Strategy game fans around the world had been yearning for some good handheld titles for years, and they finally got that with the Nintendo Switch. However, what many players might not know is that there were actually a handful of excellent strategy games that originally made their name on the Game Boy Color.

Of course, these games come with a lot of limitations, but it's impressive to examine how certain developers managed to create good strategy games for such a small system. From card battles to full-on real-time strategy battlefields, these strategy games managed to achieve the impossible.

9 Force 21

Gamefaqs User Rating: 4.5/5

A quality RTS game that made its way onto the Game Boy Color, with some pretty outstanding results, is Force 21. This is a military RTS where players control U.S. military forces in battle against the People's Republic of China, set in the year 2015. Players can control either tanks or foot soldiers and explore a large, open battlefield.

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While it received mixed reviews at launch, it was incredible to see a fully-fledged RTS functioning on the Game Boy Color. It was especially significant for fans of modern military strategy games, as this was the only proper military RTS available on handheld devices at the time of its release in 2000.

8 Nobunaga's Ambition Game Boy Version 2

Gamefaqs User Score: 4/5

Nobunaga's Ambition is a series of Japanese turn-based grand strategy games that take place during the Sengoku period of feudal Japan. The series was originally released on Microsoft Windows, and early consoles like the Sega Saturn, but later ports and remakes brought the series to multiple handheld devices, including the Game Boy Color.

This entry, specifically, was the only version that received the color treatment, with a previous entry being available to play in black and white on the original Game Boy. It's a fantastic game with deep gameplay mechanics, and it works extremely well on the Game Boy Color's layout; the only caveat is that there isn't an English translation, so players will have to be able to read Japanese if they want to fully experience this one.

7 Game Boy Wars 2

Gamefaqs User Score: 4/5

The Game Boy Wars series is a collection of strategy war games available on Game Boy consoles, with Game Boy Wars 2 being the first one available for the Game Boy Color. The game takes place on a tile board, with each tile representing either terrain or friendly/enemy forces.

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Battles are extremely satisfying, with the game switching screens to a mini-battle cutscene which carries out the action in real-time, and a counter that goes down as troops fall. The enemy AI is a lot faster and much better here than in the first entry, making the gameplay far more involved, and it also added 54 new maps.

6 Game Boy Wars 3

Gamefaqs User Score: 4/5

The final release in the series before Advance Wars replaced it. The third entry featured slightly improved visuals and focused more on war simulation gameplay mechanics. The terrain was more advanced and troop deployment and management were more nuanced, making the game deeper and more enjoyable.

The mini cutscenes and battle segments featured more animations, and the game felt smoother overall. Game Boy Wars 3 also implemented a form of resource management, where players had to spawn specific units, such as the construction units, to take resources to locations like factories or cities. It was an innovative title and worked incredibly well on the handheld console.

5 Worms Armageddon

Gamefaqs User Score: 4/5

The Worms franchise is a staple strategy series at this point, but it was also one of the first mainstream strategy franchises to be playable on devices like the Game Boy Color. Worms Armageddon allowed players to control their worms in turn-based strategy gameplay which took place across a series of different maps.

It's a great experience, and the visuals on the Game Boy Color were some of the best achieved on the console, featuring a more pixel art style approach. Worms Armageddon is as satisfying to play as any other Worms entry, featuring an array of weapons and a destructible landscape. It's Worms, but portable, and it's pretty great!

4 Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories

Gamefaqs User Score: 3/5

Surprisingly, Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories was actually Konami's first English Yu-Gi-Oh! release and it was a great first game to bring to their Western audience. This is a digital collectible card game, based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game, and features some excellent, strategic turn-based gameplay.

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Players progress through various stages, fighting against opponents in rounds of 5. The gameplay varied from the actual trading card game to make it more accessible for new players. It also included a trading mechanic where players could swap and trade their monster cards through the use of a link cable.

3 Heroes Of Might And Magic 2

Gamefaqs User Score: 3.5/5

Heroes of Might and Magic 2 was released for the Game Boy Color in 2000 and featured a mash-up of features from the mainline Heroes of Might and Magic 1,2 and 3 entries which were released on PC. It received mostly positive reviews and was a significant improvement over the first title for the GBC.

This is a strategic fantasy title where players can explore a vast world and build and upgrade various buildings to establish a base and build an army. This is a great fantasy strategy game that really pushed the limits of what the Game Boy Color could achieve, and it's one of the most overlooked games on the console.

2 Pokemon Trading Card Game

Gamefaqs User Score: 4/5

The original Pokemon Trading Card Game is still the best video game adaptation of the trading card game to this day, and it holds up really well. Any fan of the franchise who hasn't played this title should immediately go out of their way to check it out. This game featured an environment for the player to interact with, much like the mainline Pokemon games, and included a whole story campaign. The only difference is that it also implemented card-based battle mechanics.

It's an excellent strategic title, and it set the bar for what virtual trading card games could achieve. From awesome gameplay mechanics, to satisfying combat and collection systems, this is a must-play title for anyone who owns a Game Boy Color.

1 Warlocked

Gamefaqs User Score: 4/5

Warlocked is possibly one of the most underrated games of all time, and it's truly something special. This is a fantasy RTS for the Game Boy Color and features the best visuals on the system. It's got a beautiful world and setting that takes place across two whole campaigns. If anyone ever doubted that an RTS game could genuinely work on the Game Boy Color, Warlocked instantly proved them wrong.

Players choose between human or beast factions, with each having their own campaign. It then follows a classic RTS format where players have to gather resources, construct buildings, and manage troops to overcome the opposition. It had a fog of war mechanic and featured a variety of different troops. The music was awesome, and the gameplay felt both smooth and natural. It was an incredibly expansive title when it was released, and players could even take part in multiplayer strategic battles with the Game Link cable. Warlocked was a truly groundbreaking release, and it's still a special game today.

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