GBA unexpected gems

[marurun]

So, I bought Lunar Legend the other day at a Gamestop for $8. But there were a couple other games I'd heard a little about that were also cheap. I bought Scourge: Hive and Shaman King: Master of Spirits for $5 each. It turns out they're both fun action games.

I'm spending the most time with Shaman King: Master of Spirits. It's an action platformer where you swing a sword and can do a simple button mash combo. But you can find upgrades and clothing items, Zelda style, in the various levels and acquire different spirits and spirit abilities from key enemies in certain locales. So this game is sort of a mash between the later Castlevania games and Zelda, with more linear levels and, so far, no weapon changes.

Scourge: Hive I've spent less time with. It's also fun and my initial impression leaves me wanting to relate it to Metroid. It's sorta like Metroid from a 3/4 view. Decent fun so far.

Any other fun titles out there you've discovered?

[racketboy]

You've seen this right?
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/2007/05/ ... games.html

But I'm guessing you just want more personal opinions

[marurun]

I am indeed familiar with that article. But who says we can't go beyond it? :)

[Mozgus]

I am indeed familiar with that article. But who says we can't go beyond it?

Statements like that cause aneurysms.

[Pullmyfinger]

Try Wade Hixton's Counter Punch, a fun punch out clone

If you liked Astroboy Omega Factor try Tiny Toon Adventures: Scary Dreams

[corn619]

Legend of Stafi, Advanced Guardian Heroes, Yggdra Union, Racing Gears Advance, Phantasy Star Collection, Rebelstar Tactical Command, Gekido Advance and if your using a flash cart or emulation Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart has just been completely translated to english. These are some off the top of my head that didn't get as much attention as they should have.

[racketboy]

I am indeed familiar with that article. But who says we can't go beyond it?

Nothing wrong with that -- just wanted to make sure you were aware

[The Apprentice]

Crazy Taxi does a good game on GBA. Good graphics for the system.

[montoyafan]

I would suggest Zelda:The Minish Cap. It seems like not many people know about it and it is one of the better Zelda games I have played.

[LoneCynic]

Here are some games that amazed me how much fun they were. Especially the first one on the list, considering that many titles with that licensed property are extremely poor games.

Dragonball: Advance Adventure
Most Dragonball franchise titles rank anywhere from sub-par to halfway decent at best. This game however, focusing on the first half of the original series, is an awesome side scrolling platformer akin to classics such as Rocket Knight Adeventures (Genesis) or Tiny Toon Adeventures: Buster Busts Loose (SNES) I had more fun with this single game than half the other games in my 80+ GBA collection. Yes, there IS a Dragonball game that is THAT good. If you see it in a bargin bin, grab it up before it is impossible to find.

Super Gunstar Heroes
Pseudo sequel/remake of the critically acclaimed Genesis original, Gunstar Heroes. More of the same fast paced shooting action that made the original so great. I had an absolute blast with this game, and am surprised to find that many people seem to not know anything about it, or that it even exists! A bonafide must have for any GBA collection.

Not as well known titles in popular series':

Metroid: Zero Mission
A retelling of the original Metroid game story. Although the Metroid Series is widely known, this title did not seem to last long on the shelves before selling out and vanishing from stores in a matter of months after release. An excellent game that plays like Super Metroid, but in the story of Metroid 1 with some additional areas/scenes. One of the best GBA titles I've played, but I do not seem to encounter too many people who have played it.

MegaMan & Bass
Originally released as one of the final run Super Famicom games in Japan, this sequel / side story that takes place after MegaMan 8 is a truly fun yet challenging entry in the original MegaMan series. As far as I can tell, it is also the final game in the original MegaMan series, as no further sequels have been produced since. A series first, you can choose to play as either MegaMan or Bass, and play through the game's story from their perspective. With graphics and gameplay that rival its PSX/Saturn predecessor, MegaMan and Bass really really pushed the SNES/SFC and the GBA to their limits. Awesome and unique stage themes for each level, an original MegaMan staple, is ever present in this game, with a few of them coming back to mind just as vividly as music from MegaMan II can. Seems to have seen a fairly limited print run, if you come across a copy, don't pass it up. Don't expect a cake walk either, this game easily rivals MegaMan 1 for most challenging original series MegaMan title.

I'll add a few others if I have time, but those are four of the best GBA games I've played that have mid range rarity, and do not seem to be as well known as you might at first think.