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Visual Boy Advance - Game Boy Advance (GBA) Emulator

ual Boy Advance - Game Boy Advance (GBA) Emulator

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Visual Boy Advance | GBA EmulatorVisual Boy Advance is an open-source Game Boy Advance (GBA) emulator for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and IOS devices.Experience all your favourite Gameboy games from the past with VBA, the best and most popular GBA emulator available to date.

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GBA EmulatorVisualBoyAdvance is a free emulator for the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance retro gaming consoles as well as Super Game Boy.

Multi PlatformThe Visual Boy Advance program is written in C, C++ and supports multiple operating systems such as Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and IOS devices.

Game Boy Advance EmulatorWhy Visual Boy Advance?

VisualBoyAdvance stands the test of time as the most reliable Game Boy Advance emulator on the market. With regular updates and features, users gain access to helpful debugging tools like loggers, viewers and editors. Popular cheat code manufacturers like GameShark and Codebreaker are also supported! Additionally, graphic filters allow you to enhance your display with motion blur or color correction effects. And for those games that require trading or multiplayer modes, local and remote linking capabilities are available. With VisualBoyAdvance, you can be sure that you’re getting a professional-level gaming experience in the world of GBA emulation.

Stable GBA EmulatorThe VBA GBA emulator is a reliable and secure solution that guarantees 100% performance. Best of all, it's free to use!

Screen Capture & RecordingVBA allows you to record sound, video, game and screen capturing. Perfect for retro streamers or sharing with friends.

Cheat CodesVisual Boy Advance enables gamers to enjoy a unique and enhanced gaming experience with the help of cheat codes from industry-leading providers such as GameShark and Codebreaker. Unlock special content, rare items, and more with these in-game enhancements!

Turbo ModeEnable turbo mode to blaze through your favourite games or bypass tedious tasks.

Save & Load StatesAn integrated Save and Load state within VBA simplifies the process of saving and loading your current progress and acts as an additional backup system.

Graphic FiltersVisualBoyAdvance enables gamers to customize the appearance of classic games that feature hand-drawn pixel art by incorporating pixel art scaling algorithms. This tool allows users to alter the resolution and refine the look of these 8-bit masterpieces.

Multi Rom SupportVBA supports multiple roms for all Game Boy versions (Original Gameboy, Color and Advance).

Joystick & Controller SupportDitch your keyboard keys and easily connect & use your Xbox, Nintendo, PC or PlayStation controller on VisualBoyAdvance.

Local & Remote LinkingThis GBA emulator is fully equipped to support both local and remote linking, making it ideal for users who want to enjoy multi-player games, engage in thrilling competitions, or trade Pokémon.ScreenshotsRequirements

How does it work?

Visual Boy Advance is a powerful emulation software that effectively replicates the hardware and gameplay of the Game Boy Advance (GBA). Thus allows us to run and play digital copies of the read-only memory chips, popularly known as ROMs on our devices without the need of having an actual GameBoy console.

Features

VBA is the absolute premier choice in GBA emulators, delivering remarkable performance and an abundance of features, such as;It is compatible with GameBoy, GameBoy Color, and GameBoy Advance ROMs.Joystick support.Speed up key.Autofire support.Screen capture support.It has Import or export functionality of native saved games from the other emulators.It has full save state support.It has super GameBoy and Super GameBoy 2 border and color palette support.It has full-screen mode support.Graphics filters to enhance display such as 2xSal, Super 2xSal, Super Eagle AdvanceMAME, Motion blur, and Pixelate.GUI skinning support.It newly added HQ3x/4x pixel filters and GameBoy linking over LAN and the internet.GameBoy Printer emulator.Real-time IPS patching.It also allows recording the audio and video, which is only supported by VisualBoyAdvance and its versions.It includes hacking and debugging tools like loggers, viewers, and editors.It supports the GameShark, GameBoy Advance, and Code Breaker Advance cheat codes.

Requirements

Each platform requires their own set of prerequisites. You can view the detailed instructions per device below;AndroidIOSLinuxMacWindows

Source Code

You can access and download the source code here.Frequently Asked QuestionsWe have gathered a collection of frequently asked questions from our users. We hope this will help you to find the information you need and any unanswered queries.

What exactly is VisualBoyAdvance?

VisualBoyAdvance, in summary - is a portable program that allows you to emulate GameBoy, GameBoy Color and Game Boy Advance files.

Are emulators legal to use?

Emulators are 100% permissible and the process of downloading them is perfectly legitimate. They offer no distinct difference from other commonly downloaded programs such as word processing or music player software. Uploading ROMs without permission however, is unlawful, so make sure you only use your own game files.

How do I open a GBA file?

A GBA file is Game Boy Advance ROM file and can only be opened using a GBA emulator such as Visual Boy Advance.To open a GB, GBC or GBA file on VisualBoyAdvance. Click on File > Open > Select your GBA file to launch the ROM game.

Where can I download GBA Roms?

If you're looking for GBA ROMS, a quick search on Google will bring up many sites where you can download them from.However, we have compiled a GBA ROM section for our users (you can access it here) by archiving GBA ROM games from Vimm's Lair.

Can I play with my controller on VBA?

Using your favorite controller is just a plug-and-play away with Visual Boy Advance. With USB or Bluetooth connection capabilities, you can connect up to four controllers of any brand--PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo and beyond--to VBA. Then configure the key bindings via Options > Input > Configure.Read our Default Controls Guide for more information.

Does Visual Boy Advance support cheat codes?

Yes, VisualBoyAdvance offers compatibility with multiple providers of cheat/hacking codes such as CodeBreaker, FlashCart, GameShark and generic codes. To make use of these cheats, simply open the latest VisualBoyAdvance software, select your legal game rom and launch it. Once the game has begun, you can access Cheat list from the VBA menu to choose your desired Cheat code Brand. Enter a code and click OK; repeat this step for additional codes if necessary.

My GBA emulator is not working?

If your VBA, Game Boy Advance emulator is not functioning as expected, our troubleshooting guide may be able to help you diagnose and resolve any common errors. Should you require additional assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly.

How to uninstall Visual Boy Advance?

Visual Boy Advance is a portable application that you can use without needing to install it on your device. To uninstall VisualBoyAdvance, just delete the folder in which you downloaded and extracted the emulator from.Need More Help?

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Visual Boy Advance is an open-source Game Boy Advance (GBA) emulator for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and IOS devices.Experience all your favourite Gameboy games from the past with VBA, the best and most popular GBA emulator available to date.VisualBoyAdvance

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1History

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1.1Project Atlantis

2Hardware

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2.1Technical specifications

2.2Color variants

3Games

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3.1Launch games

3.2Compatibility with other systems

3.3Re-releases

4Accessories

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4.1Official

4.2Unofficial

5Revisions

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5.1Game Boy Advance SP

5.1.1Backlight model (AGS-101)

5.2Game Boy Micro

6Reception

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6.1Sales

7See also

8Notes

9References

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Game Boy Advance

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Handheld game console by Nintendo

"GBA" redirects here. For other uses, see GBA (disambiguation).

Game Boy AdvanceIndigo Game Boy AdvanceAlso known asiQue Game Boy Advance (China)DeveloperNintendo R&DManufacturerNintendoProduct familyGame Boy[1]TypeHandheld game consoleGenerationSixthRelease dateJP: March 21, 2001[3]NA: June 11, 2001[2]EU: June 22, 2001[4]AU: June 22, 2001[5]Introductory priceUS$99.99 (equivalent to $170 in 2022)[6]Units sold81.51 million (as of June 30, 2010[update])[7]MediaGame Boy Game PakGame Boy Color Game PakGame Boy Advance Game PakCPUARM7TDMI @ 16.78 MHz, Sharp LR35902 (8080-derived) @ 8.388 or 4.194 MHzMemory32 KB internal, 256 KB external, 96 KB VRAMDisplayTFT LCD, 240 × 160 pixels, 40.8 × 61.2 mm[8]Power2 × AA batteriesDimensions82 x 144.5 x 24.5 mmBest-selling gamePokémon Ruby and Sapphire, 16.22 million units[9]BackwardcompatibilityGame BoyGame Boy ColorPredecessorGame Boy Color[10]SuccessorNintendo DS

The Game Boy Advance[a] (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2001, and in mainland China as iQue Game Boy Advance on June 8, 2004.

The GBA is part of the sixth generation of video game consoles. The original model was followed in 2003 by the Game Boy Advance SP, a redesigned model with a frontlit screen and clamshell form factor. A newer revision of the SP with a backlit screen was released in 2005. A miniaturized redesign, the Game Boy Micro, was released in September 2005.

As of June 2010[update], 81.51 million units of the Game Boy Advance series have been sold worldwide.[7] Its successor, the Nintendo DS, was released in November 2004[11] and is backward compatible with Game Boy Advance software.

History[edit]

Unlike the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, which have the "portrait" form factor (designed by Gunpei Yokoi), the Game Boy Advance has a "landscape" form factor, putting the buttons to the sides of the device instead of below the screen. It was designed by the French designer Gwénaël Nicolas and his Tokyo-based design studio Curiosity Inc.[12][13]

News of a successor to the Game Boy Color (GBC) first emerged at the Space World trade show in late August 1999, where it was reported that two new handheld systems were in development: an improved version of the GBC with wireless online connectivity, codenamed the Advanced Game Boy (AGB), and a new 32-bit system set for release the following year.[14] On September 1, 1999, Nintendo officially announced the Game Boy Advance, revealing details about the system's specifications including online connectivity through a cellular device and an improved model of the Game Boy Camera. Nintendo teased that the handheld would first be released in Japan in August 2000, with the North American and European launch dates slated for the end of the same year.[15] Simultaneously, Nintendo announced a partnership with Konami to form Mobile 21, a development studio that would focus on creating technology for the GBA to interact with the GameCube, Nintendo's home console which was also in development at the time with the codename Dolphin.[16] On August 21, 2000, IGN showed images of a GBA development kit running a demonstrational port of Yoshi's Story,[17] and on August 22, pre-production images of the GBA were revealed in Famitsu magazine in Japan.[18] On August 24, Nintendo officially revealed the console to the public, with the Japanese and North American launch dates and 10 launch games.[19] The GBA was then featured at Space World 2000 from August 24 to 26[20] alongside several peripherals for the system, including the GBA Link cable, the GameCube - Game Boy Advance link cable,[21] a rechargeable battery pack for the system, and an infrared communications adaptor which would allow systems to exchange data.[22] In March 2001, Nintendo revealed details about the system's North American launch, including the suggested price of $99.99 and the 15 launch games. Nintendo estimated that around 60 new games would be released by the end of 2001.[23][24]

Project Atlantis[edit]

In 1996, magazines including Electronic Gaming Monthly and Next Generation featured reports of a successor to the original Game Boy, codenamed Project Atlantis.[25][26] Nintendo's initial target was to release the system in at least one territory by the end of 1996, which would make it appear to most likely refer to the Game Boy Color.[26][25] However, it was described as having a 32-bit ARM processor, a 3-by-2-inch (7.6 cm x 5 cm) color screen, and a link port — a description that more closely matches the Game Boy Advance.[26][25][27] Electronic Gaming Monthly reported the processor to be an ARM710, clocked at 25 MHz, while Next Generation claimed it to be a StrongARM SA-110, possibly supporting 160 MHz.[26][27] Both were designed by Advanced RISC Machines (ARM), which also created the CPU for the Game Boy Advance (and all Nintendo handhelds up to the Switch, which includes ARM engineered cores embedded in an Nvidia SoC). In terms of software, it was announced that Nintendo of Japan was working on a game for the system called Mario's Castle, ultimately unreleased.[26] Nintendo suspended the Atlantis project sometime in 1997, since the original Game Boy's 80% of the handheld market share was considered too high to merit the release of a successor.[28]

During a panel discussion at 2009's Game Developers Conference, a canceled "Game Boy Advance predecessor" was shown on-screen, which looked like a bulky Game Boy Color. Joystiq concluded this unnamed device was most likely Project Atlantis.[29]

Hardware[edit]

Technical specifications[edit]

The technical specifications[30][31][32] of the original Game Boy Advance are, as provided by Nintendo:[33]

Size

Approximately 145 mm (5.7 in) x 82 mm (3.2 in) x 24 mm (0.94 in) (WxHxD)

Weight

Approximately 140 g (4.9 oz)

Screen

2.9 inch reflective thin-film transistor (TFT) color liquid-crystal display (LCD)

Display size

40.8 mm (1.61 in) by 61.2 mm (2.41 in)

Framerate

59.727500569606 Hz[34]

Power

2× AA batteries[35]

Battery life

Approximately 15 hours on average while playing Game Boy Advance games (varies depending on the Game Pak being played, volume setting and any external peripherals being used such as a screen light[36])

CPU

16.8 MHz 32-bit ARM7TDMI with embedded memory; 8.388 or 4.194 MHz Sharp LR35902 (Z80 & 8080-derived) for Game Boy Color and Game Boy backward compatibility

Memory

32 kilobyte + 96 kilobyte VRAM (internal to CPU); 256 kilobyte DRAM (external to CPU)

Resolution

240 × 160 pixels (3:2 aspect ratio)

Color support

15-bit RGB (5 bits depth per channel), capable of displaying 512 simultaneous colors in "character mode" and 32,768 (215) simultaneous colors in "bitmap mode"

Sound

Dual 8-bit DAC for stereo sound (called Direct Sound), plus all legacy channels from Game Boy. The DACs can be used to play back streams of wave data, or used to output multiple wave samples processed or mixed in software by the CPU.

