The 25 Greatest Handheld Games of All Time

Image via Complex Original

Platform: Game And Watch
Year: 1982

Before the Gameboy, Jaguar, Game Gear, DS and the like, Nintendo released their series of Game and Watch handheld consoles. They only ran one game but there were multiple titles like Mario Bros. Mickey Mouse andSnoopy Tennis. If you were one of the cool kids, Donkey Kong was the one to have. It played nothing like the orginal Donkey Kong video game but it there were no need for quarters and it was way easier than lugging around an Atari 2600 console and the TV it was hooked up to.

Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Year: 2011

Sure, it's a pretty recent title, but we've had plenty of time with this game since it originally came out for the N64. And with this pretty much being a perfect port with some added (and unnecessary) 3D capabilities, we've fallen in love with it all over again. But Slippy still needs to go. Addition by subtraction, Nintendo. It would have made the game SO much better.

Platform: Game Boy
Year: 1991

Yes, Batman for the original Game Boy looks super primitive today. But that gameplay. Man, we still love it. Instead of punching up his foes or going all detective on them, Batman shoots them. With a gun. And they die. We never said it was the most realistic (ha, realistic) Batman game out there. But it's power-ups were divine, and that music, just classic. We're still in love with the caped crusader on the GB.

Platform: Game Boy
Year: 1991

Now, you KNOW Nintendo must have really believed in their first handheld device if they actually released the sequel to one of their most popular titles as a GB exclusive. Packed with all the atmospheric, eerie qualities of its 8-bit big brother, Metroid 2 was just as good, if not better, than the original and is considered series canon. And you want to know the best part? It's not even the best Metroid game on a handheld system. That franchise can just do no wrong.

Platform: PSP
Year: 2007

A scary ass game on a handheld? Yeah, right. We played the portable Resident Evil< and it was about as scary as waking up next to Christie Alley in the morning (Well, actually...). But Silent Hill Origins isn't Resident Evil. And while the fog was a bit much and the camera could get a bit shifty at times, everything we once loved in the SH franchise was present and on the go for the PSP. We approve.

Platform: Game Gear
Year: 1993

Aladdin was just that movie that if you didn't like it, we don't want to associate with you. And what made things better was that it didn't have a single bad video game for it. This title for the Game Gear is one of our favorites just because it was almost like a mixture of the SNES and the Genesis games in one, handheld package.

Run, jump, and attack all to the awesome, truncated sounds from the movie. Again, if you didn't like it, well, we're not going to say we don't value you as a person, but come on, Aladdin? That movie was the shit. And so was this game.

Platform: PSP
Year: 2008

Let's get something out the way here: is God of War: The Chains of Olympus a great PSP game? Yes. Is it a great game period? Well, not so much. As made evident by the recent God of War: Origins for the PS3, Olympus has NOT aged well. Don't get us wrong; we still love it and think it fits snugly in the great GOW canon.

But as it stands, it's probably the worst game in the entire series. That said, the worst game in an amazing series is still pretty good. We love it, but it's nowhere near as good as its follow-up. But we'll get to that later.

Platform: Game Boy Advance
Year: 2003

Honestly, all RPGs should be on a handheld device. When else do you have time to sit down and strategize during battle than on the bus, train, or terlet? Thankfully, FF Tactics is one of the best in the genre. While not a direct sequel from the PS original, the grid-based, battle scenarios and story share great similarities. And the music, well, it's some of the best in the market. The job system was vintage and incredible and it provided hours of switching things up to win battles that could go on forever. It's still highly addictive. In fact, we want to play it right now. And thus, it begins again.

Platform: PSP
Year: 2010

Konami got it right with this handheld Metal Gear Solid game. The camouflage and multi-player of MGS 3, the recruitment strategies from Portable Ops and other inclusions, made this game an instant classic for PSP owners. The game was so well-received that a lot of people even bought a PSP just to play it. Ah, Hideo Kojima: can you do no wrong?

Platform: Neo Geo Pocket Color
Year: 1999

Okay, say it with us: One of the best. Handheld. Fighting games. Evar. While it played nothing like its big brother versions on the consoles, it was still entirely fluid and fun and easy to play. The Neo Geo Pocket wasn't a handheld that many people had, but those who did all had at least one game in their library in common-this one. In fact, we bought one just for this game ourselves. Now that's a killer app.

Platform: Game Gear
Year: 1992

Ditching Max Thunder the wrestler from the Genesis game right on the cover, this title looked like the original SoR on the Genesis but had Skate, making it a fine update. The beating up of thugs with bare knuckles and weapons was handled perfectly on the Game Gear. It was pretty just as good as its big brother on the Genesis. SoR on the go, seriously, what the hell could be better?

Platform: Gameboy Advance
Year: 2005

Okay, remember when we said games didn't get much more absurd than Elite Beat Agents? Well, we lied, because this game is WAY more absurd. Using a gyro sensor to monitor moving the Game Boy, this game had you twisting and turning just to complete the microgames in this game, which ranged from shaving a man's stubble to being a giant and knocking over houses. We still consider this the best in the Wario Ware series.

