The Best Gameboy Advance Games For Today… Even If You Own A DS
It’s pretty easy to find a list of “The Top 10 Gameboy Advance Games†or some similar ranking, but most of them were written back when the handheld was cutting edge and almost all of them only compare the games against other GBA games.This is all fine if the GBA is the only portable you own and ever plan to own. However, I know most people have moved on to the DS and the PSP. Since the DS library hasn’t been completely fleshed out, I thought it would be a good idea to develop a list of games that are still relevant in today’s portable market because of their unique gameplay that has not been improved upon on other handhelds.
My basic rule of thumb for this list is what games are still worth playing today, even if you have a DS with its more modern game library at your fingertips. I’m personally in this situation as I love my DS Lite, but I still feel the need to pull out a number of GBA games.
Metroid Fusion & Metroid: Zero Mission
Since Nintendo doesn’t seem interested in producing any more two-dimensional Metroid games (even on the DS), Metroid Fusion stands as the last original 2D installment in the series and a might fine one at that. It’s deadly combination of polished gameplay, steady pacing, and engaging storyline and atmosphere make it very hard to put down.
As in SNES masterpiece, Super Metroid, the level design is stunningly intricate. Major power-ups are distributed at a gradual rate, and as Samus regains her abilities more and more of the station becomes accessible to her. I can only imagine the immense amount of time and effort that went into planning the station’s layout. Metroid Fusion is a mini-masterpiece of level design.
Fusion’s controls feel so smooth and natural that Super Metroid fans will feel right at home and will be welcomed by intense combat that will, at times, require some skilled acrobatics and creative use of your many powerups.
Even though much of the game is set at your own pace, Metroid Fusion can also be a very fast, action-packed game. Many boss fights require you to keep moving – platform jumping and directional shooting simultaneously. Just about every boss is deep enough to require an attack strategy — many requiring experimentation to uncover a weak spot or a particular weapon that works best. Even though some established Metroid fans may complain that Fusion’s gameplay is too linear, I personally prefer games that don’t require me to figure out where to go and what to do all the time. This is especially helpful for those that want to dive into the Metroid series for the first time.
The graphics and presentation of Fusion is top-notch in terms of 2D graphics. Everything from the backgrounds and cutscenes to the weapon animation and boss battles are filled with graphical beauty rarely seen on the GBA.
Metroid: Zero Mission takes much of the polish that made Fusion great and applied it to a remake of the original Metroid. The result is an engaging Metroid experience that should be given a chance whether you’ve played the original already or not.
Find Metroid Fusion : (eBay / Amazon)
Find Metroid Zero Mission : (eBay / Amazon)
Astro Boy: Omega Factor
Sega and Treasure have had an amazing relationship over the years with classics such as Gunstar Heroes and Guardian Heroes, both of which revolutionized the run-n-gun and beatemup genres respectively. Sega and Treasure teamed up again on the GBA to bring a sidescrolling game based on the classic Astro Boy manga series that incorporates concepts from both the shooter and brawler genres.
In standard Treasure fashion, Omega Factor gives players a number of creative ways to attack and offers a deep gameplay mechanic. Of course the A & B button are your standard jump and punch/kick buttons, but by utilizing the D-pad with the face buttons, players can trash opponents with some flying attacks, laser fingers, and other nifty moves.
In addition to using your standard attacks you may need a little extra power to battle through waves of enemies. For heavy duty attacks, you have your arm cannon and machine gun attacks at your disposal. Of course, these special attacks are limited, but you can recharge them by pulling off just a few standard combos. This attack system gets you in the habit of rationing your specials for when you need them, but you can’t waste them by ignoring them if you want to play effectively. Later on, there are also levels specifically designed so that you will need your special attacks to proceed, so efficient use of specials is even more important.For those of you who enjoy some RPG elements built into your actions games (like Guardian Heroes), Astro Boy also allows you to level-up their character and balance him for the way you play the game. Every character Astro Boy meets along his adventure give him a point that can be assigned to any one of several attributes, from standard attacks to the speed of his rocket boost. This not only opens up the exploration element, but adds a great deal of depth and replayabilty.
