7 Game Boy - Tetris (1989)
The Game Boy was far from the most powerful handheld on the market at the time. It had a couple of distinct advantages, however. It was cheaper than its competitors at only $99 and was marketed towards a more casual gaming demographic. This was exemplified no better than with the pack-in game, Tetris. Though the Russian game had been around for many years already by 1989, the portability helped both it and the Game Boy become a phenomenon. Tetris is easy to understand and completing lines creates an immediate feeling of satisfaction. On the Game Boy, you could also play multiplayer with the use of the link cable
6 Virtual Boy - Galactic Pinball (1995)
The Virtual Boy had an extremely short lifespan and was generally considered to have fallen short of expectations. Just looking at the graphics makes one understand why it was not so popular — there was also the issue of portability. Though it is a handheld console, you cannot really play it on the go. You need a table to place it on. All the same, some games reviewed well, such as the launch title Galactic Pinball. There is nothing special to say about this game other than it is a 3D pinball game, but that’s a novelty in its own right.
5 Game Boy Color - Tetris DX (1998)
The Game Boy Color is a weird piece of hardware. You could call it a generational leap from the Game Boy, but it does not have that many unique games of its own and was only around for three years before the Game Boy Advance came out. It would be discontinued just two years later.
Most of its launch titles were nothing special. In fact, the best you’d find at launch day was a re-release of Tetris, Tetris DX. If you were not done with the game over the eight years between the two systems’ releases, this was a great way to break in your Game Boy Color.
4 Game Boy Advance - Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (2001)
The Game Boy Advance was particularly impressive for how well it played a lot of classic NES and SNES games. It came out of the gate with a re-release of Super Mario Bros. 2. Eventually, even older Final Fantasy games would come out for the console. At launch, the most impressive game was the port of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2. The game actually utilized 3D character models and played from an isometric perspective. Vicarious Visions developed this version, the same company that would go on to make the perfectly crafted Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2.
3 Nintendo DS - Super Mario 64 DS
The Nintendo DS did not have a lot of great games when it first came out. The most notable release was Super Mario 64 DS, a re-release of the revolutionary N64 game. It came with extra stars, multiplayer, and new playable characters with unique abilities. The extra features are brought down by the lack of an analog stick. Playing on the DS makes it clear the game was made for the N64’s controller.
2 Nintendo 3DS - Pilot Wings Resort (2011)
The Nintendo 3DS had a rough start but ended its life as an incredible handheld. It took some time for the library to build up and for the install base to grow. It really was not worth it to buy the 3DS early, since the best thing early adopters had was Pilot Wings Resort.
It is not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, but it also was not the killer Nintendo property one expects to launch alongside a handheld. Those who bought the console early would later be rewarded with several great exclusive games.
1 Nintendo Switch - Breath Of The Wild (2017)
This console counts as both a home platform and a portable system. What’s more impressive is how well the games play whether they are docked or in handheld mode. Seeing Breath of the Wild run on the portable device was astonishing in 2017, ushering in a new generation of portable gaming. The open-world design shakes up the traditional Zelda formula and makes for a more non-linear experience. If you have not played it yet, this game alone is worth buying a Switch for. You have plenty of time to play it until the sequel comes out in 2022.
