Top 25 Game Boy Advance Games

8/7/2019 Top 25 Game Boy Advance Games

1/13

Top 25 Game Boy Advance Games

25) Super Monkey Ball Jr.Developer:Realism

Publisher: SEGAYear Released: 2002

Though THQ gave the Game Boy Advance rendition the moniker "junior," there was nothing

small about this portable product. The series began in the arcades and on the GameCube as a

Marble Madness-inspired action game with tons of unlockable features and modes, and for theGame Boy Advance version the UK development studio Realism managed to squeak out every

ounce of potential in the GBA's hardware to offer that same fun and frantic experience. TheGBA version might not stand the test of time when compared to the rising power of other

handhelds, but when it was released Super Monkey Ball Jr. managed to really show off what thesystem could do, and it's rare to see a third-party developer pour so much effort into so many

game modes on the portable system. Though the development studio couldn't survive very longafter Super Monkey Ball Jr.'s release, Realism went out with a bang with one of the finest

console-to-handheld ports on the GBA.

24) Golden SunDeveloper: CamelotPublisher: Nintendo

Year Released: 2001

One of the first "hyped" games on the Game Boy Advance, Camelot --

who had been making much of its money with Golf and Tennis gameson the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy -- returned to its RPG roots with an

original adventure that could give Square's teams a run for their money. This game pushedamazing visuals, a dynamic soundtrack, and a complex story, and even though it focused on the

archaic "random turn-based battles" mechanic for half of its gameplay, it was still a fulfillingconsole-style experience on such a small system. Its sequel, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, tweaked

and streamlined a bit, and actually enabled data transfers from the first game in the series...but itwas the original release that made the biggest impact for Game Boy Advance gamers.


2/13

23) Ninja Five-ODeveloper: HudsonPublisher:Konami

Year Released: 2003

A bad name with even worse box-art, Ninja Five-O hit the scene with a

collective shrug by the gaming population. And then, suddenly, peoplestarted playing the game within. It's a completely old-school inspired

action design that melds such classics as Capcom's Bionic Commando, Sega's Shinobi, andNamco's Rolling Thunder, and what's more it's incredibly fun and challenging -- a side-scrolling

arcade-style game that could only really thrive these days on the 2D-happy Game Boy Advanceplatform. It's one of the toughest games to find in the used cartridge market; finding it won't

make you rich, though. It's only valuable in the "awesome gameplay" sense...and in this case, it'sworth its weight in gold.

22) Mario vs. Donkey KongDeveloper: NST

Publisher: NintendoYear Released: 2004

Way back in the black and white Game Boy days Nintendo updated itsclassic Donkey Kong arcade design with a contemporary design that

fleshed out the barrel-jumping, hammer-whacking mechanics into a

huge assortment of full-screen puzzle games. That concept was the basis for this NST-developedproduction. The added power of the Game Boy Advance not just enhanced the visuals, but theteam managed to squeeze in a bunch of new puzzle ideas in the update. It's a great game that fits

the Game Boy Advance's pick-up-and-play environment since players could whip out thesystem, solve a puzzle, and put it away for later.


3/13

21) Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral TownDeveloper: MarvelousPublisher:Natsume

Year Released: 2003

You would think that hoeing the fields, milking the cows, and other

menial tasks would make for an unbelievably boring videogame

experience, but Natsume's Harvest Moon series manages to suckgamers into its economic-focused gameplay. "Addictive as crack" would not be a strong enough

term for this game, and the Game Boy Advance version works extraordinarily well because youcan take the experience with you. The goal is to live a full life on the farm, and you'll find hours

upon hours just drifting away as you try to reach that mark. If you'd rather play as a girl,Natsume released Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town with slight tweaks to the

translation and gameplay, and it was also a foundation for the Nintendo DS version of HarvestMoon, but its the original game that made the big splash.

20) Legend of Zelda: Minish CapDeveloper: Flagship

Publisher:Nintendo

Year Released: 2005

Every Nintendo system needs a Legend of Zelda game. It's almost the law or something. It took

the Game Boy Advance several years before a development team hunkered down to create an

original adventure for the portable system, and the one that was created was an incredibly funand charming adventure that brought back a lot of the familiar 2D overhead game mechanics

established in past games on the Super NES, NES, and Game Boy. The inclusion of the ability toshrink and grow was explored to some really good results, giving Link and players the ability to

explore a world that would have normally gone unnoticed at the character's feet. There's a hugeworld to explore when you're the size of a bug, and the designers pushed some great ideas in this

adventure.