About half of the Omega Factor’s 40-some levels have a boss battle. Some bosses are behemoths that stand multiple screens high and attack with a variety of different weapons. Others are smaller, but have multiple transformations and attack patterns. There are also flying shmup-like stages scattered here and there for added variety.
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Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
There are a number of other Zelda games on the GBA, but The Minish Cap is the first original installment for the Nintendo’s 32-bit portable. Released late in the GBA’s lifecycle, The Minish Cap, is a fresh and inviting game that pushes plenty of 2D goodness out of the GBA’s hardware.
Many of you be aware that Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of the Zelda series, once pointed out in an interview that the inspiration for the Legend of Zelda came from his own exploration of fields, forests and caves as a boy. Miyamoto said he wanted to capture the sense of wonder and adventure he experienced as a child discovering mysterious, unknown environments.
The Minish Cap embodies the spirit of Miyamoto’s inspiration perfectly due to the game’s new gimmick. The Minish Cap revolves around the idea of a magical ‘cap’ called Ezlo that Link can use to shrink to the size of the Picori (a race of thumb-sized people that live in Hyrule). Being able to use your cap to shrink in size, explore mouse holes, and battle creatures many times your size will give you a fresh perspective on this beloved series. You can’t help but feel childlike wonder as you explore the normal-sized world from the perspective of an ant. Everything is exactly the same as it was when you were full-sized, except for your perspective.
Veteren Hyrule fans will be glad to know that The Minish Cap retains some common themes featured in previous Zelda installments, but introduces some new gameplay features such as the system of kinstones, which gets the player hunting for these artifacts that can reveal hidden paths and goodies.
Find Legend of Zelda Minish Cap : (eBay / Amazon)
Golden Sun
Golden Sun was a strong new IP for the Gameboy Advance when it first debuted in late 2001 as it was the first GBA game to push the systems to its limits. Compared with the SNES ports and slightly reimaged classics that the GBA was receiving, Golden Sun was in some way a bit if fresh air and helped the GBA stand on its own two feet. What made Golden Sun so fantastic was that it put a modern and contemporary feel onto the RPG genre. Something that still rings true today.
Golden Sun’s story is based around a character called Issac and his crew who all have the ability to use psychic spells called Psynergy. Psynergy isn’t just part of the story though, its the game’s main gameplay mechanic. Much like the items that you get in Zelda, Psynergy can be used to progress through the games varying environments. The Psynergy moves that you acquire in the game can be used for battles as well and work in the same way that spells do in most RPG games. As you level up your gain stronger forms of the same Psynergy spells.
Golden Sun also had a strong exploration element to it as well, those gamers who like to do a little exploration were rewarded with Djinn; small creatures that act as ‘summons’ in battle. The more Djinn that you found, the stronger the creatures would be that you summon. Djinn can be set to summon monstrous beasts or can be used for a strong attack. This system of Psynergy and Djinn made the battle and exploration elements feel cohesive and overall made Golden Sun unique. It struck a perfect balance between games like Final Fantasy and Zelda. Strong battle mechanics and excellent puzzle solving.
Graphically Golden Sun is a visual treat. A lot of minute detail is put into every character and environment to make the game feel very alive. The games use of colour is also very impressive, everything looks vibrant. The pseudo 3D battles are themselves a real treat. Aurally its the same case, Camelot really do have everything covered in this game and use almost every strength of the Gameboy Advance to showcase this.
Golden Sun is a complete package and is one of the role playing highlights for the GBA. For those DS role playing enthusiasts this game comes highly recommended. The DS’ back lit screen and stereo sound will ensure that you will enjoy this game to its fullest. Golden Sun also spawned a sequel; Golden Sun: The Lost Age which further develops the games story line and gameplay.
Find Golden Sun: (eBay / Amazon)
Find Golden Sun – The Lost Age: (eBay / Amazon)
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
There is now doubt that the GBA was full of excellent strategy and RPG titles. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance introduced the complex strategy that this series is now known for to that massive RPG/Strategy based audience that the GBA had attracted. Ensuring that the series finally got the attention that it deserved.