Input

Eight-way control padSix action buttons (A, B, L, R, Start, Select)Volume sliderPower switchSerial I/O ("Link cable")Cartridge I/O

Backward compatibility for Game Boy and Game Boy Color games is provided by a custom 4.194/8.388 MHz hybrid Z80 and 8080-based coprocessor (Game Boy Advance software can use the audio tone generators to supplement the primary sound system), while a link port at the top of the unit allows it to be connected to other devices using a Game Link cable or GameCube link cable.[21] When playing Game Boy or Game Boy Color games on the Game Boy Advance, the L and R buttons can be used to toggle between a stretched widescreen format (240×144) and the original screen ratio of the Game Boy (160×144). Game Boy games can be played using the same selectable color palettes as on the Game Boy Color. Every Nintendo handheld system following the release of the Game Boy Advance SP has included a built-in light and rechargeable battery.

The Game Boy Advance 2D graphics hardware has scaling and rotation for traditional tiled backgrounds in its modes 1 and 2, and scaling and rotation for bitmaps in modes 3 through 5 (used less often on the GBA because of technical limitations).[37] On each machine supporting this effect, it is possible to change the scaling and rotation values during the horizontal blanking period of each scanline[clarification needed] to draw a flat plane in a perspective projection. More complex effects such as fuzz are possible by using other equations for the position, scaling, and rotation of each line. The "character mode" supports up to 4 tile map background layers per frame, with each tile being 8x8 pixels in size and having 16 or 256 colors. The "character mode" also supports up to 128 hardware sprites per frame, with any sprite size from 8x8 to 64x64 pixels and with 16 or 256 colors per sprite.[37]

Color variants[edit]

The Game Boy Advance was available in numerous colors and limited editions throughout its production. It was initially available in Arctic, Black, Orange (Japan Only), Fuchsia (translucent pink), Glacier (translucent blue), and Indigo. Later in the system's lifespan, additional colors and special editions were released, including: Red, Clear Orange/Black, Platinum, White, Gold (Japan Only), Hello Kitty edition (pink with Hello Kitty and logo on bezel), The King of Fighters edition (black with images on bezel and buttons), Chobits edition (translucent light blue, with images on bezel and buttons), Battle Network Rockman EXE 2 (light blue with images on bezel), Mario Bros. edition (Glacier with Mario and Luigi on bezel), and Yomiuri Giants edition (Glacier with images on bezel).

Several Pokémon-themed limited-edition systems were made available in Pokémon Center stores in Japan. These editions include: Gold Pokémon edition (Gold with Pikachu and Pichu on bezel), Suicune edition (blue/grey with greyscale Pikachu and Pichu on bezel, and a Pokémon Center sticker on the back), Celebi edition (olive green with Celebi images on bezel), and Latias/Latios edition (pink/red and purple, with images of Latias and Latios on bezel).

Games[edit]

Main article: List of Game Boy Advance games

See also: List of best-selling Game Boy Advance video games and List of cancelled Game Boy Advance games

The Game Boy Advance Game Pak

Game Boy Advance Game Pak disassembled

With hardware performance comparable to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Game Boy Advance represents progress for sprite-based technology. The system's library includes platformers, SNES-like role-playing video games, and games ported from various 8-bit and 16-bit systems of the previous generations. This includes the Super Mario Advance series, and the system's backward compatibility with all earlier Game Boy titles. Though most GBA games primarily employ 2D graphics, developers have ambitiously designed some 3D GBA games that push the limits of the hardware, including first-person shooters like a port of Doom, racing games like V-Rally 3, and even platformers, like Asterix & Obelix XXL.

Some cartridges are colored to resemble the game (usually for the Pokémon series; Pokémon Emerald, for example, being a clear emerald green). Others have special built-in features, including rumble features (Drill Dozer),[38] tilt sensors (WarioWare: Twisted!, Yoshi's Universal Gravitation)[39] and solar sensors (Boktai).[40]

In Japan, the final game to be released on the system was Final Fantasy VI Advance on November 30, 2006, which was also the final game published by Nintendo on the system.[41] In North America, the last game for the system was Samurai Deeper Kyo, released on February 12, 2008. In Europe, the last game for the system is The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night, released on November 2, 2007. The Japan-only Rhythm Tengoku, the first game in what would eventually become known outside Japan as the Rhythm Heaven/Rhythm Paradise series, is the final first-party-developed game for the system, released on August 3, 2006.

Launch games[edit]

Title

Notes

Army Men Advance

Top-down shooter

Boku wa Koukuu Kanseikan

Simulation game

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

Platform game in the Castlevania series

ChuChu Rocket!

Port of the 1999 Sega Dreamcast game

Earthworm Jim

Port of the 1994 platform game

EZ-Talk Shokyuuhen 1-6 Kan Set

One of the first games developed by NDCube

Fire Pro Wrestling

Top-down wrestler

F-Zero Maximum Velocity

Racing game, first F-Zero game to be released on a handheld game console, one of the first games developed by NDCube

Golf Master: Japan Golf Tour

Sports game

GT Advance Championship Racing

Racing game

Iridion 3D

Quasi-3D rail shooter game

J. League Pocket

Soccer game

Konami Krazy Racers

Kart racing game

Kuru Kuru Kururin

Puzzle game

Mega Man Battle Network

Real-time tactical RPG

Momotaru Matsuri

Role-playing game

Monster Guardians

Role-playing game

Mr. Driller 2

Port of the 2000 arcade game

Namco Museum

Compilation consisting of Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Galaxian, Pole Position, and Dig Dug

Napoleon

Real-time strategy game

Pinobee: Wings of Adventure

First game developed by Artoon

Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure

Port of the 1994 platform game

Play Novel: Silent Hill

Visual novel based on the 1998 horror game

Power Pro Kun Pocket 3

Baseball game

Rayman Advance

Port of the 1995 platform game

Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2

Portable version of the 2000 boxing game

Super Dodge Ball Advance

Sports game

Super Mario Advance

Remake of Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988) and Mario Bros. (1983)

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

Portable version of the 2000 skateboarding video game

Top Gear GT Championship

Racing game

Total Soccer Manager

Soccer manager

Tweety and the Magic Gems

Last Looney Tunes game published by Kemco

Winning Point

Horse racing game

Yu-Gi-Oh! Dungeon Dice Monsters

Dice-driven tactics game

Compatibility with other systems[edit]

Clockwise from left: A Game Boy Game Pak, a Game Boy Advance Game Pak, and a Nintendo DS Game Card. On the far right is a US nickel (diameter 21.21mm) shown for scale.

An accessory for the GameCube, known as the Game Boy Player, was released in 2003 as the successor to the Super Game Boy peripheral for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The accessory allows Game Boy Advance, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color games to be played on the GameCube. However, some games may have compatibility issues due to certain features requiring extra hardware. For example, playing games with built-in motion sensors, such as Yoshi's Topsy-Turvy, would require players to manipulate the console.

The GBA is the last Nintendo handheld system to bear the Game Boy name. Games developed for it are incompatible with older Game Boy systems, and each game's box carries a label indicating that the game is "not compatible with other Game Boy systems". However, games designed for older Game Boy systems are compatible with the Game Boy Advance, with options to play such games on either their standard aspect ratios or a stretched fullscreen.

Game Boy Advance games are compatible with Nintendo DS models that support them with a dedicated GBA cartridge slot beneath the touch screen (specifically the original model and the Nintendo DS Lite), although they do not support multiplayer or features involving the use of GBA accessories due to the absence of the GBA's external peripheral port on the DS. The Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL lack a GBA cartridge slot, and do not support backward compatibility with the GBA.

Re-releases[edit]

GBA ROMs Download - Free Game Boy Advance Games - ConsoleRoms

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Easily emulate GameBoy Advance games for free in your browser. Completely open source!

Keybinds

Emulator Keybinds

Reset Game: R

Play/Pause: P

Source Code

Select a Game

Advance Wars

Advance Wars 2

Aladdin

Alien Hominid

Bomberman Max 2 - Blue Advance

Bomberman Tournament

Bubble Bobble: Old and New

Croket! - Yume no Banker Survival!

Croket! 2 - Yami no Bank to Banqueen

Croket! 3 - Granu Oukoku no Nazo

Croket! 4 - Bank no Mori no Mamorigami

Digimon Racing

Dragon Ball Z - Supersonic Warriors

Drill Dozer

Earthworm Jim

Earthworm Jim 2

Final Fantasy 1 & 2 Advance

Final Fantasy IV Advance (Sound Restoration Mod)

Final Fantasy VI Advance

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

Fire Emblem

Frogger Advance - The Great Quest

Frogger's Adventures - Temple of the Frog

Frogger's Adventures 2 - The Lost Wand

F-Zero - GP Legend

F-Zero - Maximum Velocity

Game & Watch Gallery 4

Golden Sun

Gunstar Super Heroes

Hamtaro - Ham-Ham Heartbreak

Iridion 3D

Kirby & The Amazing Mirror

Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

Mario Kart: Super Circuit

Mario Party Advance

Mario Pinball Land

Mario vs Donkey Kong

Mega Man & Bass

Mega Man Battle Network

Mega Man Battle Network 2

Mega Man Battle Network 3: Blue

Mega Man Battle Network 4: Blue Moon

Mega Man Battle Network 4: Red Sun

Mega Man Battle Network 5: Team ProtoMan

Mega Man Battle Network 6: Cybeast Falzar

Mega Man Zero

Mega Man Zero 2

Mega Man Zero 3

Mega Man Zero 4

Metal Slug Advance

Metroid Fusion

Metroid Zero Mission

Momotarou Dentetsu G Gold Deck wo Tsukure!

Monopoly

Monster Force

Mortal Kombat Advance

One Piece

Pac-Man World

Pac-Man World 2

Pokémon Emerald

Pokémon LeafGreen

Pokémon FireRed

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team

Pokémon Ruby

Pokémon Sapphire

Pokémon Video Show Pak 1

Pokémon Video Show Pak 2

Pokémon Video Show Pak 3

Pokémon Video Show Pak 4

Puyo Pop

Sonic Advance

Sonic Advance 2

Sonic Advance 3

Sonic Battle

Sonic Pinball Party

Spyro Adventure

Spyro: Season of Ice

Spyro 2: Season of Flame

Super Mario Advance

Super Mario Advance 2

Super Mario Advance 3

Super Mario Advance 4

Super Monkey Ball Jr.

Super Street Fighter II: Turbo Revival

Super Street Fighter III: Alpha

Sword of Mana

Tales of Phantasia

Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Tetris Worlds

The Sims: Bustin' Out

The Sims 2

The Simpsons: Road Rage

Turok Evolution

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2 - Bush Rescue

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3 - Night of the Quinkan

Wario Land 4

WarioWare, Inc.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

Debug Files

AGB-buttontest

gbaframetest

suite

arm

bios

flash64

flash128

hello

memory

nes

none

shades

sram

stripes

thumb

All GBA Games - Nintendo Life

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Driving 49

Relaxation 36

FPS 30

Apps 28

Fitness 25

Dancing 23

Import 22

First Person 7 User Rating

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Controls

Invert Axis

Remap Buttons

Remap Sticks

Single Stick Controls

Dual Stick Controls

Adjust Sensitivity

Adjust Sensitivity and Deadzones

Preset Control Mappings

Swap Sticks

Motion Aiming

Motion Pointing

Motion Tilting

View Control Mapping

Holding Down Buttons Optional

Rapid Repeated Pressing Optional

Optional Vibration

No Simultaneous Buttons Assists

Select Difficulty Level

Customise Difficulty

Adjust Difficulty Anytime

Progress Hints

Assisted Progress

Practice Area

Tutorials

HUD Navigation

Adjust Game Speed

Visual Directional Cues

Audible Directional Cues

Sightless Onboarding

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Guaranteed Progress Visual

Large Clear Text

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Large Clear Navigation

Large Clear Subtitles

High Contrast Visuals

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Adjustable HUD

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No Busy Backgrounds

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Save Anytime

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Turn Off Blood

Turn Off Dismemberment

No Jump Scares Audio

All Speech Subtitled (Or No Speech In Game)

Balance Audio Levels

Play Without Hearing Data by Family Gaming Database

Popularity

Release Date

Review Score

Title

User Rating

Cover

Tile

Table

Games

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap GBA

Nintendo / Flagship

12th Nov 2004 (JPN)12th Nov 2004 (UK/EU)10th Jan 2005 (NA)16th Dec 2011 (UK/EU)

Mother 3 GBA

Nintendo / HAL Laboratory

20th Apr 2006 (JPN)

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords GBA

Nintendo

2nd Dec 2002 (NA)

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen GBA

Nintendo / Game Freak

29th Jan 2004 (JPN)9th Sep 2004 (NA)1st Oct 2004 (UK/EU)

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 GBA

Nintendo / Nintendo EAD

11th Jul 2003 (JPN)17th Oct 2003 (UK/EU)21st Oct 2003 (NA)

Super Mario Advance GBA

Nintendo / Nintendo R&D2

21st Mar 2001 (JPN)11th Jun 2001 (NA)22nd Jun 2001 (UK/EU)

Spider-Man 3 GBA

Activision / Vicarious Visions

4th May 2007 (UK/EU)4th May 2007 (NA)

Star X GBA

BAM!

