dreams
Last bible

 

[Fietto!]

Magic Knight RayEarth 2nd: The Missing Colors.

 

[Geocide]

SNES game is good, but you're probably better off playing the PSP remake. Star Ocean First Departure.

It's direct sequel, taking place a generation later, is PS1 masterpiece Star Ocean The Second Story, or the PSP remake Star Ocean Second Evolution.

That game was the high mark for the franchise. It was remade again for all the new platforms a few years ago.

You are one of the few people I've encountered who actually thinks this, and I'm so glad that there are others who think that Star Ocean: The Second Story is the high mark of the series. Everyone loves to praise TtEoT, but honestly, the twist damn near turned me off to the whole fucking series entirely. It took a LOT of hemming and hawing on my part to continue to play the game.

There is a reason why I had such a vitriolic reaction to Assassin's Creed: Black Flag when I realized that the whole damn thing is

Spoiler

a simulation or whatever and that you are just playing someone else

that not even an hour into it on the same day I bought it, I immediately got rid of it. That was the last "AAA" game I ever bought.

Rant aside, the GBC SO game isn't bad, per se, but it is definitely wanting. Well-worth playing for any Star Ocean fan, though.

Lufia The Legend Returns mod make this classic much more playable on the GBC and is well-worth the time!

Spoiler: But seriously,

TtEoT's twist making the entire Star Ocean universe a fucking simulation absolutely killed everything about the series and made everything before and after moot. There's a very clear reason why SO4, SO5, and SO6 were failures, and it wasn't just because of the weak narratives or that the devs really did not like working on the game anymore. FFS, the devs wanted to turn SO into a god damn pure sci-fi game and get rid of the heraldry/symbology/magic aspect entirely, which is Star Ocean's most unique aspect as a science fantasy space opera. *facepalm*

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

Last Bible is fun. It's a spin-off of the Megami Tensei series.

 

[What's His Face]

If it's listed, it has an English patch or was released in English.

For Game Boy:
Final Fantasy Adventure
Final Fantasy Legend
Final Fantasy Legend II
Final Fantasy Legend III
Great Greed
Knight Quest
Magic Knight RayEarth
Magic Knight RayEarth 2nd: The Missing Colors
Sword of Hope
Sword of Hope II

For Game Boy Color:
Arle no Bouken - Mahou no Jewel
Crystalis
Dragon Quest Monsters
Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Cobi's Journey (Ultimate mod is best)
Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Tara's Adventure
Dragon Warrior I & II
Dragon Warrior III
Lufia: The Legend Returns (Complete mod is best)
Magi Nation
Marie no Atelier
Metal Walker
Grandia: Parallel Trippers
Revelations: The Demon Slayer
Star Ocean: Blue Sphere
Survival Kids

Post automatically merged: Mar 30, 2026

You are one of the few people I've encountered who actually thinks this, and I'm so glad that there are others who think that Star Ocean: The Second Story is the high mark of the series. Everyone loves to praise TtEoT, but honestly, the twist damn near turned me off to the whole fucking series entirely. It took a LOT of hemming and hawing on my part to continue to play the game.

Spoiler: But seriously,

TtEoT's twist making the entire Star Ocean universe a fucking simulation absolutely killed everything about the series and made everything before and after moot. There's a very clear reason why SO4, SO5, and SO6 were failures, and it wasn't just because of the weak narratives or that the devs really did not like working on the game anymore. FFS, the devs wanted to turn SO into a god damn pure sci-fi game and get rid of the heraldry/symbology/magic aspect entirely, which is Star Ocean's most unique aspect as a science fantasy space opera. *facepalm*

I'm the exact opposite, as far as Till the End of Time is concerned (I love Star Ocean 2nd Story, mind). The devs had hinted in TtEoT that the twist existed exceedingly early in the game and, for anyone who played the first two games, saw it coming a mile away. How many different planets figured-out "rune tattoo magic"? How many different planets had human/human-like beings? With civilization advancement on the same general timeline as Earth's? How many different planets had Out of Place Artifacts? How many different civilizations across the stars worshiped TriA?

I mean, yeah, IF you look at these things on the surface level it's just "lol JRPG." But on the meta-level? The twist was obvious, which I called while playing TtEoT at the scene where we first met Shion Uzuki...err...Clair Lasbard (seriously, TtEoT was practically a US Xenosaga VA reunion lmfao). I didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story, and I've loved each of the games since (well...Integrity and Faithlessness I only liked - it was far too short).

The Kenny's are the best family in gaming fight me.

 

[ImpPlushie]

You are one of the few people I've encountered who actually thinks this, and I'm so glad that there are others who think that Star Ocean: The Second Story is the high mark of the series. Everyone loves to praise TtEoT, but honestly, the twist damn near turned me off to the whole fucking series entirely. It took a LOT of hemming and hawing on my part to continue to play the game.

There is a reason why I had such a vitriolic reaction to Assassin's Creed: Black Flag when I realized that the whole damn thing is

Spoiler

a simulation or whatever and that you are just playing someone else

that not even an hour into it on the same day I bought it, I immediately got rid of it. That was the last "AAA" game I ever bought.

Rant aside, the GBC SO game isn't bad, per se, but it is definitely wanting. Well-worth playing for any Star Ocean fan, though.

Lufia The Legend Returns mod make this classic much more playable on the GBC and is well-worth the time!

Spoiler: But seriously,

TtEoT's twist making the entire Star Ocean universe a fucking simulation absolutely killed everything about the series and made everything before and after moot. There's a very clear reason why SO4, SO5, and SO6 were failures, and it wasn't just because of the weak narratives or that the devs really did not like working on the game anymore. FFS, the devs wanted to turn SO into a god damn pure sci-fi game and get rid of the heraldry/symbology/magic aspect entirely, which is Star Ocean's most unique aspect as a science fantasy space opera. *facepalm*

ive found that way more people hate the twist then like it (it also is why i wonder if part of why 3 is the only numbered game no longer available on modern systems, it was on ps4 but seems to have been delisted at least on ps5), ive noticed it in general for games with meta level twists. i personally dont hate it and agree with what What's His Face said and honestly think people need to better explore why meta twists upset them, i also enjoyed 4-6 even if i dont have the same fondness for them as 1-3

 

[MaxKopf]

Embers of Mana

Yes I really loved that one and it got me back into GB RPGs that is why I was hoping to find more stuff like that. Embers of Mana is the main reason for this thread haha

Post automatically merged: Apr 1, 2026

I'm just pulling in to say you should consider searching for games made with GB Maker as well! There's plenty of free ones on Itch.io.

That is a very good suggestion. I do not normally lurk on ITCH.io. So I guess there is a search field and I just search for GB Maker or is that a special category I can simply click on? really no idea about itch io haha but sounds like exactly what I want. are there specific games you would say stick out because they are fun like I do not want to shift through a pile of games that got the genre right but are not good

 

[Yousef Yousef]

Can’t go wrong with dragon quest.