The People's Choice Thread

[Jmustang1968]

I've been finding some more time during my breaks at work and also recently found my GBA Micro charger... so with that in mind I'd like some help choosing which GBA RPG to play. I am not a hardcore RPG player by any stretch of the imagination and I'd prefer games that move along, maybe a little more action oriented and don't require crazy amounts of grinding. Here are some of my options.

Golden Sun
Tales of Phantasia
Mario and Luigi Super Star Saga
Lufia
Sword of Mana
Advance Wars 1 and 2

Play Tales

[Sarge]

Tales is a'ight on GBA, but it's better on PSX. I'd play it there instead. (And no, I'm not in the camp that thinks GBA Tales sucks, the battle system gets a bit faster as you go, but it's still sub-optimal.)

[Exhuminator]

Golden Sun
Tales of Phantasia
Mario and Luigi Super Star Saga
Lufia
Sword of Mana
Advance Wars 1 and 2

I'll just talk about the ones I've actually played...

I've tried and failed to get into Golden Sun multiple times. The game starts so slow, and is overly verbose to the point of its own detriment. It's probably great if it ever got some momentum going.

Tales of Phantasia = play this translated on PS1 or PSP.

Super Star Saga, I played through half of this and ran out of steam. For me the plot just wasn't going anywhere interesting. Aesthetically and aurally, it's great, and has tight gameplay mechanics. If you don't mind the boring plot, it's a decent JRPG.

Advance Wars, another one I've started and stopped multiple times. I always beat the first several maps and walk away bored. The game design quickly becomes monotonous and it doesn't change up the required tactics fast enough for me. I don't think it's a bad game per se, but personally I enjoyed Game Boy Wars 2 more than this.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Tales is best game on list.

SNES > GBA tho.

[Ack]

You know who loves Advance Wars?

This guy loves Advance Wars:

Take that how you will. Personally, I'd say play Tales on either PS1 or Super Famicom. Lufia 2, play on Super Nintendo. Sword of Mana...is actually all right, though I didn't care for it as much as Secret of Mana. Golden Sun is ok in my opinion...but just ok.

[Xeogred]

I've been finding some more time during my breaks at work and also recently found my GBA Micro charger... so with that in mind I'd like some help choosing which GBA RPG to play. I am not a hardcore RPG player by any stretch of the imagination and I'd prefer games that move along, maybe a little more action oriented and don't require crazy amounts of grinding. Here are some of my options.

Golden Sun
Tales of Phantasia
Mario and Luigi Super Star Saga
Lufia
Sword of Mana
Advance Wars 1 and 2

I hate to say that this is not the most promising list I've seen haha. I played Golden Sun, Tales of Phantasia, Mario and Luigi Super Star Saga, and Lufia ... and did not beat any of these. So that might say something. Phantasia is gorgeous and legit, but I got stuck somewhere or stopped caring as it seems to go with the Tales games for me.

Sword of Mana looks cool on paper, but I haven't loved this series that much after Secret of Mana and SD3... though I want to give Legend another shot, but I remember hating a lot of the changes to the battle system and it dropping a lot of RPG elements. Plus only two characters? Just seemed like an insane downgrade after how beyond perfect SD3's gameplay was.

I hate to be that guy, but Nintendo has never captured the cool magic that Square did with Super Mario RPG on the SNES. Absolutely love that game, but I've never cared too much for the Mario & Luigi series.

[Exhuminator]

I hate to be that guy, but Nintendo has never captured the cool magic that Square did with Super Mario RPG on the SNES. Absolutely love that game, but I've never cared too much for the Mario & Luigi series.

I'll be that guy with you bro.

I loved Super Mario RPG. After that, I mildly enjoyed Paper Mario and finished it. Then I quit halfway through Superstar Saga. Not the best track record. I mean, there are a lot of other games in the series I want to try. People swear by Thousand Year Door and Bowser's Inside Story for example. All the same I thought Super Mario RPG was way better than the other two I played.

[Xeogred]

Haha, add Paper Mario to my list too. I ... thought it was okay, but it just made me want to play either Super Mario RPG again, or a traditional Mario game. It was a weird mix and felt like it didn't truly know what it was doing and wanted to be. Never beat that one either. I only played the first one though so maybe some of the later ones were more refined. I'm definitely curious about the new one for the U that was recently revealed.

[Exhuminator]

So in the world of Mario RPGs...

1996 Super Mario RPG (SNES)
2000 Paper Mario (N64)
2003 Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA)
2004 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GC)
2005 Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (NDS)
2007 Super Paper Mario (Wii)
2009 Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (NDS)
2012 Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS)
2013 Mario & Luigi: Dream Team (3DS)
2015 Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam (3DS)
2016 Paper Mario: Color Splash (Wii U)

That's what's been released, release dates reflect Japanese release year.
I own copies of all of those except the last two.

[Xeogred]

Good lord, the ones I've played:

1996 Super Mario RPG (SNES) - only one beaten on this list (a dozen times?)
2000 Paper Mario (N64)
2003 Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA)
2005 Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (NDS)

I recall disliking Partners in Time more than Superstar Saga, because baby Mario and Luigi were just more of the same in battles and such. Usually a sucker for time travel gimmicks, but not here. lol