17th Apr 2002 (NA)17th May 2002 (UK/EU)

Golden Sun GBA

Nintendo / Camelot

1st Aug 2001 (JPN)11th Nov 2001 (NA)22nd Feb 2002 (UK/EU)

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga GBA

Nintendo / AlphaDream

17th Nov 2003 (NA)21st Nov 2003 (JPN)21st Nov 2003 (UK/EU)

Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World GBA

Nintendo / Nintendo R&D2

14th Dec 2001 (JPN)9th Feb 2002 (NA)12th Apr 2002 (UK/EU)

Goodboy Galaxy GBA

Goodboy Galaxy Ltd

28th Nov 2023 (UK/EU)28th Nov 2023 (NA)

Final Fantasy VI Advance GBA

Square Enix

5th Feb 2007 (NA)

Riviera: The Promised Land GBA

Atlus / Sting

25th Nov 2004 (JPN)28th Jun 2005 (NA)

Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land GBA

Nintendo / HAL Laboratory

25th Oct 2002 (JPN)2nd Dec 2002 (NA)26th Sep 2003 (UK/EU)

Mario vs. Donkey Kong GBA

Nintendo / Nintendo Software Technology

24th May 2004 (NA)19th Nov 2004 (UK/EU)

Metroid: Zero Mission GBA

Nintendo / Nintendo R&D1

9th Feb 2004 (NA)8th Apr 2004 (UK/EU)5th May 2004 (JPN)

Sword of Mana GBA

Square Enix

29th Aug 2003 (JPN)1st Dec 2003 (NA)18th Mar 2004 (UK/EU)

Pokémon Emerald GBA

Nintendo / Game Freak

16th Sep 2004 (JPN)30th Apr 2005 (NA)21st Oct 2005 (UK/EU)

Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure GBA

Atari / Dimps

18th Nov 2004 (JPN)17th Jun 2005 (UK/EU)6th Jun 2006 (NA)

Grand Theft Auto Advance GBA

Rockstar North / Digital Eclipse

26th Oct 2004 (NA)

Golden Sun: The Lost Age GBA

Nintendo / Camelot

28th Jun 2002 (JPN)14th Apr 2003 (NA)19th Sep 2003 (UK/EU)

Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire GBA

Nintendo / Game Freak

19th Mar 2003 (NA)25th Jul 2003 (UK/EU)

Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town GBA

Natsume

18th Apr 2003 (JPN)17th Nov 2003 (NA)26th Mar 2004 (UK/EU)

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team GBA

Nintendo / ChunSoft

Fire Emblem GBA

Nintendo / Intelligent Systems

25th Apr 2003 (JPN)3rd Nov 2003 (NA)16th Jul 2004 (UK/EU)

Wario Land 4 GBA

Nintendo / Nintendo R&D1

21st Aug 2001 (JPN)17th Nov 2001 (UK/EU)19th Nov 2001 (NA)16th Dec 2011 (UK/EU)16th Dec 2011 (NA)

Sonic Advance GBA

SEGA / Dimps

20th Dec 2001 (JPN)3rd Feb 2002 (NA)8th Mar 2002 (UK/EU)

Metroid Fusion GBA

Nintendo / Nintendo R&D1

17th Nov 2002 (NA)22nd Nov 2002 (UK/EU)14th Feb 2003 (JPN)

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow GBA

Konami

6th May 2003 (NA)8th May 2003 (JPN)9th May 2003 (UK/EU)

Kirby & The Amazing Mirror GBA

Nintendo / Flagship

2nd Jul 2004 (NA)18th Oct 2004 (UK/EU)

TMNT GBA

Ubisoft / Ubisoft Montreal

20th Mar 2007 (NA)23rd Mar 2007 (UK/EU)

Jet Grind Radio GBA

THQ / Vicarious Visions

24th Jun 2003 (NA)20th Feb 2004 (UK/EU)

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! GBA

Nintendo

21st Mar 2003 (JPN)23rd May 2003 (UK/EU)26th May 2003 (NA)

Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis GBA

Atlus / Quest

21st Jun 2001 (JPN)21st Jun 2001 (NA)

Mario Tennis: Power Tour GBA

Nintendo / Camelot

13th Sep 2005 (JPN)18th Nov 2005 (UK/EU)5th Dec 2005 (NA)

Summon Night: Swordcraft Story GBA

Atlus / Flight-Plan

25th Apr 2003 (JPN)26th Jul 2006 (NA)

Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island GBA

Nintendo

Doom GBA

Activision / id Software

28th Oct 2001 (NA)16th Nov 2001 (UK/EU)

Drill Dozer GBA

Nintendo / Game Freak

22nd Sep 2005 (JPN)6th Feb 2006 (NA)

Klonoa: Empire of Dreams GBA

Namco

19th Jul 2001 (JPN)11th Sep 2001 (NA)29th Mar 2002 (UK/EU)

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 GBA

Activision / Vicarious Visions

11th Jun 2001 (NA)22nd Jun 2001 (UK/EU)

Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance GBA

Konami

6th Jun 2002 (JPN)16th Sep 2002 (NA)11th Oct 2002 (UK/EU)

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time GBA

Ubisoft

28th Oct 2003 (NA)14th Nov 2003 (UK/EU)

Mario Kart Super Circuit GBA

Nintendo

21st Jul 2001 (JPN)27th Aug 2001 (NA)14th Sep 2001 (UK/EU)

Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand GBA

Konami / Konami Computer Entertainment Nagoya

17th Jul 2003 (JPN)16th Sep 2003 (NA)14th May 2004 (UK/EU)

Mega Man Zero GBA

Capcom

26th Apr 2002 (JPN)10th Sep 2002 (NA)31st Oct 2002 (UK/EU)

Mario Party Advance GBA

Nintendo / Hudson Soft

13th Jan 2005 (JPN)28th Mar 2005 (NA)10th Jun 2005 (UK/EU)

Mario Golf: Advance Tour GBA

Nintendo / Camelot

22nd Apr 2004 (JPN)22nd Jun 2004 (NA)17th Sep 2004 (UK/EU)

Mega Man Battle Network GBA

Capcom

21st Mar 2001 (JPN)31st Oct 2001 (NA)30th Nov 2001 (UK/EU)

Medabots: Metabee & Rokusho GBA

Natsume

22nd Nov 2002 (UK/EU)31st Mar 2003 (NA)

Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge GBA

THQ / Rare

12th Sep 2003 (NA)24th Oct 2003 (UK/EU)

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance GBA

Square Enix

14th Feb 2003 (JPN)8th Sep 2003 (NA)24th Oct 2003 (UK/EU)

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance GBA

Midway Games

22nd Nov 2002 (NA)14th Feb 2003 (UK/EU)

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon GBA

Konami

21st Mar 2001 (JPN)21st Mar 2001 (UK/EU)11th Jun 2001 (NA)

Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls GBA

Nintendo / Square

29th Jul 2004 (JPN)29th Nov 2004 (NA)3rd Dec 2004 (UK/EU)

Puyo Pop GBA

SEGA / Sonic Team

18th Oct 2001 (JPN)11th Feb 2002 (NA)2nd Apr 2002 (UK/EU)

Advance Wars GBA

Nintendo / Intelligent Systems

10th Sep 2001 (NA)11th Jan 2002 (UK/EU)

Sonic Advance 3 GBA

SEGA / Sonic Team

7th Jun 2004 (NA)15th Jun 2004 (UK/EU)

Tales of Phantasia GBA

Nintendo

1st Aug 2003 (JPN)6th Mar 2006 (NA)31st Mar 2006 (UK/EU)

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50 Best Game Boy Advance (GBA) Games Of All Time | Nintendo Life

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50 Best Game Boy Advance (GBA) Games Of All Time

The Top 50 GBA games ever, as ranked by you

by Gavin Lane & Nintendo Life Staff Mon 30th Jan 2023

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The Game Boy Advance celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Japanese debut on 21st March 2021. Nintendo's first true successor to the original Game Boy line (the Game Boys Pocket and Color notwithstanding), the GBA in all its forms — original horizontal console, clamshell SP model, and ludicrously small (and sexy) Micro — would be the company's final handheld to carry the Game Boy branding; the experimental Nintendo DS came along in the mid-2000s and swiftly ate the GBA's lunch.

Playing GBA, old-school. — Image: Zion Grassl / Nintendo Life

One of the cleverest things about the DS, though, was the GBA slot in the bottom of the original and Lite models. You could happily transition to the new portable (and ditch the worm light if you never picked up an SP or a Micro) without losing access to the huge library of Game Boy Advance titles.

And what a library it is! Much like many of our Best Games and Series rankings, in order to find out definitively the top 50 Game Boy Advance games ever we asked Nintendo Life readers to score for their favourite GBA titles out of 10. Those User Ratings are tabulated in real-time and form the ranked list below — it's entirely possible to change the order, even after publication. Even GBA games in our database that are bubbling under the top 50 can elbow their way in if they get sufficient love from your lovely selves!

So, don't worry if you missed out on 'voting' in Advance (see what we did there?) — simply scroll down and rate them now. Alternatively, use the search bar below to search for any GBA game in our database and rate it for a chance to see it rise through the ranks and appear. For now, though, we proudly present the 50 best Game Boy Advance games ever...

Note. In order for games to become eligible, they need a minimum of 50 User Ratings in total.

50. Sword of Mana (GBA)

7.7 Profile

Developer: Square EnixRelease Date: 1st Dec 2003 (USA) / 18th Mar 2004 (UK/EU)A lavish remake of the Game Boy’s Seiken Densetsu, AKA: Final Fantasy Adventure, currently AKA: Adventures of Mana sees either a hero or heroine, each with their own strengths and weaknesses (no prizes for guessing which of the two is more magically-inclined), initially off to avenge the deaths of various loved ones at the hands of the Dark Lord before tackling the now traditional Mana Sword/Mana Tree shenanigans. Playing as something of a pick ‘n’ mix between all the then-current entries in the series gives Brownie Brown’s (Mother 3, Magical Starsign, Fantasy Life) interpretation of the original’s events a dreamlike feeling of familiarity, where everything is exactly but never quite how you remember it to be.

49. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (GBA)

7.8 Profile

Publisher: Activision / Developer: Vicarious VisionsRelease Date: 11th Jun 2001 (USA) / 22nd Jun 2001 (UK/EU)Vicarious Visions managed to distil the essence of the full-sized Tony Hawk titles into an incredible isometric version that feels tight, responsive and very much not the obligatory downgraded handheld port you might have expected. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 on GBA is genuinely one of our favourite entries in the overall series, with great music and cracking visuals.

And Spider-Man. What's not to love?

48. Game & Watch Gallery Advance (GBA)

7.8 Review 8/10 Profile

Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: NintendoRelease Date: 28th Oct 2002 (USA) / 25th Oct 2002 (UK/EU)The gameplay is simple, but the included titles in Game & Watch Gallery Advance are still fun to play decades after they appeared in Game & Watch form. High-score chasing should keep players occupied, especially with 20 games to choose from — eleven of which also include an updated 'Modern' mode. It can feel repetitive at times and the method of unlocking games has the potential to annoy but this volume of titles remains an excellent compilation of Nintendo's first foray into portable gaming.

47. Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire (GBA)

7.8 Review 8/10 Profile

Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Jupiter CorporationRelease Date: 25th Aug 2003 (USA) / 14th Nov 2003 (UK/EU)Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire is an enjoyable entry-level pinball game designed to appeal to as broad an audience as possible. Its colourful, charming visuals look great, and the vast number of Pokémon available to catch and evolve means that if you’re looking for a long-term dip-in, dip-out sort of game, you’ll have plenty to keep you occupied. It can become a bit tedious if played extensively, though, so it’s much better to enjoy it in short bursts.

46. Doom (GBA)

7.8 Profile

Publisher: Activision / Developer: id SoftwareRelease Date: 28th Oct 2001 (USA) / 16th Nov 2001 (UK/EU)Doom has been squeezed onto pretty much every game console — nay, every electronic device with a screen — over the years, but that shouldn't diminish the achievement of getting it running nicely on the most advanced Game Boy there ever was. This is a solid port of an FPS classic.

45. Sonic Advance (GBA)

7.8 Review 8/10 Profile

Publisher: SEGA / Developer: DimpsRelease Date: 3rd Feb 2002 (USA) / 8th Mar 2002 (UK/EU)In the decades since the shocking first appearance of Sega's mascot on a Nintendo handheld, it's fair to say that not every team that's worked on a 2D Sonic game has nailed the delicate sense of inertia and tight physics that characterise the classic 16-bit titles. Sonic Advance is one such example that just gets it. Developer Dimps retains the classic feel and course design that made the originals special while adding fresh elements that prevent it from feeling like a re-tread of old ideas. Vibrant visuals, charming animation, excellent audio; add multiplayer into the mix — as well as the Tiny Chao Garden that linked to the Gamecube — and Sonic Advance is a platforming treat up there with hedgehog's finest.

44. Kirby & The Amazing Mirror (GBA)

7.8 Review 6/10 Profile

Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: FlagshipRelease Date: 2nd Jul 2004 (USA) / 18th Oct 2004 (UK/EU)Available On: NSO + Expansion PackWhile the Metroid-esque gameplay is a refreshing change of pace for the Kirby series and works well in some parts, it also fails in others. The Metroid games have backtracking as well, yes, but it's not nearly as frequent and annoying as it is in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror. The multiplayer features are optional, but the game was arguably designed around the multiple Kirby aspect and it's at its best with other people.

43. Mega Man Zero 2 (GBA)

7.9 Review 9/10 Profile

Publisher: CapcomRelease Date: 14th Oct 2003 (USA) / 31st Oct 2003 (UK/EU)Mega Man Zero 2 does a great job of ironing out the wrinkles of its predecessor. With both audio and visual improvements, it also significantly reduces grinding, and provides the same brutal challenge in what feels like a much more fair way. Unlockable forms and EX Skills are also added to the mix, which gives the game an additional layer of replayability. It's a sequel done right, and it's no surprise that it's remembered so fondly all these years later.