Final Fantasy Tactics draws several elements from the Final Fantasy franchise such as the job system, franchise favorites(moogles etc.) and an overall FF feel to create an immersive strategy title. Battles are played out on a grid based map. Where you move and position your party members around the battle field. The goal for most battles is to defeat an opposing threat.
Each character’s selection of attacks depends on their current job. Along with your regular moves(attack, wait etc.) players are automatically assigned a group of skills based on their current job(ie. Black mage must have black magic). Players also have one slot to use for a skill group from another job. Acquiring skills from each job class is done by equipping and learning the attacks from various weapons. Therefore knowing more skills and balancing these out in your party is the key to effectively managing a good party.
New to Tactics Advance is the law card system where referees watch over the match. Every match has a set of rules, such as not allowing the use of broadswords. Also new to FFTA was the inclusion of character races such as nu mou, human, moogle etc.
FFTA will forever be known for its fantastically long length. The game has about 300 missions to undertake(although you can finish the main quest by only completing certain story based missions). On top of this you have rival clans crawling around the map looking for a skirmish. Graphically the game looks neat, characters have a cute, rinky dink feel to them. The games soundtrack also does the original title’s soundtrack justice(which has to be one of the most gorgeous gaming soundtracks ever released). With the upcoming release of FFTA A2 for the DS you’d be silly not to give this one a shot.
Find Final Fantasy Tactics Advance: (eBay / Amazon)
Wario Land 4
Nintendo’s usual flair for level design is evident everywhere in the game. As usual, Wario’s storyline involves his obsession for money and treasure, leading him to the legendary Pyramid of Gold. Within this ancient structure, Wario finds a wide range of differently themed worlds. In each level, Wario needs to explore the landscape, collect four gem pieces, flip a switch, and return to the beginning of the level before a timer expires. It can be challenging to find all the gem pieces, only to die before making it back to the entrance in time, but it also increases the intensity of the game substantially.
After collecting all four pieces of gem from each of the six levels per pyramid section, you square off against a boss. Before fighting a boss, you have the option of going into a store and buying power-ups, which will aid you in the fight. You buy these power-ups with coins that you collect after you destroy boxes or enemies.
What always makes Wario Land games especially interesting is the wide selection of attacks at your disposal. Some moves can be performed with no assistance, such as the butt stomp and the dash, but, some sections of the levels must be negotiated with the aid of enemies. When Wario comes into contact with specific enemies, he will mutate into a new form that allows him to access a new part of the level. For example, touching a flaming zombie sets Wario on fire enables him to destroy any blocks featuring a flame symbol. Stages have been structured around the game’s ten such abilities, and the complexity of later levels will require you to creatively consider multiple skills.
If you have never before played a Warioland game, this is still a perfectly fine place to start. After trying it out I guarantee that you’ll be checking out the older versions on Game Boy Color to see what you’ve been missing over the past 8 years. Warioland 4 is possibly the best traditional platformer that isn’t a SNES port and definitely the most underrated.
Find Wario Land 4: (eBay / Amazon)
Gunstar Super Heroes
The original Gunstar Heroes is one of my favorite games of the 16-bit era and was a perfect example of Treasure’s ability to not only create innovative and quirky gameplay, but to push the limits of the game platform in the process.
Gunstar Super Heroes follows in the tradition of its predecessor by demonstrating some of the most stunning graphics you will ever see on the GBA while staying true to its side-scrolling run-n-gun roots. Some of the boss battles will actually surprise you at how powerful the Gameboy Advance actually is. The rest of the graphics in the game offer some amazing effects, ranging from 3D zooming and scaling to intense 2D sprite action.
Even without the impressive graphics, the boss battles are where Gunstar Super Heroes really shines. Much like the original game, each boss if very different and each of the opponents have a subtle weak point that will work your brain a bit.
In Gunstar Super Heroes, you’ll always have a handful of weapons at your disposal, and you can switch weapons with a tap of the left trigger button. In addition to the standard force and lightning weapons, you can obtain a powerful, but short-range fire gun and a chaser laser gun that homes in on the nearest target. Each weapon has a gauge which is filled as you defeat enemies. Once the gauge filled, you can double-tap the right trigger button to unleash a super attack that is unique to each weapon type.