Platform: Game Boy
Year: 1989

Can you say, "system seller"? Sure, this game has been renovated for essentially every portable device in existence. But it's understandable why: highly replayable and easy to understand (yet surprisingly challenging) Tetris continues to be a very popular game. No gimmicks and no complexities. Just a memorable game best enjoyed on an old school Game Boy screen.

Platform: PSP
Year: 2009

Looking like an old-school RPG and playing like nothing else, Half-Minute Hero looks like it wants to mock the pretentiousness of RPGs, when it's really a loving tribute to them at the same time. You save the day, one minute at a time, slaying monsters, getting higher levels and then, killing a boss. Did we mention every quest is only a minute? Yeah...seriously, best game ever.

Platform: Nintendo DS, PSP
Year: 2009

Whoa, a GTA game that harkens back to its top down roots? Brilliant! While some complained about how it didn't play like the more modern games in the series, we totally dug the storyline and gameplay of this Rockstar classic. Good stuff.

Platform: Game Gear
Year: 2012

The other Sonic games on the Game Gear were fun, but this one was actually the only unique game on the platform as it was exclusive to the system while the other two were pretty much ports of the Master System titles. What was great about this one was that it felt just like the Genesis games and you actually had the option as playing as Sonic OR Tails, which both had their benefits. Best handheld Sonic game ever? Well, that's debatable, but we're going to end that debate right now by saying yes, yes it was. Best handheld Sonic game ever.

Platform: PS Vita
Year: 2012

The Persona franchise has been around since the mid 90s but it continues to increase its fanbase with every release. Persona 4 Golden is the latest release and the greatest the series has to offer yet. From it's Jpop soundtrack to spectacular writing, this role player rivals some of the best home console video games out there.

Platform: Gameboy
Year: 1992

Super Mario Land 2 was basically Super Mario Bros. 3 before that game came to a handheld of its own. The power-ups were there, the gameplay was there, and the secrets were there. Was it as good as the original SML? Well, maybe, maybe not, but they were really two different games entirely. Seriously, play both of them again. They're nothing alike in the slightest.

Platform: PS Vita
Year: 2012

Part puzzler, part music creation tool, Sound Shapes is a test of skill set in a world powered by rhythm. While some of the levels could push you to toss the Vita like an olympic discus, it's never to the point you'd want to stop playing. Sound Shapes is about as addictive as chocolate covered crack.

Platform: Game Boy Advance
Year: 2003

There were several other Castelvania games that appeared on the Game Boy Advance. But this one stuck out most. Compelling gameplay, a futuristic storyline (goodbye medieval times) and great controls separated this Castlevania from its predecessors, and GBA competitors. Plus, it was cool to play as a character that absorbed their enemy's powers, and used them to their advantage.

Platform: PSP
Year: 2005

Every handheld system should have a great puzzle game, and this was the PSP's. We still pull this baby out and play it some time. Another rhythm game of sorts, a line would glide across the screen and you would have to start building blocks and trying to piece similar colors together so you could get massive combos when that line came back around. All while pretty dope music would play, signifying your progress. Gotta love that "Creepy silence."

Platform: Nintendo DS
Year: 2005

Duh. Of course this game is on our list. Everything felt familiar but it was the little things we loved. Playing against our friends through the local wireless option; the bottom screen showcasing each racer's position (as well as their items) and that octopus item that temporarily blackened our screens. Simply put, it was nice to take this racing classic on the road.Thank you, based Nintendo.

Platform: Gameboy
Year: 1999

Speaking of RPGs, come on, just tell us you didn't play this game back in the day. Well, you know what, it was awesome then and it still holds up today. Really, there are two kinds of Pokemon lovers out there. Those who remember Pikachu and the gang fondly when there were only about 120 of them, and then, those who love the millions of Pokemon that followed. We're actually a bit on the fence with what side we're on, but this classic was simple, had enough Pokemon to capture that it didn't seem daunting, and it had great gameplay. Just make sure nobody picked it up and saved after you. You'd lose EVERYTHING. Trust us, we know. We know.

Platform: Nintendo DS
Year: 2007

Phantom Glass was not only addictive and fun but incredibly innovative. Plotting our own paths with the stylus and battling our friends through both local and Wi-Fi connections? Awesome. There's an assortment of reasons why this game received the praise that it did when it came out. It's nothing short of phenomenal, sending the Zelda series in unimaginable new directions.

Platform: Game Boy
Year: 1989

It was Mario's first time on the Game Boy and man, was it great. Venturing underwater or flying high in the sky, we went along with Mario through multiple levels to rescue Daisy. (Yes, Daisy. Just in case you didn't know.) It's the OG of handheld games but it was also really good and surprisingly challenging. Thanks for the good times, Mario.