The Nintendo Game Boy is one of the best consoles of the ’80s and to many the best handheld gaming system ever. Time only makes it more valuable.
More than 1000 games were released for this handheld console, which gradually evolved and took full advantage of the device’s technical capabilities. Because of its huge catalog, the original Game Boy has an infinity of rarities out there, that for different factors have become very valuable to this day.
Some were a commercial failures or were released in a limited way, or even special editions were made that almost nobody knew about. In short, there are many reasons.
Rare GameBoy games have become very difficult to come by. If you are lucky enough to find a rare cartridge for Nintendo’s handheld console, it will probably be without its original box and manual.
But nothing is impossible if you want to take up this challenge, but prepare your wallet, because some of these cost a lot! We are leaving Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance out of this one, these are the
10 Rarest Game Boy Games Of All Time
Darkman (1992)
A Darkman cartridge for the Game Boy can be found for $50, while copies in their original box run $300-$600.
It is the adaptation of the 1991 film of the same name directed by Sam Raimi and starring Liam Neeson.
Its plot remains very faithful to the film, introducing us to Payton, a scientist who after being attacked by criminals in his laboratory, ends up full of burns, but with increased strength and constant adrenaline thanks to an experiment.
And the rest you already know, a classic beat’em up of revenge, in which you advance delivering punches for each level until you reach the final boss.
One of the reasons for its high price is that overseas the game was only released in Spain, so any European collector must venture into sites like eBay or some other market to get this valuable title, at least in that continent.
Also, this title was released on several consoles, the Game Boy version is only a port that saw limited release, increasing the rarity of the cartridge.
Trip World (1992)
A Trip World cartridge alone has a minimum price of $200, and boxed copies exceed $1000.
Trip World is a game developed by the Sunsoft studio, released in Japan and some Nordic countries in Europe, which is why it has become so valuable.
In this game, you take control of a kind of rabbit named Yakopoo, who can shapeshift into any form (not at all like a particular pink Nintendo character). Throughout 5 levels, Yakopoo has the mission to find the flower of peace, with which he can restore his ruined land.
The gameplay is a technical marvel, beyond its similarities with other classic titles, so it is surprising that they did not try their luck in the North American market, even with the re-release of the game for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011, again exclusive to Japan and some regions of Europe.
Avenging Spirit (1992)
An Avenging Spirit cartridge for the Game Boy averages $150. With its original box, it is worth almost $2000.
Apparently, revenge is very profitable. Avenging Spirit is the North American version of a Japanese game known as Phantasm, this game distributed by Jaleco puts us in the shoes of a ghost who can possess anyone. But before, he was a flesh and blood person like any other, who died at the hands of a terrorist group. After this tragedy, his spirit ends up being released by a paranormal scientist to save his daughter kidnapped by the same terrorists.
As sinister as the plot sounds, it’s a pretty fun platformer. The ability to possess is by far the most entertaining part of the game. From ninjas to wizards, everyone falls to our ghostly friend.
Despite its entertaining gameplay, it didn’t do very well in sales. The reason for this is ambiguous, perhaps it was due to its lack of advertising in the USA, highlighting one of its covers with an intimidating gangster wielding a gun, contrary to the actual plot of the game.
The reality is that in the last 10 years, it has become pretty rare and difficult to find, especially cartridges in their original packaging.
King James Bible(1994)
Generally, loose carts do not cost more than $100. However, in its original packaging King James Bible for Game Boy cost more than $500, and there is even one sealed copy at $3000.
Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you, literally this “game” is the Bible in digital format.
Developed (or rather, adapted) by Wisdom Tree Studios, this cartridge contains the complete version of the King James Bible, so that gamers can take their holy book with them everywhere.
A quite particular idea for the time, as it was the opposite of a game. The closest thing to this was the graphic novels of the time, but they still had some elements that brought them closer to the gaming format.
From the Exodus to the Gospels of the disciples of Jesus, everything is in this rare but expensive cartridge which did not have the most successful of releases, but it was ahead of what we know today as PDF files. It even had an index with which you could jump to the book you wanted in the Bible.
Today, it is pretty hard to find, so if you come across one, it would be a true divine miracle.
Toxic Crusaders (1992)
The Toxic Crusaders cartridge itself is around $300, while with its original box and manual, it exceeds $2000.
Surely you recognize this mythical character from the 80s. Toxic Crusaders is a game developed by Realtime Associates, based on the 1991 animated series of the same name, which is based on the 1984 movie The Toxic Avenger.
The game is a classic side-scrolling beat’em up, in which we accompany Toxie and a group of misfit heroes to fight against different enemies that cause pollution in the environment. Ironical, isn’t it?
The game was also released for NES and Sega Genesis, highlighting the fact that all versions were exclusive to North America. This makes it so rare nowadays, especially the Game Boy version, the most difficult to find.
Another aspect that boosted its price was the appearance of Lloyd Kaufman, the director of The Toxic Avenger, in an episode of Angry Video Game Nerd in 2013, playing Toxic Crusaders on different consoles and reminding collectors that this title was missing in their cabinets.