In addition to the long-range attacks, you also have a sword attack for close-range encounters, as well as a slide, an uppercut, and a jump kick. You can also jump off walls, hang from overhead, and hitch a ride on all kinds of vehicles. When it comes down to it, the attack possibilities in Gunstar Super Heroes put Metal Slug to shame. (Not that I don’t love Metal Slug)
Because it is so closely tied to the original game, there isn’t a great deal of innovation in terms of gameplay, but Gunstar Super Heroes is still the best explosion-filled run-and-gun game on either the GBA or the DS thus far. It will be interesting to see how the upcoming Contra 4 and Metal Slug 7 far on the DS, but even if they are spectacular, there will still be a place for Gunstar Super Heroes in the hearts of many a old-school DS owner.
Find Gunstar Super Heroes: (eBay / Amazon)
Drill Dozer
Like many great gaming machines, some of the most interesting games are released at the very tail end of the machine’s life cycle. Drill Dozer is one of the prime examples of an innovative and enjoyable game that didn’t get the attention it deserved since most portable Nintendo fans had moved onto the DS.
At its core, Drill Dozer is an action platformer that has a bit of a Treasure vibe to it due to its creative, well-designed platforming elements and a number of classic-style boss battles, which keep the game uniformly intense throughout. Fans of Metroid and Megaman games will also find some common ground here as well.
Drill Dozer’s heroine, Jill takes command of what is essentially a small mech suit that is built to drill through walls. Jill can use this machine to walk and jump, and it also lets her duck inside it for protection or to use it to slide across gaps and underneath low walls.
Each of the well-designed levels adds a new way to use the drill and mixes things up by adding platforming puzzles and object interaction in order to keep the gameplay from getting repetitious. In between levels, you have the ability to upgrade Jill’s drill dozer by purchasing items from a store with currency you collected in the levels. Drill bit upgrades allow you to get through blocks and walls that you couldn’t previously drill through.
Drill Dozer will also treat your eyes to one of the most pleasant and exciting visual experiences on the GBA. While some blue-chip titles like Metroid Fusion and Golden Sun way be visually impressive and draw you into their more traditional environments, Drill Dozer has a much more vivid and playful atmosphere that is perfect for an old-school junkie that prefers more of an engaging cartoon-like experience.
Find Drill Dozer: (eBay / Amazon)
Castlevania Series
Castlevania is one of those popular franchises that just doesn’t seem to transition well to the 3D world. While Konami has tried on multiple occasions to pull it off, the best Castlevania games are still the 2D installments. Of course, there are two high-quality Castlevania installments on the DS already, but if you can’t get enough of Castlevania, there are twice as many titles in the GBA library.
If you want to have the original Castlevania with you on the go, you can find the Classic NES series release quite easily. This release is a very straightforward port, so you should expect nothing more or nothing less than a portable version of an NES classic.
Circle of the Moon was the very first GBA installment of the series and the first 2D Castlevania game since Symphony of the Night on the original Playstation. In many ways, it followed the footsteps of the legendary SotN with its open-ended exploration, RPG elements, and deep attack system. It was a lengthy and challenging adventure and was incredibly impressive for a GBA launch title.
Harmony of Dissonance seemed to pull various elements that were successful from the past 2D Castlevania games to create a single, engaging adventure. This includes the dangling chain-like whip from Super Castlevania IV and the ability to power-up, equip, and upgrade their character’s abilities by defeating enemies. Harmony also streamlines the magic system from Circle of the Moon, which makes using items and their powerful abilities more accessible. Where Circle of the Moon was a bit rough around the edges graphically, HoD uses the GBA’s capabilities to create smoother animations and more beautiful environments.
Aria of Sorrow is probably the most well-rounded Castlevania in the GBA library in terms of its gameplay, design, and production qualities. The gameplay of Aria of Sorrow is similar to both CotM and HoD, but it’s been fine-tuned for maximum enjoyment. In addition to the increase gameplay variety, Aria of Sorrow is also a happy medium between the tough-as-nails Circle of the Moon and the relatively easy Harmony of Dissonance.
