One of the few Game Boy games I have played, Super Mario Land is great you are correct. It's simple and weird, but there's something about it that makes it special.
On Alleyway, it's odd to see that people were still making Breakout games in 1989. It took some time for Breakout to drop from game status to minigame status. Just imagine Mario breaking out his old Alleyway ship for his final smash!
On Super Mario Land, I find the game weird, but in a refreshing way. It says a great deal about the ambition of the designers that they didn't want to just shrink down Super Mario Bros. and stick it on a Game Boy cartridge; they wanted to make a new game with new gameplay elements.
I actually played through Super Mario Land on Delta Emulator on my phone with my Razer Kishi about 6 months ago. I would say it still holds up, one of the best games on Game Boy to play in 2026.
I guess we can't fully endorse playing GB games on one's phone when paid alternatives exist. But I actually think that this option is very interesting for opening up games that might not be worth playing much on the Switch, or on a TV.
I find that my standard iPhone 13 screen is too small to get much enjoyment from any game that is made to be played on a TV. The Switch screen (around 50% larger), and even more so the larger Steam Deck or Switch 2 screens, do not really have this problem.
But an iPhone screen is still a good deal bigger than the original GB or GBA, and a little bigger than the DS. To me that's really a happy medium: those games are very easy to see, but still not the pixelated mess of playing portable games on a TV screen.
We still end up with the problem, though, that original Game Boy games struggle to compete against other portable systems. You really need games that are weird enough that they have no proper successor. Like Super Mario Land!
You could say the Game Boy is more like the Atari 2600 than the NES, as far as retro enjoyment goes.
I just have a hard time being on my phone any more than I already am. If I'm gonna play games, I'd rather them be on my computer or the TV, because I feel like it's too easy for me to get sucked into my phone.
I suppose my solution would be to buy one of those portable Game Boy-like systems, like the Analogue Pocket or something, if I wanted to play the games proper. But that's several hundred dollars and yet another device in my house that I'd only use occasionally, so I can't see that happening.
That's fair -- that sort of life management is essential. But I'm with you; I would never use a device that is only for playing portable retro games.
The convenience of phone emulation is real though. I remember when Nintendo would advertise the idea of keeping a Game Boy in your back pocket, even BEFORE the Game Boy Pocket. And it seemed slightly ludicrous to me. But in any case it was out of the question with my Game Gear. Today, it's a reality: although bringing a Razer Kishi everywhere you go isn't happening, which means if you want to whip it out at the DMV or something, you're limited to games that you're comfortable playing with touchscreen controls.
Of course, gaming isn't always the best use of time, but compared to doomscrolling, I Have to think it's genuinely positive. I was just talking to a college intern that told me he didn't have time to game anymore because of his TikTok addiction. And that seems a lot worse! If only for attention spans and executive function.
Oh I don't doubt phone emulation is convenient. I think it's the phone itself for me. Rather, the phone screen that makes me feel weird if I'm on it for too long. TV and computer screens don't have the same effect. Not sure about handheld systems like 3DS and Game Boy, though. Never tested that.
And yeah, gaming is a million times better than doomscrolling, provided you're not letting the rest of your life go just to get an achievement or something. That poor college intern, though. I hope he can delete TikTok off his phone and be free.
Super Mario Land was the first game I played when I started revisiting the GameBoy library. It remains one of my favorite Mario games, as well as one of my favorite platformers. Maybe it’s because of the simple gameplay, which really challenges your hand eye coordination, but that simplicity is what makes it so enjoyable for me.
I’m really enjoying revisiting the GameBoy for its fun, fast paced games. To me, they’re better than modern smartphone games, where the goal often seems to be getting as much money from you as possible. I can’t wait to read your next piece.
Thanks Fernando! Super Mario Land really is a great entry (or re-entry) point into the Game Boy library. It’s a very singular game, nothing quite like it.
Thank you for reading, looking forward to reading more of your thoughts!
One of the few Game Boy games I have played, Super Mario Land is great you are correct. It's simple and weird, but there's something about it that makes it special.
Couldn't agree more!
It's more than just Mario on the Game Boy. It's a unique and weird little gameplay experience.
