Some said "Pokémon!" Some said "Donkey Kong Country!" Many had opinions of what should be chosen as the Best Pocket Game of 2000. But one only needs to say those three words, "Metal Gear Solid", and suddenly there's a hush in the arguing. Hideo Kojima's team created a videogaming masterpiece on the PlayStation, and the Game Boy Color sequel is another masterstroke work of art. From the lifelike graphics to the mature storyline to the demanding VR Missions to the strategic Multiplayer mode, this is a Game Boy Color production like no other handheld has seen before.

But will we see it again? We hope so. The demanding production values of MGS not only produced a superior game, but will hopefully push portable game designers to reach that same level of excellence, much like the PlayStation version raised the bar and dared others to leap it. It might be argued that no game has succeeded, but we're all better for the games that took that chance with more involving storylines, higher production values, and more cerebral gameplay across all platforms after the last Metal Gear. That includes this Game Boy Color version of MGS.

Of course, even Konami's best ran into roadblocks with the restrictions of the exhausted Game Boy Color hardware -- certainly this MGS was not without flaws. But it was the future of game design, and it performed with its head held high as it proudly marched handheld game players towards more advanced gameplay. That future begins on the Game Boy Advance. And so, as we bid farewell to 2000 (and with it, over a decade-long run of the Game Boy itself as it moves towards retirement), Metal Gear Solid is a glimpse of what's to come in 2001, and a challenge to handheld game designers for the future.

Best Pocket Games of 2000
• Readers' Choice
• Best Action Game
• Best Adventure Game
• Best Fighting Game
• Best Platformer Game
• Best Puzzle Game
• Best Racing Game
• Best RPG
• Best Sports Game
• Best Strategy Game
• Game of the Year

Making the Game, Part 9

The Art of Game Boy Animation. And check out video of our first playable demo on the system.

New Screens of F-Zero, Kuru-Kuru, and GBA Wars

The French strike again with more exclusive shots of Game Boy Advance Nintendo titles.

Yamauchi Confirms Sega and Pokemon, Denies Square

Nintendo's always outspoken president comments on software for the Game Boy Advance

2.7 Million GBAs on Order

That's enough systems, placed end to end, to circle Louie Anderson. Twice.