For budget-minded Castlevania fans, two of the most popular (and hard-to-find) Castlevania games for the Gameboy Advance were recently re-released as a Combo cartridge. that includes both Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance and Castlevania: Aria Of Sorrow for an action-packed portable experience.
Find Castlevania (Classic NES Series): (eBay / Amazon)
Find Castlevania: Circle of the Moon: (eBay / Amazon)
Find Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance: (eBay / Amazon)
Find Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow: (eBay / Amazon)
Find Castlevania Double Pack: (eBay / Amazon)
Legend of Spyro: Eternal Night
That’s right — I’m recommending a Spyro the Dragon game. Since you probably never thought you would see me bother to review a Spyro game, let me cut to the point — Legend of Spyro: Eternal Night on the Gameboy Advance ROCKS. I can honestly say that this game can easily be put in the same league as Metroid Fusion, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, and Astro Boy: Omega Factor as the best action games on the Gameboy Advance and put up a phenomenal fight.
The fact is, the GBA version of Legend of Spyro: Eternal Night takes many of the best elements from all three of these games and effectively combines them into a late GBA release that will knock your socks off. (Keep in mind that the GBA version is nothing like the DS or console versions)
Eternal Night borrows the idea of having a large number of intuitive attack types despite having a limited number of buttons on the GBA. Like Devil May Cry, you will be using a lot of combo attacks and be juggling the enemies in the air to achieve some of the most effective combos. Overall, the combo system is both easy to pick up and quite flexible. The casual player can easily perform initially-impressive combos, but they can slowly get a better feel for the system as they progress and master the different attack types to pull off some killer multi-hit attacks.
The way you navigate and interact with the enemies is very reminiscent of both Castlevania and Metroid. You can wander around the levels freely, but the levels aren’t quite as expansive to the point of needing a map to find your way around. (This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you look for in a game) .
Much like Metroid Fusion, you will spend a good part of the game finding artifacts throughout the game that will give you new attacks, build up your health meter capacity, and other power-ups. In addition, there are different colored jewels that you can collect to increase your capabilities. (Red restores health, Green increases your elemental power, and blue are redeemable for upgrading your characteristics) These add a bit of an RPG feel and depth to the game.
Another similarity with the Metroidvania concept is that you don’t necessarily have to defeat every enemy to progress. If you want, you can try to evade them and keep chugging along. However, unlike most other games, even the simplest enemies manage to track you down in order to continue the fight. Even if you climb up some stairs or down some ledges, your enemies will find a way to get to you if it is physically possible for their character type. Every enemy actually seems like it has some decent AI built in to make your battles interesting.
Find Legend of Spyro: Eternal Night: (eBay / Amazon)
Classic Super Mario Bros. Series
If you have a DS, both New Super Mario Bros. and Yoshi’s Island DS are phenominal experiences that should not be missed, but if you are sticking with your GBA or are just a huge Mario fans that wants every 2D Mario game at their fingertips, the GBA library is filled with every one of Nintendo’s trademark 2D platformers.
Of course, the original Super Mario Bros. from the NES is the most iconic and still holds up as an infalible masterpiece of running, jumping, and princess-saving. It’s a strange thrill to see this straightforward NES port running on a Gameboy Advance Micro or a DS Lite.
The turnip-tossing Super Mario Bros. 2 was actually a launch title for the GBA and is a respectible port that is based on the SNES’s Super Mario All-Stars version of the game. Because of its drastically different gameplay mechanic, its always good for a change of pace in your platforming habits.
Super Mario Bros. 3 stepped up the series by featuring eight, more unique worlds, each containing numerous levels, used an innovative map navigation system. While staying true to the format of the original, SMB3 introduced new gameplay elements including special suits that gave Mario new abilities and a number of new powerups. Nearly every level presented a flawless degree of challenge and the adventure itself was long and varied. Like with the Super Mario Bros. 2 port, this installment is also based on the SNES’s Super Mario All-Stars version.
Super Mario World kept the same basic formula as its predecessors, but added enough new and improved features to outperform previous installments. The addition of Yoshi is also to be commended as it added to the depth to the gameplay. While most platform games were often categorized as “Action Adventure†games, Super Mario World is one of the few games that actually felt like an adventure 72 expansive and enjoyable levels.
