Japan knew what to do with the Game Boy immediately: Offer a bite-size roguelike, much shorter for portability purposes, but still endlessly replayable.
Cave Noire launched as early as 1991 and split its focus 4 ways. You either go into a dungeon to kill monsters, get gold, collect orbs or rescue fairies; all in increasing difficulty. The model has since become a fan favorite. Its elegant design never left the motherland, but luckily it doesn't have a lot of text, so you can enjoy a translation.