Play Konami GB Collection Vol.1 (Japan) Online

Konami released the GB Collection Vol.1 in Japan in 1997, bundling four of their earlier Game Boy titles into a single cartridge. This was a practical way to revisit some solid handheld games from earlier in the decade, offering a decent variety of action without the need to swap carts.

You control different characters across the four included games: a spaceship in Gradius, a vampire hunter in Castlevania, a commando in Contra, and a street fighter in Double Dragon. The main objective changes with each title, from surviving shooter stages and whipping through haunted castles to running and gunning alien invaders or beating up street thugs. Signature mechanics include collecting power-up capsules in Gradius to build your weapons, platforming and sub-weapon management in Castlevania, and the frantic, screen-clearing spray of bullets in Contra. The pacing is generally fast, and the difficulty remains challenging, though some adjustments were made for this compilation. It feels responsive and focused, like having a handful of solid arcade challenges in your pocket.