42. Mega Man Zero 4 (GBA)

7.9 Review 8/10 Profile

Publisher: CapcomRelease Date: 4th Oct 2005 (USA) / 16th Sep 2005 (UK/EU)At this point in a series, you should know what to expect, and Mega Man Zero 4 delivers in the same way that other high-numbered Mega Man titles do in other branches of Capcom's franchise. You get more of the same excellent gameplay in this final game, with the addition of an optional Easy Mode for those who prefer a light jog-and-gun as opposed to a full on run-and-gun, although things were already simplified in Zero 3. There is still a secret hard mode if you want a truly harrowing experience, as well a plethora of unlocks that are quite difficult to acquire. All-in-all, this relatively late release in the GBA's life cycle is another fine franchise entry.

41. Gunstar Super Heroes (GBA)

7.9 Profile

Publisher: SEGA / Developer: TreasureRelease Date: 6th Oct 2005 (USA) / 4th Nov 2005 (UK/EU)Gunstar Super Heroes (or Gunstar Future Heroes in Europe) is a sequel that lives up to the prestige of the name it awkwardly sandwiches a 'Super' in the middle of. The gameplay and controls of Treasure's classic 1993 Mega Drive game are altered to work better on the portable, but the result is every bit as compelling, even if it's on the short side and doesn't feature co-op play. As run and gun games go, Gunstar Heroes is up there with the very best. This sequel is also very good — one might even say super.

Or future if you're European and want to be awkward.

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About Gavin Lane

Gavin first wrote for Nintendo Life in 2018 before joining the site full-time the following year, rising through the ranks to become Editor in 2021. He can currently be found running from a Switch backlog the size of Normandy. Author Profile Twitter/X Reply

Comments 142

1NinChocolateSun 21st Mar 2021

I don’t relate to the rankings at all, but I never expect to.More people need to play Kurukurukururin.

2RalizahSun 21st Mar 2021

I'm one of those people who'd opt for Zero Mission over Super. It's just a masterpiece, IMO. One of the few truly 10/10 games I've ever played.

Although, in fairness, I'd also opt for Fusion over Super as well.

GBA-era Metroid will never be topped for me.

3DesreverSun 21st Mar 2021

Glad to see Metroid: Zero Mission in the top 3. I'll need to do some soul searching, but it's quite possibly my favorite Metroid title.

As for Mother 3, I dont know if it reached #1 because of the ever-maddening push to localize it, or if people really believe its one of the best GBA games of all time. Probably a little of both? It is a really good game, regardless.

4Baker1000Sun 21st Mar 2021

I'd love to see a list of the top 20 from each console compiled by just the NL staff opinions rather than these user rated lists. Just to see how they compare.

5depwnzSun 21st Mar 2021

Fair list, too many incredible games. My only issue is Drill Dozer/Astro Boy being so low at 34 then 35. Then again I myself forgot to vote Astro lol.

6MysticXSun 21st Mar 2021

"Super Mario advance" was way too low, it's my favourite 2D Mario (I bought it day 1, along with my GBA), it deserves to be... well, at least top half of the list.

7JiggiesSun 21st Mar 2021

Holy cow, just looking at the last few games on this list reminds me how great the GBA library is.

My personal favorite is Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga. I was in elementary school when it came out and I only got it because we couldn't find Grunty's Revenge anywhere. I have to say I'm glad it turned out that way because Superstar Saga became one of my favorite games of all time. In my opinion it's simply perfect.

8BobbSun 21st Mar 2021

Congratulations everybody who votedThat's a pretty good list

9nessisonettSun 21st Mar 2021

GBA was just fantastic, so many incredible games there. Everything had so much content considering the limitations. Really glad to see Mother 3 top, I loved my time with it and honestly wish the translators would get a wee bit of credit because their translation is synonymous with the game.

10navonod18Sun 21st Mar 2021

I'm glad to see Astro Boy was mentioned. It was certainly a hidden gem!

11DeadySun 21st Mar 2021

If GBA had nothing but Castlevania, Metroid, and Golden Sun, it’d still be one of the best systems ever and well worth hunting down today. It just happens to have boatloads of other classics as well.

12e-loveSun 21st Mar 2021

WarioWare Twisted should be higher. One of the most creative games on the handheld, or on Nintendo handhelds in general

13e-loveSun 21st Mar 2021

also weren't lying about Golden Sun being really slow in the first few hours... I've heard great things but I'm having a hard time getting into it

14Muddy_4_EverSun 21st Mar 2021

@Ralizah Zero has impeccable pacing with effective, minimalistic storytelling. It's peak Metroid, imo.

15RalizahSun 21st Mar 2021

@Muddy_4_Ever Agreed. It's the perfect length. I can play it in an afternoon and have an absolute blast. I also love the twist in the final chapter, and how that shakes up the gameplay. It definitely has my favorite last half-hour or so of any Metroid game.

16HamatoYoshiSun 21st Mar 2021

Astro Boy and the Metroid games are amazing but where’s Double Dragon Advance?

17nessisonettSun 21st Mar 2021

@Ralizah Zero Mission really is incredible. I’m not sure I could separate that and Super Metroid but they’re my two favourite 2D games. I do prefer Prime 1 and 2 however.

18e-loveSun 21st Mar 2021

I honestly think Metroid Fusion is better than Zero Mission

19NotoriousWhizSun 21st Mar 2021

Solid list. It's probably accurate that the SNES / GBA libraries consist of most of my favorite games.Spent a lot of time on the Shining Soul series (which was great fun with a friend).

20shonenjump86Sun 21st Mar 2021

Good times with the GBA back in the day. So many fun great games. Nintendo needs to rerelease GBA similar to what they did with the NES and SNES Mini.

21martynstuffSun 21st Mar 2021

What I got from all this was to confirm my belief that instead of N64, Nintendo should add a Game Boy Advance-Nintendo Switch Online app.It would have such a killer line-up to begin with!

22BloodNinjaSun 21st Mar 2021

I feel like I’m the only person that likes Earthbound more than Mother 3. I couldn’t get into 3, it never clicked with me! Super Metroid is leagues better than Zero Mission, but ZM is a phenomenal game and easily a ninja favorite. Castlevania trilogy is a no brainer, and lol @ CHOD, that’s a great observation.Not surprised the Mario games are ranked lower, due to their grating voice acting. That ruined the experience for me!I used to do the low level challenge in Final Fantasy 1, anybody else do that insanity?GBA NINJA APPROVED

23E_Gadds_GarageSun 21st Mar 2021

Hold up, where’s mario kart super circuit? I haven’t played it in years so maybe I just remember loving it, but kind of surprised it didn’t make the list. I can’t complain though since the GBA library was really great!

24SolidSnake684Sun 21st Mar 2021

This list came out pretty good. Glad to see Metroid so high, though I personally would've had Mega Man Zero 3 a lot higher, and Advance Wars and Fire Emblem in the top 10. Just goes to show how many great games this little thing has.

25DannyBoiSun 21st Mar 2021

The crashing sound on the gba was horrific. It could scare even demons away. The sound makes me shudder.

26ZuljarasSun 21st Mar 2021

All 3 Castlervania games are in the top 50 and one of them is in top 3. I am pleased!

27Clyde_RadcliffeSun 21st Mar 2021

@MysticX Agreed! I think the first Mario Advance is the best Mario Advance game. Even though Mario Bros 2 was never my favourite 2D Mario on consoles, it made for the PERFECT handheld game! The lack of timer and typical risky platforming jumps etc made it so good for playing on the move where you couldn't always concentrate in a way that other 2D Mario's require.

Sonic Advance should've been higher too!

28Clyde_RadcliffeSun 21st Mar 2021

@E_Gadds_Garage Yeah, very odd, but I think I heard a lot of people consider it to be the worst Mario Kart. I'm a fan because it was like the spiritual successor to the original SNES game.

29matdubSun 21st Mar 2021

I have most of these on my psp go. It's an emulation beast. With the 16gb I have more than enough to fit my entire childhoods gaming on it. Best of all I can play all the games I missed first time around.

30ModdedInklingSun 21st Mar 2021

I'm more surprised by how close A Link to the Past (& Four Swords) and The Minish Cap's rankings were on this list. 12th and 11th. I was expecting TMC to be a lot lower on this list, considering how underrated of a Zelda game it is.

31ShamboSun 21st Mar 2021

Great list I'd say, most of the ones I enjoyed most are in there, and the ones I expected but never played or didn't really enjoy that much also.

Personally, I'd call any best of GBA list incomplete without Boktai, Broken Sword, Rogue Spear, and maybe some of the technically "impressive" or simple "3D" games like Ecks vs Sever 2, Doom 2, Duke Nukem, Kill.Switch, Payback, Driver 2... (just because, again, personally, I played these a lot because I had nothing else to play games on than Game Boys).

But hey, it has Drill Dozer, Wario Ware Twisted, Minish Cap (obviously), Advance Wars, Yoshi's Island, FF Tactics, Mario & Luigi, Golden Sun,... That's a lot of "my childhood".

@e-love yeah I played Golden Sun several times through, but the first hour of each playthrough was just holding a + b in general, that at least made the text go "automatically" if I remember correctly (or maybe only in the second game). And it still took what seemed like forever I still know almost exactly what happens in that time, and I wouldn't do it again now despite really loving the games.

32BloodNinjaSun 21st Mar 2021

@matdub How has the SNES emulation gotten, lately? When I tried that years ago it suffered from tons of frame rate and sound issues.

33matdubSun 21st Mar 2021

@BloodNinja SNES is pretty good. As is megadrive, NES, and master system. You chuck in the native ps1 emulator and it can't be beat. It's the gameboy varieties emulations I like the best. I had the various home consoles back in the day but I had never had a handheld until my psp go. There are sooo many awesome gameboy games.

34matdubSun 21st Mar 2021

@NinChocolate Thanks for the recommendation. I am playing it right now. A very unique, and fun, game.

35BloodNinjaSun 21st Mar 2021

@matdub I honestly think the PSP is the best handheld system to date.

36RalizahSun 21st Mar 2021

@nessisonett I think I would have been more impressed by Super if I'd played it as a kid. I mean, it's still an incredible achievement, but having played it after Zero Mission and Fusion, it just doesn't feel particularly special to me. I prefer ZM's more adventure-y vibe over Super's gloom, and Fusion's scary SA-X encounters give it a better horror feel, IMO. I also think both GBA games have better bosses.

I've played Metroid Prime a few times, and if you didn't have to do the Artifact hunt near the end, which completely destroys the pacing, it'd probably be one of my favorite GameCube games. But it pulls that Wind Waker BS by making you go on a tedious item hunt, and, frankly, it puts me off to the point where I don't even like replaying the game much anymore.

Never beat Prime 2. I recall the dark world segments annoying me, but I really need to get back to it.

Still have never touched Prime 3.

37RupeeClockSun 21st Mar 2021

Oh, the contents of the list happen to be dynamic.When I checked earlier, F-Zero GP Legend was 50th, but now Mega Man Zero 4 has climbed to 50th and F-Zero GP Legend has climbed higher.

38Mando44646Sun 21st Mar 2021

Golden Sun isn't #1, therefore this list is wrong

39gaga64Sun 21st Mar 2021

It’s a testament to the quality of the console when Yoshis Island can’t crack the Top 20.Or Mario World / Link to the Past in the Top 10.Or ANY Mario or Zeldas in the Top 5.

40OldManHermitSun 21st Mar 2021

Oh man, I completely forgot about Gunstar Super Heroes. I used to own that game, it was fantastic. It was lost along with my GBA SP during an incident many years ago, involving my tent blowing into a swamp along with all the contents therein. I tried to fish out what I could, but had a face to face encounter with a very large snapping turtle, at which point I decided he could keep my stuff.

41GeraldSun 21st Mar 2021

I still have my GBA SP, and, dare I say it, it’s a wonderful ‘Port’ machine.Doom and Final Fight are fantastic ports (a lot better than the SNES versions.Other than the games listed, my favourites are: GTA (I guess comparable to PS1, plays very well)Speedball 2 (is a perfect port from the Amiga, including Sound...”Ice Cream, Ice Cream”)Desert Strike (plays just as well as the MD did. Fantastic game)

42LEGEND_MARIOIDSun 21st Mar 2021

I'm surprised the Zelda games weren't higher but, to be fair, the GBA had an outstanding library. My personal fav was FF VI Advance but I have no real problem with others thinking the games above it on this list were superior as I respect them highly too.

(Shame games like Tekken Advance, Sonic Advance 3 didn't make it. I think Mario Kart SC is a bit too low.)

43Skeletor1979Sun 21st Mar 2021

No Mario Kart in the top 50? That's ridiculous.

44CinaclovSun 21st Mar 2021

Whilst there are of course things I'd swap around a bit, generally speaking this is a really solid list and I'm delighted that the two Golden Sun games are as high ranking as they are. Nice one everyone! ^_^

45FargusPelagiusSun 21st Mar 2021

A Castlevania and 2 Metroids in the top 10. A game i've never played at number one. What a list

Also i think Tekken Advance was missed off in voting, along with V rally. They would get an between 7-8. I lower scored alot of this list, 1 below it's average on here, so sorry for bringing the averages down to earth. What a list though.

Edit: You could easily extend the list to top 100 and still be having a fantastic time gaming with GBA.

46IncSun 21st Mar 2021

Wow. This list really brings home what an awesome library the little GBA had. Lots of my fave games here. I don't even disagree with general layout and was pleasantly surprised that the top 10 wasn't dominated by Mario, Zelda and Pokemon. Good job all.

