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Introduction
Konami’s strategy of re-releasing their classic Game Boy titles in colour-enhanced compilation cartridges was a smart move for the Game Boy Color era. Konami GB Collection Vol. 3, released in Europe in 1997, bundles three classic Konami Game Boy titles into a single cart — complete with Game Boy Color enhancements that give these early-90s games a vivid new look. For anyone who missed these titles the first time around, or who wants them all in one convenient package, Vol. 3 is an excellent proposition.
Gameplay Overview
The collection brings together Contra: The Alien Wars, Tiny Toon Adventures: Babs’ Big Break, and Gradius: The Interstellar Assault — three very different games that showcase the breadth of Konami’s Game Boy output. Each game is presented as a standalone title accessible from a simple menu, with its original gameplay intact and enhanced with the Game Boy Color’s expanded colour palette.
Gameplay Mechanics
As a compilation, Vol. 3 covers three distinct gameplay styles — a run-and-gun, a platformer, and a horizontal shoot-em-up — each with their own mechanical identities and challenges.
Contra: The Alien Wars
A port of the SNES Contra III game scaled for Game Boy, this is fast, punishing run-and-gun action. Players blast through alien-infested stages with a rotating arsenal of weapons, and the difficulty is classic Contra: relentless and deeply satisfying to master.
Tiny Toon Adventures: Babs’ Big Break
A charming and well-made platformer based on the popular animated series, featuring tight controls and varied level design across multiple characters. The cartoon visuals and bouncy gameplay make this one of the more accessible titles in the collection.
Gradius: The Interstellar Assault
A horizontal shoot-em-up in the celebrated Gradius tradition, featuring the iconic Options (orbiting weapon pods) and the series’ demanding power-up system. For shmup fans, this alone justifies the cartridge.
Visuals and Audio
The Game Boy Color enhancements give all three titles a noticeably more vibrant look than their original releases. Colours are well-chosen and add clarity to sprites and environments. Audio quality is consistent with the original releases — each game retains its original sound design, and all three soundtracks hold up as excellent examples of early Game Boy composition.
Legacy and Impact
The Konami GB Collection series was primarily a European release, making these cartridges relatively uncommon in other regions. For collectors, they represent a compact and colourful way to own some of Konami’s finest early handheld work. The combination of three strong, distinct titles on a single cart makes Vol. 3 arguably the strongest entry in the series.
Conclusion
Konami GB Collection Vol. 3 is a fantastic value proposition for retro Game Boy collectors. Three quality games from one of gaming’s most storied publishers, enhanced for Game Boy Color, on a single cartridge — this is exactly the kind of package that makes the GBC library so rewarding to explore.
To view the product page for Konami GB Collection Vol. 3 please click here
