CBR Ranks 10 ‘Perfect’ Game Boy Games, Reviving a Classic Debate

Comic Book Resources recently published “10 Most Perfect Game Boy Games of All Time, Ranked”. This list revisits Nintendo’s 1989 handheld over thirty years after its debut. We only have the headline and summary to go off, so we can’t confirm the exact ranking. But the term “perfect” sets a high standard. The Game Boy library still gets compared to it.

The timing aligns with a broader trend. CBR also shared “10 Perfect PlayStation Exclusives Nobody Remembers”, while SVG posted “5 Best PlayStation Exclusives Of All Time, Ranked”. Retrospective rankings drive consistent traffic for gaming sites, and hardware with a complete library fits this format well.

The Game Boy is a great fit for this approach. Nintendo released it in Japan on April 21, 1989, and its library is now closed, with no new first-party games on the horizon. This allows writers to assess the entire catalog at once, which is rare for platforms still getting new releases.

The platform’s scale explains its lasting popularity. Nintendo reports that combined Game Boy and Game Boy Color hardware sales hit 118.69 million units. Two of its best-selling games, Tetris and the original Pokémon titles, each sold over 30 million copies.

This wide reach raises the stakes for any “perfect” list. Millions of players have their favorites, and a top 10 can only include so many. Lists like this often depend on how the writer balances design quality, historical impact, and personal nostalgia.

By The Numbers

By The Numbers

Game Boy Japan launch date	April 21, 1989
Game Boy + Game Boy Color lifetime hardware sales	118.69 million
Tetris (Game Boy) lifetime sales	~35.8 million
Pokémon Red/Green/Blue lifetime sales	~31.4 million
Items in CBR’s ranking	10

Community Pulse

The information we received lacks reader comments or Steam-style reviews, so we can’t quote anyone. The use of “perfect” in the ranking’s headline is likely to spark debate. Expect differing opinions on which games made the list and their placements.

What To Watch

• The full CBR ranking: See which franchises top the list and if it leans towards major hits or hidden gems.
• Nintendo’s re-release strategy: Game Boy titles are coming back through Nintendo Switch Online, and this renewed focus on the catalog might influence future releases.
• More retrospective rankings: CBR, SVG, Collider, and IMDb are all putting together “best of all time” lists, and any overlap will show which games critics view as consensus picks.