On Alleyway, it's odd to see that people were still making Breakout games in 1989. It took some time for Breakout to drop from game status to minigame status. Just imagine Mario breaking out his old Alleyway ship for his final smash!
On Super Mario Land, I find the game weird, but in a refreshing way. It says a great deal about the ambition of the designers that they didn't want to just shrink down Super Mario Bros. and stick it on a Game Boy cartridge; they wanted to make a new game with new gameplay elements.
Yeah, I think the concept of minigames in general wouldn’t really find their way until the mid 90s. I doubt Alleyway would have worked in 1994.
I appreciate that about Super Mario Land, as well. It feels like Mario, but contains its own distinct personality separate from the NES games.
I actually played through Super Mario Land on Delta Emulator on my phone with my Razer Kishi about 6 months ago. I would say it still holds up, one of the best games on Game Boy to play in 2026.
I guess we can't fully endorse playing GB games on one's phone when paid alternatives exist. But I actually think that this option is very interesting for opening up games that might not be worth playing much on the Switch, or on a TV.
I find that my standard iPhone 13 screen is too small to get much enjoyment from any game that is made to be played on a TV. The Switch screen (around 50% larger), and even more so the larger Steam Deck or Switch 2 screens, do not really have this problem.
But an iPhone screen is still a good deal bigger than the original GB or GBA, and a little bigger than the DS. To me that's really a happy medium: those games are very easy to see, but still not the pixelated mess of playing portable games on a TV screen.
We still end up with the problem, though, that original Game Boy games struggle to compete against other portable systems. You really need games that are weird enough that they have no proper successor. Like Super Mario Land!
You could say the Game Boy is more like the Atari 2600 than the NES, as far as retro enjoyment goes.
I've heard good things about phone emulation.
I just have a hard time being on my phone any more than I already am. If I'm gonna play games, I'd rather them be on my computer or the TV, because I feel like it's too easy for me to get sucked into my phone.
I suppose my solution would be to buy one of those portable Game Boy-like systems, like the Analogue Pocket or something, if I wanted to play the games proper. But that's several hundred dollars and yet another device in my house that I'd only use occasionally, so I can't see that happening.
That's fair -- that sort of life management is essential. But I'm with you; I would never use a device that is only for playing portable retro games.
The convenience of phone emulation is real though. I remember when Nintendo would advertise the idea of keeping a Game Boy in your back pocket, even BEFORE the Game Boy Pocket. And it seemed slightly ludicrous to me. But in any case it was out of the question with my Game Gear. Today, it's a reality: although bringing a Razer Kishi everywhere you go isn't happening, which means if you want to whip it out at the DMV or something, you're limited to games that you're comfortable playing with touchscreen controls.
Of course, gaming isn't always the best use of time, but compared to doomscrolling, I Have to think it's genuinely positive. I was just talking to a college intern that told me he didn't have time to game anymore because of his TikTok addiction. And that seems a lot worse! If only for attention spans and executive function.
Oh I don't doubt phone emulation is convenient. I think it's the phone itself for me. Rather, the phone screen that makes me feel weird if I'm on it for too long. TV and computer screens don't have the same effect. Not sure about handheld systems like 3DS and Game Boy, though. Never tested that.
And yeah, gaming is a million times better than doomscrolling, provided you're not letting the rest of your life go just to get an achievement or something. That poor college intern, though. I hope he can delete TikTok off his phone and be free.
Super Mario Land was the first game I played when I started revisiting the GameBoy library. It remains one of my favorite Mario games, as well as one of my favorite platformers. Maybe it’s because of the simple gameplay, which really challenges your hand eye coordination, but that simplicity is what makes it so enjoyable for me.
I’m really enjoying revisiting the GameBoy for its fun, fast paced games. To me, they’re better than modern smartphone games, where the goal often seems to be getting as much money from you as possible. I can’t wait to read your next piece.
Thanks Fernando! Super Mario Land really is a great entry (or re-entry) point into the Game Boy library. It’s a very singular game, nothing quite like it.
Thank you for reading, looking forward to reading more of your thoughts!