Top 10 Game Boy games we want to see on the Nintendo 3DS eShop

In the Game Boy aisle of the Nintendo 3DS eShop, there's actually quite an impressive selection of games.

There are more than 30 titles to choose from, ranging from massive Nintendo classics like Super Mario Land 2 and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, to obscure gems like Trip World and Avenging Spirit.

We're the demanding sort, though, and we won't stop moaning (or writing list-based features) until every Game Boy and Game Boy Color game ever made is available to download. Yes, even Mary-Kate and Ashley: Get a Clue.

But, for starters, Nintendo, how's about you focus on these essential handheld games? We promise not to complain about the inflated price tags...

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
By Flagship - 2001

Time-bending Zelda hero Link has had some cool powers during his adventures. But, his ability in Oracle of Seasons is one of his best. Our pointy-eared hero bounces between spring, summer, autumn, and winter to make lakes freeze, flowers bloom, and ivy snake up mountains.

Once you've finished, a lengthy password could link the game to Oracle of Ages (or vice versa), continuing the story and unlocking an epilogue.

Mole Mania
By Pax Softnica - 1997

Quirky subterranean puzzler Mole Mania is possibly the least well-known game by legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto. It's not exactly Mario or Zelda, but it has his fingerprints all over it.

It's a clever head scratcher, where Muddy Mole has to ferry a black ball over obstacles and past enemies to an exit. Being able to scupper your progress with a misplaced dig meant forward thinking was essential.

Kid Dracula
By Konami - 1993

Konami's Kid Dracula is a parody of the Castlevania series. The baddies and bosses of those gothic games are now cartoony versions of themselves, and those classic tunes are bouncy remixes.

You even play as the dark lord Dracula... only a few feet shorter... and with slightly less menacing fangs. The vampire king spends this time in this platformer collecting his lost magic spells, before tussling with rival demon Garamoth.

Donkey Kong Land 2
By Rare - 1996

You'd be mistaken for thinking that the Donkey Kong Land games are just pint-size remakes of the Country trilogy. Same primates and same locations - but, the levels are all new.

The ambitious and overly detailed graphics are a little tough to discern on Game Boy, but these are essential games for Donkey Kong fans. The soundtrack, by the way, is a sumptuous chiptune remix of the SNES version's score.

Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble
By HAL Laboratory - 2001

Nintendo's pink puffball has tried everything. He's done pinball, been made out of yarn, and he spent one summer holiday as a golf ball. In Tumble, he was a pioneer of the accelerometer.

To navigate the maze, you tilt your Game Boy to make Kirby move, and jerk it up to make him jump. The gyro sensor in the 3DS would make it a straightforward port.

Pokemon Blue
By Game Freak - 1998

Nintendo's top franchises are already on the eShop, but the company's monster-hunting phenomenon is suspiciously absent. What if we wanted to catch Pidgeys and Jigglypuffs without rummaging around for our old cartridges?

Pokemon, if you've lived under a rock for two decades, is a massive RPG in which you form your party from the critters hidden in Kanto's long grass and dark caves. Best part? Trading 'mons with mates.

DuckTales
By Capcom - 1990

In this NES port, everyone's favourite money-grubbing millionaire waltzes through some rather improbable locations - including African Mines and even the freaking Moon - in search of more money.

His trademark cane doubles up as a weapon and as a pogo stick. Also: you haven't lived until you've heard the DuckTales theme played through a Game Boy sound chip.

Kwirk
By Atlus - 1990

Kwirk (by Persona-developer Atlus) might just be the best game starring an anthropomorphic tomato with a mohican and sunglasses. A bold claim, but we stand by it.

It's a super-tricky puzzler, where you spin gates in 90-degree increments by bashing into them. This could lead you to the exit, or just leave you completely stuck.

Sure, it's the sort of thing you'd get on iPhone for 69p these days. But, the 3DS needs more challenging head scratchers to drain your battery.

Metal Gear Solid
By TOSE - 2000

This sneaky Metal Gear spin-off manages to retain the staple features of Hideo Kojima's franchise - stealth, gadgets, silent kills, and hiding in cardboard boxes - even in handheld form.

It may not be strictly canon, but the chance to play the first top-down Metal Gear since the NES should not be passed up. Since it's now super-hard to come by, an eShop port would be welcome.

Mega Man V
By Capcom - 1994

All of the Blue Bomber's portable exploits are worth playing (though, maybe not worth those crazy eBay prices), but Mega Man V might just be the pick of the litter.

While the first four games recycled boss bots from the NES adventures, V had all-new robot masters to fight. It also introduced a cat called Tango, and the powerful "Mega Arm". All exclusive to the Game Boy.