47Heavyarms55Sun 21st Mar 2021

Okay Nintendo, now release these all on Switch.Put them on NSO. Release them in collections. Sell them individually.Nintendo, some of us actually do want to buy these legally. I really don't want to pirate games. Why don't you want my money?If Nintendo dropped these all on Switch at 10 bucks a piece, I'd buy:Both Advance Wars titlesBoth Fire EmblemBoth Golden SunMother 3Metroid Zero MissionSeveral of the Final Fantasy gamesI'd buy the Pokemon games only if there were updated slightly to be compatible with Pokemon Home and had the old 3rd gen events enabled.

48Muh-arioSun 21st Mar 2021

Gameboy Advance was a good handheld, I just didn't like the over reliance on SNES ports, and the lack of a definitive Mario platformer.

49RudeAnimat0rSun 21st Mar 2021

Love Golden Sun, but if Camelot ever makes another RPG it has to be Shining Force IV.Would love a collection of the Golden Sun games on Switch. Maybe not at Nintendo prices though

50drewtoo26Sun 21st Mar 2021

Wow, not a single Mega Man Battle Network made it into the top 50? That’s really surprising. I would’ve thought BN 2 and/or 3 would have made the list. Also surprised to not see a single DKC. Otherwise, a pretty good list.

51KrisiSun 21st Mar 2021

The placement of the Mega Man Zero games is pretty interesting, as I thought that each entry was clearly better than the previous ones, with Zero 1 starting out as one with great potential but incredibly huge flaws, and Zero 4 pretty much perfecting everything.And I don't know what Sonic Advance 2 is doing on this list, it's a pretty bad game. Horrible level design with tons of leaps of faith and enemy placements you can't see in advance (no pun intended), plus the bosses are all pretty same-y and not really fun. Sure, you can memorize the level designs and blaze through the game, but that doesn't make it any better.

52GeraldSun 21st Mar 2021

I think someone is changing the list. DKC was at 50 earlier (I am sure I wasn’t dreaming it)

53WoodyshoeSun 21st Mar 2021

I just got Game and watch Gallery Advance off eBay. It’s great but I ‘m going to have to get good to unlock Zelda. I also played Horace recently, there is a Robot fighting boss which played really strange. Then I played G&W boxing and saw the inspiration.

54StocksySun 21st Mar 2021

Mario kart so low.... and some great ports should have made the list - I don’t agree with the 50 at all but I never was gonna I’ve learnt to expect that

55AlienXSun 21st Mar 2021

Shame Sonic Advance made it instead of Advance 3, that game really is a retread of the Genesis games and lacks originality, while Advance 3 took the originality from 2 and made things more interesting by implementing character types on the levels, making the multiple playable characters a crucial part of the gameplay and not just re-skins of Sonic.

56TSR3Sun 21st Mar 2021

I can't believe Advance Wars 1 & 2 are just at 18 & 19? I bought the GBA to play those games! Still, it's a good list, and is inspiring me to pick up Golden Sun again and try to finish it off (looks like I may have past those grindy first few hours already)

57SunsySun 21st Mar 2021

Cool to see Mario Kart Super Circuit make the list, as well as two of the Sonic Advance games, even if my favorite of the three, Sonic Advance 3 didn't make it.Will say of the Sonic GBA titles, Sonic Battle remains my favorite. Really an underrated game in a popular series IMO.

58Bolt_StrikeSun 21st Mar 2021

So many ports and remakes for this system. People complain about the Switch having too many, but at least the Switch has original entries like BotW, Mario Odyssey, Smash Ultimate, Splatoon 2, etc. The GBA doesn't even have an original Mario game for crying out loud (and no, Mario vs. DK doesn't count, it's a spinoff that's more of a puzzle game than a traditional platformer). Remove all of the remakes from this list and the GBA has very little that's great.

59ItsacardgameSun 21st Mar 2021

I get that all these are great games and all, but zero Boktai games? You are all whack.

60PauloSun 21st Mar 2021

Excellent list that shows perfectly how amazing the GBA still is. Honestly I am still in love with the GBA SP and especially the Micro. I still buy games to this day, some complete in box and some cart only, though I have noticed a spike in prices recently and the repro carts are plaguing the market. All in all, I love the Micro and I still think Nintendo hasn't topped it, portable-wise.

61avictoraoSun 21st Mar 2021

@BloodNinja it's really good. It only requires some minor tweaks and it has very few issues

62avictoraoSun 21st Mar 2021

I was naively hoping for a surprise announcement today in which they added GB, GBC and GBA to Switch online along with the English Localisation for Mother 3

63wazlonSun 21st Mar 2021

@Ralizah Same here, didn't play Super Metroid as a kid and played it after the GBA Metroid games so Super Metroid didn't feel as good to me.

64BloodNinjaSun 21st Mar 2021

@avictorao Sorry, lots of replies, what’s really good? lol

65avictoraoSun 21st Mar 2021

@BloodNinja no probs! snes emulation on psp go

66avictoraoSun 21st Mar 2021

@Bolt_Strike Well, I believe Advanced Wars, The Mario & Luigi series, The Minish Cap, Mother 3, Wario Ware, Metroid Fusion and Golden Sun would politely disagree. Besides, I believe its ports made a lot of sense

67shining_nexusSun 21st Mar 2021

@RudeAnimat0r I don’t think there will ever be a proper Shining Force 4, which is silly considering the popularity that the Fire Emblem series have garnered. I think at one point the series creator from Camelot has expressed interest in creating another Shining Force game, but it only got as far as that.I think the only way a new Shining Force game gets made is it Nintendo were to publish the project. Sega doesn’t seem too interested at reviving the series and it wouldn’t be a proper Shining Force game without the original developer, Camelot.Back on topic, surprised to see Metroid Zero Mission at number one considering the vast amount of great games on the GBA. Not complaining though, since it is my favorite 2D Metroid (suck it Super!.. kidding of course).

68BloodNinjaSun 21st Mar 2021

@avictorao OH! LOL right, forgot what I was talking about. Must be getting oldSENILE NINJA APPROVED

69dimiMon 22nd Mar 2021

Original Golden Sun>Lost age. And no pokemon game on top 10. Big lol

70Bolt_StrikeMon 22nd Mar 2021

@avictorao Better than BotW and Odyssey? Yeah, fat chance.

71HalBailmanMon 22nd Mar 2021

Great to see three of my all time favourites in the top 4, with the two Metroid games and Aria of Sorrow (although, I'd switch the two Metroids and put Fusion first, and I never played Mother 3).

Really, this is so amazing that it begs the question as why Nintendo don't release them again. That could be a GBA mini TV console like the NES or SNES. Or more likely, a GBA selection in Nintendo Switch Online. Come on, Nintendo!

PS: When a Gameboy successor was being speculated at the time, there were many demands for "just release a portable SNES". That would explain so many ports and SNES sequels.

72PickledKong64Mon 22nd Mar 2021

@Desrever I'm saying it rn and it's really good. Only turned based rpg I've liked outside of Lisa and Undertale. But tbh I highly doubt many fans played it since its taboo to use emulators for Nintendo fans for some reason

73tseliotMon 22nd Mar 2021

@TossedLlama #2

74jrb363Mon 22nd Mar 2021

The RPG's on the GBA are quite simply amazing. Golden Sun holds a very special place in my heart as it's the first RPG I ever beat all the way through. I'm still dreaming of a HD (4k?) full on remake that will... probably never happen.Also the GBA version of Mario Tennis is my favorite sports game of all time.

75FullMetalWeskerMon 22nd Mar 2021

This list seems to still be in a state of flux, but looking at the top 10 (without ports) it seems to be what I expected: a decent list of good titles, but lacking of absolute classics; the fact that the top 5 consist of a Metroid Remake, a JRPG that was never localised, a Metroid spin-off (almost) that's more often-than-not overlooked, a Castlevania game, and a semi-obscure JRPG says a lot (although to be fair, the Game Boy/Colour library isn't any better). On the other hand, the fact that most of the top 50 have a user score above 8/10 shows how consistently solid a lot of it's titles were, even if none of them were stone-cold classics (I was surprised to find out that Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories didn't even crack the top 50, as I figured that was a decent enough title to at least scrape in at the end, but it seems not).

76EHei9229Mon 22nd Mar 2021

I'm surprised the Hamtaro GBA games didn't make it. They are tricking masterpieces.

77NinChocolateMon 22nd Mar 2021

@matdub ✌️

78FriendlyMon 22nd Mar 2021

I just bought Ogre Tactics CIB, looking forward to it But MAN, that game is expensive.

79locky-mavoMon 22nd Mar 2021

Funny, Metroid voted #1 and #4, yet the games and series overall are largely ignored by gamers. And Metroid is my favourite Nintendo franchise.

80avictoraoMon 22nd Mar 2021

@Bolt_Strike First you basically say the gba has no original games, which is wrong. And when you are told so, you proceed to compare them to games 15 years into the future? :')

81matdubMon 22nd Mar 2021

Mother 3 keeps crashing my psp. I have had game ending issues with about 5-10% of the roms which has been acceptable, until now.

82romanistaMon 22nd Mar 2021

Love my micro.. shame my fav games (advance wars and wario ware) are outside the top 10, but i guess that happens in this mkind iof thing.. too much mario though.. you're missing some of the best games...happy that kukurin is in it though.. The best game for me on the gba that is missing is the brilliant guru logi champ.. easily the best puzzle game ever..

83DivinebovineMon 22nd Mar 2021

Really? Zero Mission is that high up? I mean...ok

84countzeroMon 22nd Mar 2021

@FullMetalWesker why would you consider Metroid Fusion a spin-off? It is more linear than previous games but otherwise the gameplay is exactly the same. It even says "Metroid 4" in the intro.

85coleman83Mon 22nd Mar 2021

Gotta say I think the GBA is one of Nintendo best systems and there's never been a better time to jump in. For starters you can now buy backlit ips modded consoles, I was one of those who played it with no light back in the day but these IPS screens are amazing. Also if you have a Gamecube and the Gameboy player playing the games via the GBI/RGB/CRT is just amazing. I just finished my second play of Mother 3 that way. Oh and the fact it also plays all the GB/GBC games is just another reason why it's such an amazing console

86countzeroMon 22nd Mar 2021

@Bolt_Strike BotW and Odyssey are great games, but they aren't my favorites in their series. Metroid Fusion + Zero Mission on the other hand are literally perfect

87impurekindMon 22nd Mar 2021

Mother 3 is, imo, theee best GBA game, and indeed one the best of any games of all time as far as I'm concerned. It's a stone cold masterpiece and one of the most powerful experiences I've ever had in this medium. I'm so happy to see it on this list, and I hope it encourages more people to search out the fan-made English translation and give it a go.

https://inceptionalnews.wordpress.com/2015/05/11/mother-3-is-brilliant/

88DelieshMon 22nd Mar 2021

Sorry, but Metroid Fusion is far superior to Metroid: Zero Mission (which I remember being underwhelmed by when I beat it in under 3 hours on my first playthrough). It's got atmosphere in spades and sets up a compelling story that was very well executed. It's also downright suspenseful. The mini-review on Fusion is also unnecessarily brutal, making it sound like a lightweight of a game when this is absolutely not the case.

89dmcc0Mon 22nd Mar 2021

Sad that I sold my original GBA shortly after I got it back in the day due to a bit of financial hardship. Recently managed to pick up an SP (Spongebob Version) and a couple of games and looking to start building the collection that I didn't manage to back then. This list seems as good a place as any to start - already got AstroBoy and Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance on there; only 48 more to go!

90DwaynesGamesMon 22nd Mar 2021

@avictorao If only Nintendo had a modern handheld console with a horizontal screen, then they could emulate GBA games.

The Mario celebrations took the spotlight, but they should have added GBA games to NSO in Fall 2020.

91Classic603Mon 22nd Mar 2021

@RalizahThe artifact hunt in Prime was a nice final tour of all the previous areas, and the hints made it fairly obvious where the items would be.Prime 2's dark world was one of my favorite aspects of that game! It was difficult, but fun. I've always been a sucker for a dark or differing version of the area you just explored, though

92Bolt_StrikeMon 22nd Mar 2021

@avictorao I never said the GBA had no original games, just very few. And regardless of the 15 year difference, they're still better games. Beyond that, they're IPs that are highly popular whereas most of the IPs you mentioned were fairly niche and most of the big IPs on GBA relied on remakes. So no, it's no contest, in any way, shape, or form.

93Link41xMon 22nd Mar 2021

Isn't it Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3?

94arekdougyMon 22nd Mar 2021

I grabbed an AGS 101 about a year ago with a Pokemon Emerald cart. Then I snagged a CIB copy of Zero Mission, a Golden Sun cart, a Mother 3 translation cart, and a FFV with improved audio cart. I love it and I've seen prices climbing pretty fast in the past year. Been playing Golden Sun at bed time, just finished the Mercury Lighthouse. Never played Lost Age, so I'll snag a copy when I'm done Golden Sun. I got to the final boss as a kid but didn't beat it.

95BulbasaurusRexMon 22nd Mar 2021

@Bolt_Strike Yes, there are a bunch of remakes and ports on GBA, but there are also a bunch of great original games as well: "Pokémon R/S/E," "Pokémon Mystery Dungeon," "Metroid Fusion," "Zelda: The Minish Cap," the 2 Fire Emblem GBA games, the first 2 Golden Sun games, the Advance Wars games, Mario and Luigi, "Wario Land 4," "Warioware," "Kirby and the Amazing Mirror," "Mother 3," etc., and those are just among the 1st/2nd party games. (There's also an original Mario Kart even though it sucks, but at least they tried.) With 3rd party, there are a ton of Mega Man games from 2 different sub-series (Zero and Battle Network), Castlevania games, the "Sonic Advance" trilogy, even a bunch of good licensed titles, and so on. (It's also the platform where the original "Ace Attorney" trilogy was first made as Japanese-only releases.)