Yoshi’s Island was different to the NES Mario trilogy as it took the exploration factors from Super Mario World and enhanced them greatly. Each level now had a list of items that could be collected to get a high score. The other big difference in Yoshi’s Island is that you don’t actually play as Mario, but instead you play as Yoshi. Yoshi plays somewhat like a cross between Kirby and Mario with lots of cool abilities.
Each are high-quality conversions, and Yoshi’s Island in particular shows off many of the GBA’s graphical capabilities, just like it originally did on the Super Nintendo. If only Nintendo would take my advice and make a Super Mario All-Star Compilation on the DS, Mario-loving DS owners would be in heaven, but for now we’ll have to keep swithing our GBA carts around.
Find Super Mario Bros. (Classic NES Series) (eBay / Amazon)
Find Super Mario Bros. 2: Super Mario Advance (eBay / Amazon)
Find Super Mario Bros. 3: Super Mario Advance 4 (eBay / Amazon)
Find Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (eBay / Amazon)
Find Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3 (eBay / Amazon)
Classic Legend of Zelda Series
Much like with the Mario series, Nintendo made sure that it brought Zelda fans all the classics on their portable system. Of course, old school Zelda fans can being with the original and all the nostalgia and pioneering adventure gameplay it bring.
Not everybody will enjoy Nintendo’s experimentation with bringing Link to a sidescroller in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, but it’s available on the GBA if you want it.
A Link to the Past is still regarded as one of the best GBA titles as it not only includes one of the most popular games in the series, but also the Four Swords multiplayer game. (If you have enough GBA-owning friends to take advantage of it)
Obviously, these three titles perfectly compliment both The Minish Cap and Phantom Hourglass on the DS. And again, I can’t help but think Nintendo would like to re-release a classic Zelda compilation on the DS.
Find The Legend of Zelda (Classic NES Series) (eBay / Amazon)
Find Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Classic NES Series) (eBay / Amazon)
Find Legend Of Zelda: A Link to the Past (eBay / Amazon)
Classic Final Fantasy Series
We all know that Square/Enix loves to exploit their Final Fantasy franchise by re-porting their classic RPGs to a multitude of platforms. Fortunately, they do a good job updating the games while maintaining the original style and gameplay that serve as a history lesson in the evolution of Japanese RPGs.
The first two Final Fantasy games featured in the Dawn of Souls compilation are rather simple by today’s standards, but they are still a nostalgic trip for many. Square Enix included additional stories and dungeons not found in the original games, including the Soul of Chaos, in which the player finds the four powerful Soul of Chaos boss monsters, in addition to various powerful equipment and valuable items. Final Fantasy II features a bonus story plus additional character background stories.
Final Fantasy IV (known as Final Fantasy II on the North American SNES) is one of the more popular installments of the Nintendo era and this GBA version received a nice graphics overhaul, fixed bugs in the battle system, updated translation, new abilities and a refined story for a smoother experience. Final Fantasy IV’s story is still one of the game’s primary strenghts, due to its effective twists and turns. Final Fantasy IV’s gameplay is excellent and it reminds you how little RPGs have changed since this landmark game was released.
Final Fantasy V is one of the most unusual and controversial game of the series. Its story is a definite drawback compared to IV, and it is the only past-NES Final Fantasy with a definite emphasis on gameplay rather than on story or character development. Its flexible and rich gameplay makes Final Fantasy VI very addictive and brings it closer to the open-ended world of PC role-playing. In the fantastic GBA port, a host of brand-new elements has been seamlessly merged with the original game, providing unexpected surprises for longtime fans.
Final Fantasy VI makes the transition back to the story-driven focus, but Squaresoft made sure the title still had solid gameplay. Its characters are among the genre’s most unique and memorable, while its villain is quite possibly the most well-crafted embodiment of evil in RPG history. Final Fantasy VI also marked the first strong role of futuristic technology blended with classical fantasy elements. The whole FFVI GBA package is very well-polished and concludes a very strong Final Fantasy collection for Nintendo’s powerful handheld.
