Determining the #1 Game Boy game of my childhood was actually a really easy task. This game enthralled me to a level that no other Game Boy game could match and it's in the running for one of the most important games for developing my love for the hobby.

I knew very little about the Metroid series since I had never (and still haven't) played the original NES game. Sure, I was aware of it and often saw it in magazines and stores, but I never purchased, rented, or borrowed it. This game was so different from everything I had played up to that point and although it's not a particularly large game, it kept me busy for many weeks. Once I finished it, I immediately started playing it again. And then again. And again. I don't know how many times I actually played this game, but it was a lot.

Like many, Tetris was the pack-in game with my Game Boy and was the only game I had for a while. I didn't realize at the time that I would come to really enjoy puzzle games, but I sure spent a lot of time with this one. It's such a simple concept, yet entertaining for a seemingly endless number of hours. Even on a tiny screen.

I had all three Super Mario Land games and while I enjoyed all of them, this one stands out the most. Believe it or not, I didn't actually own Super Mario Bros. 3 for NES (nor did I have a SNES with Super Mario World), so this was an amazing departure from the Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Land structure I was used to prior to that.

This is another game I sunk a HUGE amount of time into. I never got into the sequels much, though they're both quite fun as well. There was just something special about this one. It's a really simple game, but I remember being challenged to keep pushing through the various races / modes.

Unlike many, this was actually the first Contra game I ever played! I never had Contra on the NES and to this day I've never actually finished it. But this one? Oh, I've played it...a lot. I recently played through it for a pure nostalgic trip and it's still a lot of fun. It's pretty tough, but I wouldn't say it's anywhere near the NES game.

This game is pretty much on the opposite end of the difficulty spectrum when compared to Operation C. The difficulty is barely there, but that's not really the point. The Kirby series has always done a great job of creating charming and FUN gameplay elements. It seems strange to think about it now, but I remember being blown away by the fact you could fly through levels, rather than the standard walk / run from left to right. It's a brief experience, but one that I played through a countless number of times as a kid and something I continue to revisit every few years as an adult.

I didn't actually own R.C. Pro-Am for the NES, but I sure rented it a lot! I had this one for my Game Boy and like all of the games on this stack, I played it a ton. From what I can remember, it's basically the NES game....but for Game Boy, at least in terms of gameplay. And I'm okay with that :)

Now here's an odd one. I received this game for Christmas one year and I remember looking at it like...what? I had never heard of it, but it didn't take long for it to hook me. It's a "sokoban" game, which originated in Japan back in the early '80s. You basically just push some boxes around and try to get them into the designated spots on the map. I remember this game being very difficult for my young brain. But I loved it! I don't think I ever managed to beat all of the puzzles, but I spent a lot of time with this one.

This is an interesting game in that it's the only one on the stack that I didn't actually own. I used to borrow it from a friend all the time and I couldn't get enough of it. It wouldn't be until I was in my 20s that I really started to enjoy Dr. Mario and it has since ascended to become one of my favorite games of all time. But looking back, the seed was planted back in the '90s playing the Game Boy version.

Ah, the final entry for this stack. I stipulated to myself that I would limit this stack to 10 games and to be honest, it was tough. As I mentioned in the beginning, I didn't really have a lot of games for my Game Boy, but I truly loved all of them. This one narrowly edged out F-1 Race for the final entry. Gargoyle's Quest was another "never heard of it before, but received it for Christmas" game. I was already a HUGE Dragon Warrior fan and had played it many times on my NES. This game had some elements that reminded me of that classic, but it had side-scrolling action scenes that were tough as nails. This is a unique experience, especially for the time, but sadly, I never got around to playing the sequels.