Kid Dracula (1993)
Kid Dracula is one of the most desired games on the handheld with cartridges in good condition costing more than $250. With its original packaging, it costs up to $2500.
Because Castlevania is not just about vampires and death everywhere. This spin-off of the adventures of the Belmont family in Transylvania presents us with the demon prince, Kid Dracula, who after waking up from a long sleep discovers that a creature, the evil Garamoth, has challenged him, and of course, our “hero” can’t say no.
Far away but at the same time similar to the Castlevania games, this platform title is pure fun, full of enemies that increase in difficulty as you advance in level.
Kid Dracula also gets stronger, learning different spells, contrary to the games of the main saga focused on combat with weapons.
It is curious that being such a well-made game, it has not been successful at its launch, but time puts everything in its place, making it very valuable today. Besides, Kid Dracula has not stopped making cameos in other Konami titles and even in some Nintendo ones. He is cult classic just waiting for his triumphant return.
Mega Man V (1994)
Mega Man V for Game Boy averages $200 loose, while in its original box, can set you back $3000.
Contrary to the previous positions of this list, this game was not a commercial failure at all. This popular franchise from Capcom always gets good sales, especially in that golden era.
Mega Man V is the last release of the saga for this console, and as its formula already works, it only improved what the previous games in the series did well, being considered one of the best titles for this character to this day.
Picking up where Mega Man IV left off, the story revolves around Mega Man’s fight against different villains, highlighting in this game Dr. Wily and Sunstar, the weapon of doomsday. In this action platform adventure, he is accompanied by Tango, a friendly cat-robot.
Perhaps with Mega Man V, it happened a phenomenon similar to that of the Pokemon games, which are so in demand that they run out quickly from the stores, and their respective publishers failed to satisfy all customers.
The reality is that in 2023 it is a very expensive title, but every penny is worth it to enjoy classic Mega Man.
Sumo Fighter (1993)
Sumo Fighter cartridges by themselves cost around $50-$100. On the other hand, the ones with the original box and manual vary a lot, some are between $1500-$2000, and sealed at $4200.
Let’s go with a heavyweight. This is a title developed by KID, in which you take control of Bontaro Heiseiyama, a sumo wrestler obviously, with the mission to save Kayo, having to beat up hundreds of enemies along the way.
Like many on the list and on the Game Boy, the gameplay is a platforming beat’em up, although Sumo Fighter adds more layers to these mechanics, by adding different special moves for the main character, being able to not only punch, but also throw and charge, through 5 areas with 3 levels each, and of course, their respective bosses.
Initially, this game was released under the name Sumo Fighter: Tōkaidō Basho in Japan in 1991, achieving much more success there than it did in North America. This commercialization means that to this day it is very difficult to find a copy of the game, as very few cartridges were exported to the USA, raising the price of copies in their original box to thousands of dollars.
Spud’s Adventure (1991)
The cartridge alone costs a minimum of $300, even the original manual in good condition can be worth that amount or more. The complete game in mint condition is worth $12,000.
It wasn’t enough for Atlus to make one of the rarest GameBoy games, not at all, they created one more to close with a flourish.
This title developed by Atlus studio puts us in the vegetable shoes of Spud, an ordinary living potato, who one day decided to become a hero and save Mato, the princess of the Vegetable Kingdom, from the clutches of Devi, an evil beetle.
Along the way, Spud encounters dangerous enemies but also allies, creating a most enjoyable experience for the player.
Spud’s Aventure was released as the second part of Atlus’ “Puzzle Boy” saga. As this name reveals, the game is loaded with challenging but fun puzzles, as you explore a classic RPG-style world.
As fun as it is, its premise failed to hook gamers at the time, earning it a spot on the Game Boy’s long list of hidden gems.
The value of this rare Game Boy game has skyrocketed. Today, cartridges that are in mint condition fetch more than $10,000 on online marketplaces. Boy, did time do the potato some good.
Amazing Tater (1991)
There are not many loose copies of Amazing Tater for sale, emphasizing how extremely rare it is to find. There is a cartridge for sale for about $570, while the game in its original box in mint condition is $6800.
Released only 8 months after Spud’s Aventure, Amazing Tater is the third part of the Puzzle Boy saga.
In this story, we meet a living potato, who on each level must move a series of blocks arranged in different directions to make his way to the next level. Gradually, these puzzles are becoming more complicated, so do not let the magic of this vegetable kingdom deceive you, you’ll have to think a lot.
Like the previous title, Amazing Tater did not enjoy good sales, partly because Atlus never to creates many cartridges, so today they are pretty difficult to find. And we are not going to deceive ourselves, between a jumping plumber, a hedgehog runner, and a potato that moves blocks, the story was obvious for our vegetable friend.
But that ended up playing in Amazing Tater’s favor, being longed for by all gamers collectors, especially the vegan’s ones.
And so we conclude with the list of the rarest and most expensive Game Boy games. A console that we all had but not all of us could not get their hands on many of the valuable games seen above, and if you are one of the few who bought at least one of these at launch, be glad, because you have gold in your hands!