Find Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls (eBay / Amazon)
Find Final Fantasy IV Advance (eBay / Amazon)
Find Final Fantasy V Advance (eBay / Amazon)
Find Final Fantasy VI Advance (eBay / Amazon)
Honorable Mentions:
- Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga – If it wasn’t for the newer Mario & Luigi installment on the DS, Partners in Time, Superstar Saga would be on the top of the list. Very similar to Super Mario RPG and the Paper Mario series, this is a great action RPG set in the Mushroom Kingdom. This is still worth picking up, but if you have DS, you might want to start with PiT. (eBay / Amazon)
- Fire Emblem – Another strategy game that is in the line of Advance Wars and Final Fantasy Tactics. The options are simplified a bit from Tactics, but much more challenging than both. This is a good one if you need to polish your strategy skills. (eBay / Amazon)
- WarioWare Twisted! – The DS’s WarioWare Touched is still recommended first if you are playing on a DS, but the gyroscope-based Twisted! is loads of fun if you want more variety in your minigames or are playing on an actual GBA. (eBay / Amazon)
- Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts – Try this challenging old-school adventure if you dare. Although, if you have a PSP, you might be better off with Ultimate Ghouls ‘n Ghosts. (eBay / Amazon)
- River City Ransom EX – Fans of the cult-classic NES side-scrolling brawler will get a kick out of its role-playing elements on the small screen. (eBay / Amazon)
- Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc – Ubisoft’s platforming mascot enjoys some 2D action similar to his days on the Saturn and PS1. The original Rayman Advance was pretty good too, but this newer installment makes better use of the GBA (eBay / Amazon)
- Klonoa: Empire of Dreams – A port of the popular Wonderswan platformers with strong puzzle elements, this serves as a wonderful Mario alternative (eBay / Amazon)
- ChuChu Rocket! – I’m still surprised that Sega hasn’t brought this mind-bending puzzle game to the DS yet as it’s just waiting to have stylus support. The GBA version will have to do for now. (eBay / Amazon)
- Super Puzzle Fighter II – I supposed you could techincally find many superior puzzle games on the DS (Meteos, anyone?), I still have a soft spot for Super Puzzle Fighter. The PSP does have a slicker port, however. (eBay / Amazon)
- Pac-Man Collection – I was pretty bummed that the Pac-Man spin-offs on this cart weren’t included on the new Namco Museum DS, so I’m keeping this with my DS library for now. (eBay / Amazon)
- Mario vs Donkey Kong – The DS has the “sequel”, but the new installment revolves around a Lemmings-like mechanic, that just didn’t have the same classic Donkey Kong feel to it. The original is still quite a treat. (eBay / Amazon)
If You Don’t Have A DS Yet…
- Advance Wars – Even though the DS has its own Advance Wars installment, the GBA versions still hold up extremely well. It is some of the most friendly, but surprisingly intense strategy game out there. (eBay / Amazon)
- Sonic Advance Series – Since the 3D Sonic games aren’t living up to the standards of the 16-bit standards, Nintendo portables are filled with your 2D Sonic fix. The Sonic Rush series on the DS is far better, but the Sonic Advance series is ok for GBA only games. (eBay / Amazon)
- WarioWare Inc.: Mega MicroGame$: There’s nothing wrong with this killer set of minigames, but just keep in mind that WarioWare: Touched! on the DS will probably be more enjoyable with stylus action.(eBay / Amazon)
- Mario Kart Super Circuit – If you enjoy the most SNES-like Mario Kart racing as opposed to what Mario Kart DS brings to the table, you should pick this one up. (eBay / Amazon)
- Dr. Mario/Puzzle League – This tiny cartridge had been the object of my wife’s addiction for the past two weeks since it’s release. But I can’t blame her, since these two great puzzlers offer a fresh breath of air to GBA puzzle fans. Puzzle League now has its own newer version on the DS and Dr. Mario can be found in Brain Age 2. (eBay / Amazon)
Note: A special thanks goes out to Daniel Primed for helping me write up a few of the featured game descriptions!
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kingdom hearts: chain of memories should be in here too, it has some of the well recognized charecters that nintendo has ever came up with.