Overall, it's only really missing an original Mario platformer.

96Bolt_StrikeMon 22nd Mar 2021

@BulbasaurusRex Again, a lot of niche IPs in there. The only big ones on that list are RSE, Minish Cap, and Kirby. That's not much. Granted, the GBA was a bit hampered by not as many series existing/having handheld entries at the time (Animal Crossing, Smash, and Splatoon really bolsters the Switch's lineup), but even its predecessor fared better.

97CiaTue 23rd Mar 2021

There has been for a long time a mass psychosis in people who state that Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance has a bad soundtrack. Perhaps it sounds bad when you play it with gameboy, but with the gameboy player and good sound output it has the best soundtrack of the three Castlevania games. I'm talking about the MELODIES, not the music quality. If someone puts tech quality over melodies, now there's a person who knows nothing about music. Just listen to this piece for example from Harmony of Dissonance. Better than anything in other GBA games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtAG611Z73c

98FullMetalWeskerWed 24th Mar 2021

@countzero - (Sorry for the late reply) To be fair, I included 'almost' in brackets to convey that I thought it was almost a spin-off, but not quite, and the reason for that is that it felt more like a deviation from the usual formula than a continuation of it, with changes that more mess around with the formula than necessarily build on it (such as the mission computer, the linear nature of the story, etc.), and (at least to me) that's generally what separates a spin-off from a sequel. Now obviously it isn't an actual spin-off because it continues the story of Super Metroid and as you pointed out, is literally called "Metroid 4" in the opening, but, at least to me, it gets pretty close.

99BulbasaurusRexWed 24th Mar 2021

@Bolt_Strike "Mario Kart" certainly isn't niche, neither is "Wario Land," and "Metroid" is only niche in Japan. Meanwhile, the "Mario and Luigi" games are only semi-niche and rather popular. Among 3rd parties, "Mega Man," "Castlevania," and "Sonic" are about as mainstream as you can get.In any case, the GB/GBC did not fare better in that regard. While it did have "Tetris" and the 2 "Mario Land" games, it also did not have "Mario Kart" nor any high quality RPGs save for "Pokémon." It did have a "Kid Icarus" game, but that's extremely niche. Meanwhile, a lot more of the third party games were more modified ports than truly original games compared to what the GBA received. Its "Donkey Kong" games were only modified ports, as well.

100BulbasaurusRexWed 24th Mar 2021

@FullMetalWesker Those are the only two things that are really different in "Metroid Fusion," though. (Personally, I prefer the semi-linear and more story-driven natures of "Fusion" and "Other M." A decent amount of exploration is still available, anyway, especially later in the games.) Otherwise, it's plays almost exactly the same as the other 2D Metroid games.

101Bolt_StrikeWed 24th Mar 2021

@BulbasaurusRex No, the only IPs that aren't niche are main series Mario, Zelda, Mario Kart, Smash, Splatoon, Animal Crossing, Kirby, and Yoshi. GBA only has 3 of those that are original, GB has 6. So yeah, GB definitely has more.

102Sn00g1nsSun 28th Mar 2021

The Legacy of Goku 2 was in my top ten, I remember when GBA games came with mini posters. This one had Cell, Trunks, Goku, pretty cool poster. The best DBZ game on GBA. Better then Buu's Fury, and Taiketsu.

103ebirolFri 11th Jun 2021

Time for this bad boy to hit aliexpress

104Fighter_HayabusaFri 11th Jun 2021

Played a few minutes of Circle of the Moon this morning to commemorate the GBA! Here's to another 20 years!

105LeighDapaFri 11th Jun 2021

❗NO 'BOKTAI'?This List is an scam!I've reported it to the local authorities.

106BrooshFri 11th Jun 2021

@Sn00g1ns Don't forget Super Sonic Warriors! That one was a lot of fun

107WhitestriderFri 11th Jun 2021

There sure are many good games on the system...I wonder when Nintendo will remember it and make some of them playable on the Switch...

108DwaynesGamesFri 11th Jun 2021

@Ralizah The regular GBA screen was too dark for me. Metroid Fusion and the GBA SP got me back into handheld consoles. Good times! Fusion and Zero are so much fun.

109DwaynesGamesFri 11th Jun 2021

@Whitestrider GBA will have to wait. I have it on good authority that the Virtual Boy will be the next console on NSO along with special JoyCons that you can purchase for the dual d-pads.

110WhitestriderFri 11th Jun 2021

@Tandy255 well, I would be glad to play a couple of Virtual Boy games too...

111ItsacardgameFri 11th Jun 2021

Oh, no… I appreciate the games on this list, but no Boktai games? I can’t take this list seriously.

112GimliFri 11th Jun 2021

Am I the only One missing Warioland 4 on this list?

113GimliFri 11th Jun 2021

Sorry Overlooked it

114Visjes_and_SticksFri 11th Jun 2021

***** this kinda makes me regret all the wonderful games I sold, but the rosy nostalgia feeling when whipping out the ones I still have is greater still.

115CitanoFri 11th Jun 2021

Love the GBA, also because I love the SNES and always found the GBA to be a portable SNES with more power, but smaller resolution and slightly worse soundboard.

116Classic603Fri 11th Jun 2021

@Sn00g1nsLegacy of Goku 2 was a blast, and Trunks ranks #1 forever. But Buu's Fury was SO much fun for me, and I'm in the camp where Ultimate Gohan > Teen Gohan, Buu > Cell and the fusions are

117infernogottFri 11th Jun 2021

Where is Rhythm Tengoku? The first game of the Rhythm Heaven Series should be on here!

118FriendlyFri 11th Jun 2021

I approve with this list on every level.Metroid Zero Mission is such an incredible experience. Loved every second of it, and loved all replays I’ve done after it.

119ChozoFri 11th Jun 2021

I was thrilled to see Metroid Zero Mission and Fusion spots 1 and 3. Overall a great list. The gba had a great library.

120impurekindFri 11th Jun 2021

First, I really did like all the main GBA models--can't say the same about the likes of DS with that terrible first FAT version--but the [black] SP was my favourite for sure.

PS. I would personally put [the English fan translation of] Mother 3 right at the top. And if you want to try that yourself: https://inceptionalnews.wordpress.com/2015/05/11/mother-3-is-brilliant/

121Uncle_FranklinSat 12th Jun 2021

Super Circuit 48th?!

122sdelfinSat 12th Jun 2021

As with lists, especially those voted on, there's things I'd change. For example, the Mega Man Zero games were among my favorites on the system. The photo and mention of the worm light brings back memories of a major power outage I endured. When I bought the GBA shortly after launch, and the bundle available had a worm light. I didn't use it much as I could see the GBA screen pretty well and didn't like the reflection. But the GBA and that worm light, along with a ready supply of batteries helped get me through that power outage(was playing Pokemon FireRed). My GBA Micro and DS ran out of juice and I couldn't charge them, so the original GBA came in quite handy.

123michellelynn0976Sat 12th Jun 2021

What a lineup. FF VI, Fire Emblem, FF Tactics, Mario World, Metroid Zero Mission, Golden Sun, and Pokemon. One of my favorite systems ever.

124KingMikeSat 12th Jun 2021

@BulbasaurusRex No high quality original RPGs on the original Game Boy?Final Fantasy Legend III was good as I recall. Though I know they were SaGa games, but FFL3 originally changed much of the elements that distinguished FF from SaGa (such as adding EXP and removing breakable equipment), making it much more of a portable FF game. Essentially the only one for its time.... but I hear the Japanese-exclusive DS remake reverted the gameplay.There was probably some decent/good RPGs in Japan, but almost nothing in the genre got localized (an obscure game by Namco called Great Greed is the only localized GB JRPG I can even name).

125BulbasaurusRexSat 12th Jun 2021

@Bolt_Strike Wow, that's so wrong it's not even funny! There are a lot more mainstream franchises than that, even among Nintendo! For one thing, anyone who calls Pokémon niche is off their rocker. Like I said, Wario Land is mainstream, as is Metroid in the West. Mario Party is mainstream. Star Fox is mainstream. Pikmin can go either way. Fire Emblem used to be niche but has graduated to mainstream. And so on...

Besides, you're still forgetting about 3rd parties. Nowhere did I ever say I was exclusively talking about 1st and 2nd party franchises.

126Bolt_StrikeSat 12th Jun 2021

@BulbasaurusRex Pokemon I just forgot, I apologize for that one. The others? Not so much. Metroid, Wario Land, Star Fox, Pikmin, all of those franchises only sell a couple million (none of them have sold more than 5 million). Hell, even Fire Emblem, which has had a lot more attention in recent years, hasn't been able to escape that same tier in terms of sales, no Fire Emblem game has sold more than 2-3 million. Those kinds of franchises simply aren't in the same tier as the franchises I mentioned.As for 3rd parties, they're a whole different animal since they're typically playable on multiple platforms.

127Scaredy_CatSat 12th Jun 2021

The List is missing Zone of the Enders: Fist of Mars as my personal secret gem, but probably too niche.

Also not a single entry of the Mega Man Battle Network series? Really? That's sad.

But as long as Advance Wars, FFTA and both Golden Sun titles are there, I won't complain too much.

128nocdaesSat 12th Jun 2021

So many ports and remakes, yet I remember this being something of a marvel at the time. Playing NES and SNES games on a portable device was impressive.Does make me think people take Switch for granted. Being able to play so many great games, anywhere, anytime, is equally impressive.

129SmaggTheSmugSat 12th Jun 2021

I wonder how that list would look if you removed all the remakes and ports.

130abbyhitterSat 12th Jun 2021

The list is trash without any of the MegaMan Battle Network games.

131LEGEND_MARIOIDSat 12th Jun 2021

What a great library of games. One of my favourite systems ever tbh.

I would personally have FF VI Advance, LoZ: Minish Cap & Mother 3 as the top 3 but I acknowledge the greatness of the others. Metroids, Pokemons, Advance Wars, Castlevanias, Golden Suns, AstroBoy, Warioware etc.

Advance: SMW & Advance: Yoshi's Island > Advance SMB3 as well for me.

132AzurisSat 12th Jun 2021

@nocdaesBut back than i was like "Cool! I love it, but i have all these Games, so i will not buy it" .But i replayed many of the Games in the last decade A really really great System.

133scottishwildcatSat 12th Jun 2021

I had a GBA and DS Lite for years and I've never played any of these...

134HalBailmanSat 12th Jun 2021

I can't fault the top 3 at all. My only beef with the top 50 is no F-Zero Maximum Velocity. My recollection is it was better than GP Legend, and that made the list.

135Expa0Sat 12th Jun 2021

Yeah, Zero Mission would be my pick for numero uno as well. It is quite a fine game.Fire Emblem 6, 8 and Advance Wars 1 are all quite nice as well.

136OldManHermitSat 12th Jun 2021

Zero Mission is great, but I actually prefer Fusion.

137romanistaSun 13th Jun 2021

@Bolt_Strike animal crossing certainly was niche until the DS version. anyway the GBA was basically a portable snes and delivered on that.. Wario Ware should be one in this list though, with advance wars a close second...

138Lucario_godFri 25th Jun 2021

Without boktai this is a list I don't want any part of thank you

139MikmoomamimockiThu 23rd Dec 2021

No DKC? I thought those ports were pretty good.

140BlueGBAMicroThu 14th Apr 2022

❗️My Top 5️⃣ GBA Games:1️⃣Astro Boy: Omega Factor2️⃣Boktai 1: The Sun Is In Your Hand3️⃣Final Fight One4️⃣PokéMon Sapphire 5️⃣Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising

141Nin35Thu 11th May 2023

I feel like one of the Super Mario advance series or the Mario and Luigi saga should go higher on the list. I guess Top 10 works

142DozinRoseSun 4th Feb 2024

I collect top 50s for cartridge games, ended up having to do a lot of work just to get this list right so I can keep track of my collection:Metroid: Zero MissionMother 3Final Fantast VI AdvanceLegend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four SwordsSuper Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3The Legend of Zelda: The Minish CapSuper Mario Advance 2: Super Mario WorldMetroid FusionPokemon EmeraldCastlevania: Aria of SorrowGolden Sun: The Lost AgeMario & Luigi: Superstar SagaFire EmblemWarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!Golden SunAdvance WarsSuper Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's IslandHarvest Moon: Friends of Mineral TownAdvance Wars 2: Black Hole RisingFire Emblem: The Sacrd StonesPokemon FireRed and LeafGreenWario Land 4Final Fantasy Tactics AdvanceWarioWare Twisted!Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral TownMega Man Zero 3Final Fantasy V AdvanceCastlevania: Harmony of DissonanceKirby: Nightmare in Dream LandPokemon Ruby & SapphirePokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue TeamCastlevania: Circle of the MoonMario Golf: Advance TourFinal Fantasy I & II: Dawn of SoulsDrill DozerMario vs. Donkey KongMario Tennis: Power TourAstro Boy: The Omega FactorSuper Mario AdvanceF-Zero: GP LegendMega Man Zero 4Gunstar Super HeroesMega Man Zero 2Game & Watch Gallery AdvanceKirby & The Amazing MirrorSonic AdvanceDoomPokemon PinballTony Hawk's Pro Skater 2Sword of ManaHave a fantastic day!

