ninjainspandex wrote:I'll update the list in a bit, Final Fantasy 6? I haven't played the GBA port but I have a hard time believing the GBA version is the best, wasn't the sound incredibly butchered in it?
The GBA port is excellent. I say better than the ps1 version.
As for the sound, the issue does exist, but is greatly exaggerated.
Is the sound better in the snes version? Yes, it certainly is. Noticeably so.
Is the sound in the gba version the unholy world ending catastrophe people often make it out to be? Not even close. Its perfectly fine. Not as good, but fine.
GameSack wrote:That's right, only Sega had the skill to make a proper Nintendo game.
Fusion and Zero are phenomenal.
So are the Mario advanced series.
Madden '07 is okay, and worth playing, but not worthy.
Love Megaman Zero 4 as it is an incredibly silly game, but with great controls.
The Lego games are great, but are on multiple platforms.
Hmm.
Masters of the Universe was a lot of fun for a throw back, although it needed more characters.
Call me crazy, but I prefer the original GB library over the GBA.
How about Legend of Mana its a beautiful remake of the first Seiken Densetsu/Final Fantasy Adventure, a prequel to the Secret of Mana game? I recently got it when I was flipping through an old GBA advertisement, I haven't played it yet but it looks gorgeous.
The NES ports work well, but I always had a hard time with the SNES ports. You really cannot play them well without at least four face buttons.
Luke wrote:Call me crazy, but I prefer the original GB library over the GBA.
You're not crazy. I prefer the Gameboy/Gameboy Color as well.
.....
Here are the games that, IMO, we should include on the list:
Advance Wars - This is an excellent, accessible military strategy game that is immensely fund.
Advance Wars 2 - This game is just as good as its predecessor.
Astro Boy: Omega Factor - This fantastic action game is one of Treasure's very best.
Boktai: The Sun in Your Hands - This fun and unique game from Hido Kojima cannot be replicated on any other hardware.
Capcom Classics Mini-Mix - This is great collection of NES classics - including Bionic Commando - that are not available elsewhere.
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow - This is a great Metroidvania game that is packed full of unique content and very, very fun.
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance - Ditto.
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon - Ditto.
Double Dragon Advance - This is a wonderful port of the original beat 'em up. It is packed with extra content and well-worth the price it commands on the secondary market.
Drill Dozer - This game from the creators of Pokemon is a challenging and unique platformer whose rumble feature cannot be accurately recreated on other hardware.
Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls - This is a great, enhanced collection of two of the best 8-bit RPGs.
Final Fantasy VI Advance - IMO, this is the best version of FFVI (i.e., the best JRPG) despite the fact the music differs from its SNES counterpart.
Golden Sun - This is a great, no-frills JRPG that is incredibly well-designed and very fun.
Golden Sun: The Lost Age - Ditto.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap - This GBA exclusive is not the best Zelda games - or even the best portable Zelda game - but it is still immensely fun. It also deviates from the other games in the series in interesting ways, and any fan of the series should own it.
Mario & Lugi: Superstar Saga - I love the Mario & Luigi series, and despite my adoration for Bowser's Inside Story, this game remains the series' best.
Mega Man & Bass - This is a fun port of a "lost" SNES game; it is the only other game to use Mega Man 8's engine; and it has all the challenge of classic Mega Man games.
Metroid Fusion - While it is not my favorite Metroid game - and while I think it is s significant step-down from Super Metroid - it is still very, very good.
Metroid Zero Mission - This remake of the original Metroid is exceptional, and it is almost as good as Super Metroid (which, IMO, is one of the best games on any platform).
NES Series: Castlevania - This is a faithful adaptation of the NES classic that allows you to save between levels. This feature makes it more accessible than the sublime NES original.
River City Ransom EX - This is an updated version of the NES's best beat 'em up. It also replaces the NES version's horrendous password system with a save feature, and the new translation makes the game's RPG mechanics easier to understand.
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts - This is a great port of one of the SNES best and most challenging games. It also allows for limited saving, making it much more accessible than its SNES counterpart.
Super Mario Advance: Super Mario Bros. 2 - Despite the character's annoying voices, this is the best version of SMB2. It also contols perfectly on the GBA.
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 - The new features make this the best version of Nintendo's best 2D platformer.
Wario Land 4 - It is not the best game in the series, but it is still excellent. It also established some of the mechanics seen in the sublime Wario Land: Shake It!
Wario Ware Mega Micro Game$ - The original game in the Wario Ware series remains the best. It is incredibly fun and overflowing with personality.
This list is by no means exhaustive since there are a tremendous number of well-regarded GBA games that I have not played (i.e., Lufia, Mother 3, Ninja Five-O, Sonic Advance, etc.). I do think that we should consider them for the list, however.
ninjainspandex wrote:How about Legend of Mana its a beautiful remake of the first Seiken Densetsu/Final Fantasy Adventure, a prequel to the Secret of Mana game? I recently got it when I was flipping through an old GBA advertisement, I haven't played it yet but it looks gorgeous.
You mean Sword of Mana. It's decent. I mentioned it.
BoneSnapDeez wrote:That's actually true. Perhaps that should disqualify SoM. FFA should end up on our regular Game Boy list, which I feel is inevitable.
I don't think that disqualifies SoM from being considered for the GBA, since FFA is on the Game Boy. These lists tend to include the best of a series on that particular console or handheld, not the best one in the series overall.