I did not know this list existed until I saw the n64 list comments. 2 things I have consistently heard that you may want to address though to be complete:
-FFTA is almost universally viewed as a watered down Final Fantasy Tactics, which is now available on psp. I would be very surprised if FFTA offers anything improved over the original FFT. If there’s nothing you can say that makes FFTA better than FFT, I suggest moving FFTA down to the honorable mention list. Besides, the Fire Emblem games are almost universally considered better than FFTA, so I think it makes sense down there.
-I’ve not heard a single source say that Wario Land 4 is better than Wario Land 2/3 on the GBC. Can you explain what makes it so good that it lands on the main list instead of the honorable mention list? It’s getting tough to find as well, so unless it is better than 2/3 in some way other than graphics I think it belongs on the honorable mention list.
Thanks for the comment 🙂
You have some valid points — but I wrote this mainly with the DS library in mind. I agree with your comments on Tactics Advance. And I didn’t think of Fire Emblem. That probably would be a better fit.
As for Wario Land 4, I never said it was better than the old ones. It’s just still worth playing on the DS as we haven’t seen a suitable one on the DS yet (although a good one may be in the works) The original trilogy is very good, but unfortunately we can’t play them on a DS unless you emulate.
I actually just bought drill dozer because you included it on this list. It’d better be good! 😉
As for Wario Land 4, now I’m curious. You say it was included in part because you can’t play 1-3 on a DS. I’ve only played 1, which I thought was just OK, hardly a must-play game in this day and age. Assuming you a gba, and could therefore play any Wario game, would you recommend tracking down Wario Land 4? I guess I’d like to know whether or not Wario Land 4 is an essential game in 2008 or not. Thanks.
I think you’ll enjoy Drill Dozer. It’s probably one of the more original platformers on the GBA.
As for Wario Land 4, “essential” is a pretty strong term. I don’t think it’s a must-own. I would recommend Drill Dozer over it. But if you are a big platformer fan and can get a good deal on it, I would definitely consider it.
But again, I would go with Drill Dozer, Astro Boy, and the Metroid games before Wario Land 4. Of course, personal preference may vary.
FFTA is now on DS if you already have a DS don’t go buy the original -_-“
I got Golden Sun the year it came out, which was also the year i got my first GBA, and i absolutely love the game and its sequel. i was 9 years old at the time, and i was in 4th grade, so i love it now more than i did then because i have a more extensive mythology knowledge to go along with the game. it really is my favorite game ever.
Nice detailed list. I’ve been scouting for games to aquire and this is very helpful. I know it’s not near worthy of the list but I do play Super Dodge Ball Advance from time to tome. It’s quite entertaining to me.
Best way to play gba these days is on ya psp it looks so awesome on that screen & you can put the entire gba(and many other older systems)catalog on a nice 16 gig psp mem stick 🙂
Thanks for this list. I couldn’t enjoy Astro Boy (although the graphics and sound are great), but the other titles on the list are pretty great.
that drillin’ game sure makes me frustrated
I agree that Tactics Ogre: Knight of Lodis is by far the best RPG tactics game on the GBA, far better than Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.
Otherwise, great list!
Hmmm have yet to see anyone mention Riveria: The Promised Land or Yggdrasil the Union for Gba also if i may mention Solar Boy Django *though an Emu is needed since the 2nd and 3rd or just 3rd is in japanese only cuz it was trans recently* but the Django saga was intresting due to the solar pack needing real sunlight while you played*or led would work* now im fan of Rpg’s on Gba but ToP (Tales of Phantasia) should be on here fun game for any rpg fan ^^.
My dream game is for them to make Star Ocean on DS and hopefully Star Ocean Blue Sphere *came out on the GBC but never in US 🙁 i almost cried* anywho nice list though i believe you need to add more Rpgs and Shining Force is a good series you should check out ^^
hellkat and sadgirl 4ever
Has anybody forgotten a certain robot game? while i do know (but don’t believe) that Super Robot Taisen was hard, the sequel was praised by many websites and magazines.
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seriously, why does no one ever, ever mention the megaman battle network series? Those games are unbelievably awesome strategy games.
Dear Racket Boy.
Is there going to be a rare titles GBA list soon?.
All those Game i have already played, is there are any news GBA Game? It’s too boring.