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Game Boy Advance™ - Nintendo Switch Online – Nintendo Official Site

NintendoSearchAll categoriesAll categoriesTrending topicsNintendo Switch™ - OLED Model: Mario Red EditionNintendo SwitchSuper Mario Bros. WonderNintendo Switch gamesZelda gamesSupportWish ListCartLoadingMy Nintendo StoreGamesNintendo SwitchNews & EventsPlay NintendoAll categoriesTrending topicsNintendo Switch™ - OLED Model: Mario Red EditionNintendo SwitchSuper Mario Bros. WonderNintendo Switch gamesZelda gamesNintendoEarn My Nintendo Points on digital gamesStoreGamesGame Boy™ Advance – Nintendo Switch OnlineSlide 1 of 8Nintendo Switch Online requiredFantasy Violence, Simulated Gambling, Comic MischiefNintendo SwitchGame Boy™ Advance – Nintendo Switch OnlineSelect a productDigitalGame Boy™ Advance – Nintendo Switch OnlineLoadingThis item is only for paid Nintendo Switch Online members.With a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership, access a collection of Game Boy Advance games and more!Sign up nowAdvance your play with Game Boy Advance – Nintendo Switch OnlineWith a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership, access a collection of classic and colorful Game Boy™ Advance games to play anytime, anywhere! Shrink down for a big adventure in The Legend of Zelda™: The Minish Cap and master sibling strategies in Mario & Luigi™: Superstar Saga. Level up with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membershipGet access to a library of Game Boy Advance™, Nintendo 64™, and SEGA Genesis™ classics!All the other great benefits of a Nintendo Switch Online membership are also included, such as access to Game Boy titles, 100+ classic NES™ and Super NES™ games, exclusive online matches in the Tetris 99 game, Game Vouchers, online play in some of your favorite games, and more!The Legend of Zelda™: The Minish Cap2005Super Mario™ Advance 4: Super Mario Bros.™ 32003Mario & Luigi™: Superstar Saga2003Mario Kart™: Super Circuit™2001Kuru Kuru Kururin™2001WarioWare™, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!2003Included games:Fire Emblem™Golden Sun™Golden Sun™: The Lost AgeKirby™ & The Amazing MirrorKuru Kuru Kururin™Mario & Luigi™: Superstar SagaMario Kart™: Super Circuit™Metroid™ FusionSuper Mario™ AdvanceSuper Mario™ Advance 4: Super Mario Bros.™ 3Super Mario World™: Super Mario Advance 2™The Legend of Zelda™: The Minish CapWarioWare™, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!Yoshi's Island™: Super Mario™ Advance 3F-Zero™ Maximum Velocity—Coming soon!Pick up and playYou can play, save, and jump back into the action whenever you have a few minutes—wherever you happen to be.Rewind your gameDo-overs are built in! In single-player mode, you can rewind your game by pressing and holding ZL + ZR if you make a mistake or just want to retry a section.Play together onlineConnect with friends online in compatible games for co-op or competitive play. Multiplayer* may feature 2-4 players, depending on the game. (Steps for setting up multiplayer play may differ from game to game, so please refer to in-game instructions.) Pick your styleShrink the screen size or enable a retro-style filter to play Game Boy Advance titles your way.Voice chatYou can also use voice chat to cheer on your friends via the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app.Persistent internet and compatible smartphone required to use app. Data charges may apply. Nintendo Account age 13+ required. Smartphone app features available in compatible games.

Related news and eventsFinding this content helpful?03/05/24Nintendo Switch Online 14-Day Free Trial MembershipRead moreESRB ratingFantasy Violence, Simulated Gambling, Comic MischiefSupported play modesTVTabletopHandheldProduct informationRelease dateFebruary 8, 2023No. of playersSingle System (1)Local wireless (2-4)Online (2-4)GenreOtherPublisherNintendoESRB ratingEveryone 10+Supported play modesTV mode, Tabletop mode, Handheld modeGame file size329 MBSupported languagesDutch, English, French, German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, SpanishPlay online, access classic NES™ and Super NES™ games, and more with a Nintendo Switch Online membership.This game supports:Online PlaySave Data CloudLearn moreRelated items to exploreSplatoon™ 3: Expansion Pass - Side Order Tech Sticker sheetExclusiveRegular Price:300 Platinum PointsExclusivesMy Nintendo Super Mario™ Removable Tech Sticker sheetExclusiveRegular Price:300 Platinum PointsExclusivesMy Nintendo Mario Zipper PouchExclusiveRegular Price:800 Platinum PointsExclusivesMy Nintendo 2024 Desktop CalendarExclusiveRegular Price:400 Platinum PointsExclusivesSuper Mario™ Holiday OrnamentExclusiveRegular Price:500 Platinum PointsExclusivesWarioWare™: Move It! MagnetsExclusiveRegular Price:500 Platinum PointsExclusivesDetective Pikachu™ Returns Cup CozyExclusiveRegular Price:500 Platinum PointsExclusivesMario Kart™ 8 Deluxe Vinyl Sticker Sheet No. 2ExclusiveRegular Price:300 Platinum PointsExclusivesSuper Mario Bros.™ Wonder Double KeychainExclusiveRegular Price:800 Platinum PointsExclusivesSuper Mario™ Shopping BagExclusiveRegular Price:800 Platinum PointsExclusivesPikmin™ 4 Kitchen TowelExclusiveRegular Price:600 Platinum PointsExclusivesPikmin™ 4 Shoe Charm SetExclusiveRegular Price:500 Platinum PointsExclusivesPikmin™ 4 - Sticker SetExclusiveRegular Price:200 Platinum PointsExclusivesMario Kart™ 8 Deluxe Vinyl Sticker SheetExclusiveRegular Price:300 Platinum PointsExclusivesPokémon™ Scarlet and Pokémon™ Violet HighlighterExclusiveRegular Price:500 Platinum PointsExclusivesWARNING: If you have epilepsy or have had seizures or other unusual reactions to flashing lights or patterns, consult a doctor before playing video games. All users should read the Health and Safety Information available in the system settings before using this software.Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online play. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. nintendo.com/switch-onlineAny Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online features. Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership required to access the Game Boy Advance – Nintendo Switch Online library of games. Membership auto-renews after initial term at the then-current price unless canceled. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. nintendo.com/switch-onlineMario Kart™: Super Circuit™ © 1992, 2001 Nintendo. Game developed by INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS.

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14 best Game Boy Advance games (2022) - Polygon

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The 14 best Game Boy Advance games

A look back at one of Nintendo’s best handhelds

Ryan Gilliam@RyGilliam

Feb 7, 2022, 4:18pm EST

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Ryan Gilliam

(he/him) has worked at Polygon for nearly seven years. He primarily spends his time writing guides for massively popular games like Diablo 4 & Destiny 2.

Nintendo has a long and storied history with handheld video games, but few of its devices have as gilded a library as the Game Boy Advance.

As the middle child of the Nintendo handheld legacy, the Game Boy Advance acts as a bridge from the handhelds that were, proving to players that handheld games could be more than puzzles or side-scrollers with simplistic graphics. With one foot in the past and another in the present, it’s a console that helped pave the way for the innovative Nintendo DS and 3DS and, eventually, the Nintendo Switch itself.

Beyond its technical capabilities, the Game Boy Advance has one of the strongest libraries of any console — handheld or otherwise — loaded with games of all shapes and sizes. It’s basically the PlayStation 2 of handhelds. And with the Analogue Pocket’s recent release, Game Boy Advance games are back in vogue and it’s time to gush a bit about just how high this handheld’s peaks were. Here, we’ll highlight the 14 best Game Boy Advance games that are still worth playing today.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

Image: AlphaDream/Nintendo via Moby Games

The Mario & Luigi games are some of the funniest, most clever RPGs out there. They’ve got tons of personality, their boss designs are delightful, and the combat is both challenging and accessible. And all that started with Superstar Saga.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga follows the Mario brothers through a kingdom of beans as they attempt to take on Cackletta, an evil witch, and her minions (Bowser is around, but doesn’t serve as the main antagonist for the brothers). Enemies we’ve known for decades — like Spinys, Goombas, and Wigglers — appear as boss fights alongside minions from Cackletta’s domain, giving players an equal helping of new and old.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is not only one of the best handheld RPGs out there, it stands alongside some of the best RPGs of all time.

Pokémon Emerald

Image: Game Freak/The Pokémon Company, Nintendo via Moby Games

Your favorite Pokémon generation is almost certainly tied to your age when you started playing. But as someone who played the first three generations religiously: Pokémon Emerald is the best one.

Emerald is the fusion of counterparts Ruby and Sapphire, the series’ third generation. It allows you to beat the game(s) you know and love and then progress even further ahead, culminating in the introduction of the Legendary Pokémon Rayquaza.

The original Ruby and Sapphire games are excellent, with interesting starters, a beautiful island region, and fun Legendaries to chase. Emerald manages to replicate the experience and improve upon it by adding a riveting final quest to finish out the story, making it one of the best Pokémon games ever made.

Metroid Fusion

Image: Nintendo

Metroid Fusion was the last 2D Metroid game before Metroid Dread launched last year — a gap that spanned nearly two decades (sans Mercury Steam’s fabulous Samus Returns reboot of Metroid 2). And during that long hiatus, appreciation for Fusion has only grown more intense. Metroid Fusion is an exceptional Metroid game, and it still looks fantastic.

Fusion takes place on a space station called BSL. After the events of Super Metroid, Samus is attacked by a parasite called X. To cure her new illness, her body is partially infused with Metroid DNA, changing her into a version of the monsters she’s spent games trying to eradicate. But the X parasite returns as SA-X, a terrifying Samus clone that roams the station. It’s a lot.

Metroid Fusion offers several new powers and suits, which are always enough to excite diehard Metroid fans. But it’s the unique setting and formatting — dipping in and out of the station’s different wings — that sets Fusion apart from the rest of the series.

Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland

Image: HAL Laboratory/Nintendo via Moby Games

Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland is a remake of Kirby’s Adventure from 1993. When Kirby fails to dream, he discovers that King Dedede — one of the puffball’s most common villains — has broken the Star Rod. Through his usual platforming and copying antics, Kirby must rebuild the artifact and face down an array of villains.

Nightmare in Dreamland takes the Kirby magic and brings it to a handheld, allowing fans to copy abilities on the go. And while that Kirby gameplay is still absolutely the reason to pick up Nightmare in Dreamland, the game also features a host of new sub-games for both solo and multiplayer play, such as the Samurai Kirby minigame or the boss rush.

Kirby has always been a delight, but he has a powerful legacy on the Game Boy, with Nightmare in Dreamland being one of his best.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

Image: Square Enix/Square, Nintendo via Moby Games

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance takes the world of Final Fantasy and combines it with tactical, map-based combat a la Fire Emblem. But with this new combat and gameplay style, it still manages to prop up the charming characters and world that players love.

Players adored Final Fantasy Tactics on the PlayStation, and Advance is an offshoot of that offshoot. Final Fantasy is still a video game staple, and the Final Fantasy Tactics side-brand is something players still clamor for on a regular basis. Advance takes the nuanced, class-based skirmishes of the Tactics games and pairs it with beautifully detailed environments and characters worthy of Final Fantasy’s legacy. It captures that magic “known” quality of Final Fantasy, where everything is both new and familiar, and offers hours of strategic fun on the go.

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

Image: Konami via Polygon

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is the best Castlevania game since Symphony of the Night, and also the final one released for the Game Boy Advance.

As is the case in Symphony of the Night, you’re on the hunt for Dracula in a castle, collecting a variety of items to help you creep through its corridors. But unlike other Castlevania games, Aria of Sorrow has a more modern setting — complete with some sleek outfits and an actual gun — giving some unique flavor to an old series.

Aria of Sorrow combines the classic hunt of Castlevania with a fresh setting and new weapons. Paired with the game’s mobility and charming sprites, it’s maintained a reputation as one of the strongest entries in the longrunning series.

Advance Wars

Image: Intelligent Systems/Nintendo via MobyGames

Advance Wars is yet another tactics game. But unlike Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics, Advance Wars is all about tanks, soldiers, and modern warfare.

In Advance Wars, you control your own army of soldiers, training them at bases and sending them into battle. How you build your army is up to you, and you’re able to fill the map with jets or tanks or soldiers. That customization can come with a strategic motive — like countering your enemy’s units — or just because you like that specific unit type.

It may replace the fully scripted narrative and named characters found in other tactics games with anonymous pawns, but Advance Wars leans more into real-time strategy staples, where it’s all about the army instead of the individual units. It’s the perfect game to revisit before Advance Wars 1+2: Re-boot Camp hits Switch later this year.

WarioWare: Twisted

Image: Nintendo

WarioWare: Twisted was released after the Nintendo DS had already launched, making it a very late-stage Game Boy Advance game. But it uses that late timing well by innovating with a new tool: a gyro sensor.

Before controllers and consoles had all manner of inputs, Twisted changed the game. It kept the same, beloved micro-game focus from the previous WarioWare, but added games that required flipping your Game Boy on its head as fast as you could.

The WarioWare games are all filled with charm and bizarre gameplay. Still, WarioWare: Twisted did what all sequels should strive to do, and added an interesting twist to a solid foundation.

bit Generations: Coloris

Image: Skip Ltd., Q-Games/Nintendo via Moby Games

bit Generations: Coloris is a puzzle game that offers a unique iteration on match-three gameplay. Instead of moving pieces to fit into an exact order, you morph the pieces to fit your needs. It gives you a unique level of control over the game, not forcing you to rely too heavily on the hand you’re dealt.

Like the best handheld puzzle games out there — such as the famous Tetris on Game Boy — the simplicity makes it easy to pick up and obsess over. Combine that with its vibrant colors and charming sound effects, and you have a puzzle game to last you years.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

Image: Capcom, Flagship/Nintendo via Moby Games

Every Legend of Zelda game has its fans, but The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap has somewhat of a cult audience. And that’s for good reason: The Minish Cap is the best handheld Zelda game out there.

The Minish Cap takes Link on an adventure with a mysterious hat that allows him to shrink and grow, like Alice traversing Wonderland with potions and mushrooms. Moving around the world requires you to think in two different sizes, as you’ll often need to navigate two different worlds.

The Minish Cap’s greatest feat isn’t in its size-changing puzzles, but in how it uses that new mechanic to both adhere to and drastically change the Zelda series’ ancient formula. The Legend of Zelda is a series filled with some of the best games ever made, and the fact that fans still praise The Minish Cap as one of the best is a testament to its quality.

Astro Boy: Omega Factor

Image: Treasure/Sega via MobyGames

Astro Boy isn’t the first side-scrolling, robotic hero that comes to mind when you think about video games. But his Game Boy Advance game, Astro Boy: Omega Factor, is an excellent example of a licensed property done right.

Omega Factor is a beat-’em-up that features both land and flight sections. Astro Boy can punch, kick, or shoot lasers from his hands, and he has a selection of stats that augment all of his abilities.

Many games from the early 2000s based on other properties can’t live up to the source material and end up feeling hollow. But Astro Boy: Omega Factor is a hidden gem that made its home comfortably on Game Boy Advance.

Mr. Driller 2

Image: Namco via Moby Games

Mr. Driller 2 is a puzzle game filled with chibi characters drilling through blocks. Drilling comes with some major risks — you can suffocate or crush yourself in the puzzle caverns — but by carefully choosing where you drill, you can eventually escape the mine.

The sequel to Mr. Driller maintains the original’s charming characters while offering more impressive visuals on a superior handheld system. Mr. Driller 2 also offers some bonus versus modes so you can play against friends. It’s a great example of handheld refinement, and watching a series evolve just as the consoles do.

Drill Dozer

Image: Game Freak/Nintendo via Moby Games

Drill Dozer is another late Game Boy Advance game, released in North America nearly two years after the Nintendo DS. But being late to the system didn’t hold it back, and it’s one of the most memorable side-scrollers on the platform.

In Drill Dozer, you control a girl named Jill, who pilots the titular Drill Dozer mech. You’ll need to battle through multiple screens, taking on enemies and spinning to face threats from numerous directions. The game features massive bosses and a great collection of stages, but it also was released with an innovative feature for a Game Boy Advance game: a rumble pack built into the cartridge itself.

Drill Dozer is proof that some of a handheld’s best games can still come past its prime.

Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire

Image: Jupiter Corporation/Nintendo via MobyGames

Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire is the follow-up to the original Pokémon Pinball for Game Boy Color. It’s pretty easy to surmise what this one is about from the name alone: You play Pokémon-themed pinball boards where you use a Poké Ball instead of a metal one.

But what makes Pokémon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire worthy of this list is its charm. Pokémon are scattered around each board, and the boss fights are unique battles with diverse monsters. It’s more than just a good handheld pinball game — it uses the Pokémon IP to its advantage to create something different from the mainline series, but equally memorable. 2

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Best GBA games - the GameBoy Advance titles you need to play

Features

By Rhys Wood last updated 6 February 2024

Portable power

(Image credit: Nintendo)

The best GBA games are still well worth playing, even more than two decades on from the legendary 32-bit handheld’s original release. Many of us grew up playing the GameBoy Advance as kids, whether that be with the original model, the improved and front-lit GBA SP with its clamshell design, or the criminally underrated GameBoy Micro with its gorgeously sharp backlit display and customizable faceplates.Many of the best GBA games can be easily enjoyed today without relying on original hardware. The Nintendo Switch Online subscription service hosts many GameBoy Advance titles that can be streamed in their entirety when you need a break from the best Nintendo Switch games. This library is set to expand with more games in the coming months, and we’ll let you know in the list below if a particular title is playable on the service.We’ve striven to include a variety of the best GameBoy Advance games across several genres. Expect to see platformers, RPGs, strategy, puzzle games, and many more as we guide you through the GameBoy Advance titles we consider essential to play. Read on, then, to learn more about our picks for the best GBA games.(Image credit: Nintendo)Pokémon EmeraldA vastly improved handheld Pokémon experienceAverage Amazon review:☆☆☆☆☆Today's Best DealsCheck AmazonThe definitive Gen 3 Pokémon title, Pokémon Emerald returned trainers to the Hoenn region, with a whole host of new features that make it worth choosing over the Ruby and Sapphire editions. Not least of all is Rayquaza, the game’s flagship legendary Pokemon who remains a huge fan favorite to this day.Pokémon Emerald brought with it several quality-of-life updates and features, but the most impactful addition was undoubtedly the Battle Frontier. This sprawling new area opened up after beating the game’s Elite Four and presents several challenging new arenas dictated by a variety of criteria. It was a true endgame challenge that’s sorely missing from many Pokémon titles that would succeed it. Nintendo Switch Online: no (Image credit: Nintendo)The Legend of Zelda: The Minish CapA huge adventure in a miniature worldAverage Amazon review:☆☆☆☆☆Today's Best DealsCheck AmazonArguably one of Link’s greatest 2D adventures, the Capcom-developed The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is far larger than its pint-sized premise would have you believe. In order to save Zelda and Hyrule from the dark wizard Vaati, Link teams up with a talking hat named Ezlo, who grants the hero the power to shrink to microscopic size.Link’s newfound stature makes everyday objects and garden variety enemies far more intimidating. An early-game example has Link fighting a regular-sized Chu Chu while shrunk, turning the encounter into a boss fight. Similarly, pots, tree trunks, and barrels all become their own explorable areas. And that’s not even getting into Hyrule itself, which is impressively large for a 2D Zelda and full of little details and secrets. Nintendo Switch Online: yes (Image credit: Nintendo)Mother 3A deeply moving RPG that never released in the westMother 3 was something of a game-changer when it launched in 2006. What first appears to be a cutesy, casual RPG gradually reveals its true colors as a harrowing tale of a family torn apart, and ever-encroaching corporate greed warping and erasing nature. Mother 3 is a fantastic game, but also one that completely shattered the notion that Nintendo games couldn’t be made for mature audiences.Mother 3 never saw a release in the West, which is a massive shame. Thankfully, it has been salvaged by fan translators who’ve opened the game up to a much wider audience. Mother 3 would go on to become an immensely influential title, inspiring modern indie classics like Undertale and Omori. While it may never see a Western release in any official capacity, it’s very much earned its recognition as one of the best RPGs of all time. Nintendo Switch Online: don’t hold your breath (Image credit: Nintendo)Metroid FusionAn atmospheric adventure with touches of horrorAverage Amazon review:☆☆☆☆☆Today's Best DealsCheck AmazonMetroid Fusion is more linear than your typical series game, trading large-scale exploration for a more intimate and atmospheric journey for bounty hunter Samus Aran. Fusion has our heroine investigating an outbreak of the deadly ‘X’ parasite aboard a now-derelict space station. Under the guidance of an overbearing AI, she learns that the X has congregated to form a parasitic version of herself, known as the SA-X.Your encounters with the SA-X are few, which makes each a nail-biting run-and-hide endeavor. Besides the SA-X, Fusion features some of the most horrifying bosses in the entire series. It’s a bite-sized adventure that makes a good starting point for series newcomers, as its sequel, Metroid Dread, launched on the Switch in 2021, followed by Metroid Prime Remastered in 2023. Nintendo Switch Online: yes (Image credit: Sega / Sonic Team)Sonic Advance 2A speedy sequel that should not be missedThe Sonic Advance series came to the GBA during a time when it was still bewildering to see a Sega title on a Nintendo platform. Nevertheless, the hedgehog’s return to 2D put up a strong front on GBA, and Sonic Advance 2 was the best of the trilogy, and could quite easily be seen as one of the best Sonic games ever.Sonic Advance 2 features multiple playable characters, and some of the highest quality presentation a 2D Sonic game has ever seen. Everything from menus and music to sprites and the levels themselves all exude a level of quality that, for the succeeding years, would be hard to come by for the Sonic franchise as a whole. Nintendo Switch Online: no (Image credit: Nintendo)Advance WarsThe GBA’s best strategy gameToday's Best DealsCheck AmazonMuch like Fire Emblem, Advance Wars came from a series dating back to the days of the Famicom. The GBA title was just the first to make it to the West, where it was an immediate hit. Advance Wars benefitted in much the same way Fire Emblem did; polished, fast-paced tactics on a portable system provided a compelling and satisfying play experience, but one that was also plenty difficult.Advance Wars packed a lengthy campaign, multiplayer, and a map maker onto one tiny cartridge, meaning players who resonated with the game certainly got their money’s worth. After a long period of dormancy, the series is finally available again on modern hardware thanks to the release of Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp; from-the-ground-up remakes of the two GBA Advance Wars titles. Nintendo Switch Online: no (Image credit: Konami)Castlevania: Aria of SorrowA certified GBA classic that’s highly replayableToday's Best Deals$0.99at Amazon$0.99at Amazon$99.99at GameStopThe Castlevania series was on a hot streak on the GBA. Circle of the Moon and Harmony of Dissonance got the ball rolling with two solid – if flawed – entries, but it was Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow that knocked it out of the park, and to this day is recognized as one of the all-time best Castlevania titles.As Soma Cruz, you explore the game’s non-linear, metroidvania landscape with the ability to absorb the souls of defeated enemies, claiming their powers as your own. This strongly encourages experimentation and lets the player form their own builds to tackle the game’s dangerous locales. Aria would receive a sequel, Dawn of Sorrow, on the DS, which is unsurprisingly one of the best Nintendo DS games, too. Nintendo Switch Online: no (Image credit: Nintendo)Golden SunSome of the absolute best visuals on GBACamelot’s short-lived RPG series debuted just a few months after the launch of the GBA. That’s wild to think, considering both it and its sequel are two of the most visually stunning games on the handheld. But it had more than that going for it; with a fantastic soundtrack and a compelling turn-based battle system.Golden Sun differentiates itself from other RPGs by way of its Psynergy system. These two-pronged abilities can be used in battle, but also to overcome environmental puzzles scattered throughout the environment. That allowed Golden Sun to become an RPG where players had to use their heads outside of battle almost as much as they did within it. Nintendo Switch Online: yes (Image credit: Nintendo)Mario Tennis: Power TourA shockingly excellent sports title on GBACamelot really was in its prime on the GBA. Alongside Golden Sun, the developer also produced one of the all-time best Mario sports titles in Mario Tennis: Power Tour. The game brought an RPG flavor to the sport, having players level up and develop their character with various skills as they progressed through increasingly tougher opponents and a handful of fun minigames.Mario Tennis: Power Tour holds up to this day, and is a much stronger effort than the recent tennis and golf titles we’ve seen in the series since. It’d be a superb fit for Nintendo Switch Online, so here’s hoping Nintendo sees to adding this incredible sports game to its lineup sometime in the future. Nintendo Switch Online: no (Image credit: Nintendo)Wario Land 4An expertly crafted platformer with a wicked sense of humorThere’s an argument to be made in Wario Land 4 just outright being the best GBA game, full stop. This visually gorgeous platformer, complete with a nonsensical premise and otherworldly soundtrack, is unlike anything else you can play on the handheld; it’s a platformer that doesn’t really play like one at all.In Wario Land 4, you don’t just run from left to right to complete each stage. You do that while exploring the vast levels for riches and treasure. But once you reach the end, you’re on a time limit to hightail it back to the start of the level to escape with your goods. Throw in tons of unlockables and multiple endings based on overall progression and you have an ultra-charming and replayable title in Wario Land 4. Nintendo Switch Online: no Best GBA games: FAQsCan you still buy GBA games?GBA games are still in circulation, but they are a lot harder to come by nowadays. Because of this, the cartridges for original GBA games are usually sold on for a pretty penny and labelled a collectors item. With Nintendo Switch Online you're more likely to be able to play through some of the best titles on the console without having to pay too much, but you are slightly limited in your options. How often does Nintendo Switch Online add new GBA games?Unlike a service like Game Pass, there isn't really a schedule for when new games are added, and they'll usually follow a Nintendo Direct or be announced via the official Nintendo Twitter page. It's worth keeping an eye on the Nintendo Switch Online app on your console too, since new titles will always have a spotlight on there too. How we made out best GBA games listNarrowing our list down to just ten of the best GBA games wasn’t easy. The handheld has one of the most prolific libraries in the history of gaming, so picking the cream of the crop was difficult. Ultimately, we made our choices based on a few key criteria, alongside reflecting on the games the team at TechRadar Gaming have spent hours within as we grew alongside the console. We also wanted to make sure at least some of the best GBA games on our list are accessible on Nintendo Switch, for those who are looking to make the most of the games on the newest console. And for those that aren’t, we tried to select the titles that fans most often think of when reminiscing about the legendary handheld. And we certainly hope that, eventually, most of these excellent titles will find their way onto Nintendo Switch Online in the future.If you want to delve into more of the best games across Nintendo's handheld consoles, we've got all the best Nintendo DS games, but if you want something a little more up-to-date our list of the best Nintendo Switch games may offer a more polished experience. Round up of today's best dealsCastlevania: Aria of Sorrow$0.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best pricespowered by

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Rhys WoodSocial Links NavigationHardware EditorRhys is TRG's Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.

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