4/13

19) Mario Kart Super CircuitDeveloper: Intelligent SystemsPublisher: Nintendo

Year Released: 2001

Mario Kart Super Circuit was, literally, the premiere game for the Game

Boy Advance. Though the game took several months after the launch of

the system to be released, it was the game Nintendo spotlighted at thedebut of the hardware. It was the game that showed gamers that the Game Boy Advance had the

ability to bring Super NES experiences to a portable, and in a way that blew away the visuals andaudio of the 16-bit console. The game mechanics of Mario Kart were tweaked for Super Circuit,

but the heart of the Super NES game was clearly here. The designers even exploited the GBA'ssingle cartridge multiplayer function so that four players could hit some classic SNES courses

without the need to buy a copy of the game. And after the competition? They went out andbought a copy anyway. Awesome work.

18) Metroid FusionDeveloper: Intelligent SystemPublisher: Nintendo

Year Released: 2002

By the time of Metroid Fusion's development, the franchise had already

been snagged by the GameCube as the ultimate first-person adventure.

But for those who really wanted to go back to the roots of the series,and that's the void Metroid Fusion fills -- the game is a throwback to the gameplay mechanics of

the classic Metroid, Super Metroid, and Metroid II, but it moves the story forward and givesSamus a sleek new look. It was an incredibly fun adventure with the traditional "Metroid Twist."


5/13

17) Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario WorldDeveloper: NintendoPublisher: Nintendo

Year Released: 2002

Super Mario World was easily one of the top games in the Super Mario

platforming series as it introduced new game mechanics to the mix,

including branching paths, multiple exits, multiple endings, and, mostimportantly, Yoshi! Like the other Super Mario Advance games on the handheld, the original

game didn't lose a whole lot in the shrinking from console to portable ten years later, whichmeant that you could get the same brilliant platform experience on the go.

16) Fire EmblemDeveloper: Intelligent SystemsPublisher: Nintendo

Year Released: 2003

Nintendo teased gamers with a couple of super secret hidden character

in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Marth from a game that was in Japanexclusively: Fire Emblem. Before then, most American gamers didn't

have a clue to what the game was, and what they were missing out on. It was Fire Emblem on theGame Boy Advance where Nintendo used the opportunity to bring this unique RPG-focused

strategy game to the states. And thank god they did -- this is easily one of the top games in the

GBA library -- though much of the gameplay mechanics had been recycled in the more familiar(and available) Advance Wars game, the addition of characters who will die -- permanently --really changed up the way players had to adjust their techniques.


6/13

15) Mario TennisDeveloper: CamelotPublisher:Nintendo

Year Released: 2005

Camelot already proved itself in the realm of tennis and golf on the original Game Boy Color, so

when the team announced that it would be creating a follow-up to the game on the Game Boy

Advance, we weren't surprised that the sequel ended up as awesome as it did. The game featureda much more fleshed out single player experience and also brought forth more Mario characters

and moves for this update. The power moves we're a cool addition, but luckily they didn't need tobe in play at all times if you just wanted to hit the courts to play a much more traditional version

of the sport.

14) Final Fantasy Tactics AdvanceDeveloper: SquarePublisher: NintendoYear Released: 2003

At this point in the Game Boy Advance's life cycle, Square Enix wasn't

quite ready to bet the farm on the Nintendo handheld. The studio wascarefully testing the waters, and one of its early games, Final Fantasy

Tactics Advance, brought back a really excellent PlayStation game's theme in a new and originalstoryline. This GBA game offered some great strategy, some excellent characters, and really

challenging gameplay in a take-anywhere form.


7/13

13) Ultimate Card GamesDeveloper: CosmigoPublisher:Telegames

Year Released: 2004

When you have a Game Boy Advance on you, you want to have a cartridge that has atremendous amount of replay value, and one with pick-up-and-play appeal. Telegames managedto create one of the few "must have" third party games in the GBA line-up with a collection of

card games that are near impossible to put down. Solitaire, Cribbage, Poker, Black Jack and agood number more are available in this cartridge, and what's more, any multiplayer game can be

sent to other systems without the need for an additional cart. On top of all this, the game hasfantastic statistics tracking and a pretty awesome soundtrack to accompany the gameplay. If you

haven't picked this one up, why the heck not?

12) Mario & Luigi: Superstar SagaDeveloper: AlphadreamPublisher: Nintendo

Year Released: 2003

The Super NES had Super Mario RPG. The Nintendo 64 andGameCube had Paper Mario. And the Game Boy Advance? This is the

portable equivalent. Both Mario and Luigi work together in this uniqueaction RPG game that borrows heavily from the Super Paper Mario design. The way players

manipulate both plumbers together gives the game a very unique feel, especially when you haveto do very traditional Mario Bros. mechanics using both GBA buttons to do the jumping. The

battles feature some real-time elements that add an extra element of player involvement to spiceup the gameplay. And the adventure's also funny as hell. A can't miss, gang.

11) Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3Developer: Nintendo


8/13

Publisher: Nintendo

Year Released: 2003

Even though this Super Mario game came before the time of Yoshi and other cool elements that

were introduced in Super Mario World, this was one of the top games in the series. I mean, you

could dress Mario up like a raccoon! Seriously, this game featured some of the most tough-as-nails level designs in the series. And if they weren't enough, you could go out and buy a secondGame Boy Advance, an e-Reader, a link cable, and a pack of cards to upload some brand new

level designs that weren't built into the original cartridge. It was a concept ahead of its time --hopefully the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and the Nintendo DS can bring back the idea of post-

release level updates. But for now, you've got Super Mario Bros. 3.

10) Pokemon Ruby/SapphireDeveloper: Game Freaks

Publisher:Nintendo

Year Released: 2003

We couldn't do a top game list without Pokemon being in there somewhere, and the first official

update to the incredibly deep Pokemon RPG franchise -- Ruby and Sapphire -- squeak in therewith a place in the Top 10. And rightfully so, too. Yes, the game's clearly aimed at the younger

crowd, and yes, it's really cool to hate on the hundreds of cute little critters and the millions uponmillions of gamers who've enjoyed the design since the late 90s. But the Game Boy Advance

game offers so much strategy...and everything you do in the package can be moved over to theconsole versions of the Pokemon battle games. The game might not be a visual or audio marvel,

but it's got it where it counts: gameplay.

9) Metroid: Zero MissionDeveloper: Nintendo R&D1

Publisher: Nintendo

Year Released: 2004

Metroid Fusion may have brought the franchise to the Game Boy

Advance, but it was Metroid: Zero Mission that really validated its


9/13

existence. The design, touted as a remake of the game that started it all -- Metroid on the NES --was far more than that. It was a visual upgrade with familiar areas, but the designers took

liberties with where the game went. And even when it ended, it didn't -- there was something elsewaiting for gamers that was fresh and new, bringing a different style of gameplay that fit the

overall Metroid theme. It was a wonderful surprise, and that element's actually being referenced

to in an announced, upcoming Wii title. No spoilers here, nope!

8) Final Fantasy VIDeveloper: Square

Publisher: Nintendo

Year Released: 2007

Of all the remakes of the Final Fantasy series on the Game Boy

Advance, none stands taller on the system than the brilliant Super NESto GBA conversion ofFinal Fantasy III. The numbering structure has

changed to mirror the Japanese releases, but Final Fantasy VI is a remake of the final FinalFantasy game released on the 16-bit system in the US more than a decade ago. Awesome

graphics, even better soundtrack, and the traditional Final Fantasy gameplay that can't be missed.It's known as the best 2D game in the series by the fans, and the fans have spoken: the game is

the best one on the GBA as well.

7) Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's IslandDeveloper: Nintendo


We'll go to the grave believing that Yoshi's Island is close to, if not the

best 2D platform game ever made. The original Super NES game

introduced so many new gameplay elements that utilized the power ofthe FX chip to drive these ideas. The Game Boy Advance had enough power under the hood to

bring back these elements without the need for additional processing hardware, and for those that


10/13

missed out on the original console release nearly a decade prior, the Game Boy Advance does abrilliant job bringing the award winning gameplay and level designs to the handheld. It's a shame

that Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy had to be destroyed in the move to portable. Otherwise, this is anincredible conversion that absolutely needs to be experienced on the GBA.

6) Mario GolfDeveloper: Camelot


On the Game Boy Advance, "pick up and play" style gameplay is king.

And nothing's more pick up and play than the sport of golf. Mario GolfAdvance Touris a portable follow-up to Camelot's incredible Game

Boy Color golf game, which was a port of the Nintendo 64 console design. Almost mirroring thatstrategy, the GBA version took all of the elements of the GameCube game and shrunk them

down for play on the portable. There were tons of course designs with tons of cool little hiddentricks that just couldn't be done on the real-world courses. Even with its 2D restrictions, Mario

Golf Advance Tour ended up the finest take-anywhere game of golf then created. And we're stillwaiting for a development team to best Camelot's design on the Nintendo DS.

5) Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2Developer:Vicarious VisionsPublisher:Activision

Year Released: 2001

Back in 2001, Nintendo led us to believe that the in-development, soon-to-be-released GameBoy Advance system would be on-par with the Super NES for its gaming power. That's a pretty

good place to be, since, for years, we've been playing Nintendo handhelds that were on the levelof the NES system. We were certainly looking forward to playing lots of multi-layered side-

scrolling platform games and racing titles using the system's Mode 7.

And then Vicarious Visions, best known for producing some great Spider-Man games for the

Game Boy Color, stepped in with something absolutely breathtaking: a portable rendition of the


11/13

brilliantly fun NeversoftTony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. Even though, due to system limitations, thegame had to remain in a fixed overhead perspective, the Game Boy Advance version created by

the VV team retained the look and feel of the skateboarding action game. It was an absolutestunner of a launch title for the handheld, and it's amazing to see how well it's held up over the

years -- even after a half dozen sequels over the course of the GBA's life-span, it's still a thrill to

see the series' portable origins.

4) Advance WarsDeveloper: Intelligent Systems

Publisher: Nintendo

Year Released: 2001

In Japan, Nintendo fans had a series they could call their own: Famicom

Wars, a turn-based strategy game that never made the localization moveto North America. Which is a darn shame because the design's US

premiere, Advance Wars on the Game Boy Advance, was one unbelievably deep and fulfillingdesign that challenged console players in a unique way.

The game offered it all: tough-as-nails strategic gameplay, an extensive single player campaignwith tons of memorable characters and situations, tons of user customization in the form of a

map creator, and full-on four player multiplayer mode where only one copy of the game isrequired for the network.

Advance Wars had unfortunate timing on its release, shipping during the time of 9/11 in the US.

The game was actually a US-exclusive release for quite some time, which was a surpriseconsidering the game's origins as a Japan-only release on previous systems. The sequel added a

few new gameplay elements that were followed up on a dual-screen version a couple year's lateron the Nintendo DS, but the original game made the biggest splash on the GBA, by far.

3) Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past with Four SwordsDeveloper: Square


12/13

Publisher: Nintendo

Year Released: 2003

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past with Four Swords is, admittedly, a "mere" portable

conversion of a Super NES game. But if any Super NES game deserved to be milked, it's A Link

to the Past, easily one of the top, most memorable adventures in Link's career of saving Zelda.The GBA hardware handled the game admirably well, retaining the look, sound, and feel of theoriginal Super NES game with very little compromise in the move to the handheld. The awesome

classic remained a classic on the GBA.

What made this game truly awesome was the multiplayer mode, Four Swords. MultiplayerZelda? Are you serious? How could that be any fun? Only said by people who couldn't find four

GBAs, four copies of the game, and enough link cables to keep everyone connected. This modewas a brilliant combination of cooperative adventuring and competitive ass-kicking, an idea that

was expanded on in the GameCube game Four Swords Adventure. Traces of the Four Swordsidea continued in the original GBA Zelda game Minish Cap, and we're sure there will be many

more instances of the Four Swords influence for many years to come.

2) Castlevania: Aria of SorrowDeveloper: Konami

Publisher: KonamiYear Released: 2004

Konami backed the Game Boy Advance horse right from Day One

when it produced Castlevania: Circle of the Moon on the handheld as alaunch title. The GBA series started out with a bang, and by the t ime the

third game hit the system with Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, it ended with a tremendous boom.Three games hit the system over the course of the GBA's life, and even though all three were

amazing action adventures that offered something new with each iteration, Aria of Sorrow wasthe one we all remember the most. And it's not just because it was the final game on the GBA.

All the new gameplay elements, all of the additional characters, all of the enhanced visuals, andall of the amazing soundtrack pieces combined to produce one of the best games in the

Castlevania series...for any system.


13/13

1) Wario Ware TwistedDeveloper: Intelligent SystemsPublisher: Nintendo

Year Released: 2005

If there was that one game that we would force into anyone's Game Boy

Advance library, of all of the hundreds upon hundreds of games

released for the system, it would be, without a doubt, Wario WareTwisted. Wario Ware: Mega Microgames might have started the whole "five second gameplay"

genre that's been sequeled and cloned over the years, but Wario Ware Twisted took the conceptin a completely amazing direction that just couldn't be missed.

A gyroscopic sensor housed inside the cartridge turned the GBA into a twistable controller, and

game designers had all sorts of fun coming up with awesome little challenges using this concept.Dial a phone. Turn a world upside down. Even play a modified version of Super Mario Bros. We

should have seen it as a sign of things to come: the technology in the cartridge is what we're nowenjoying in the Wii Remote. And the Game Boy Advance got it two years prior.

Unfortunately, even though this game can't be missed, it was missed. By many people. The gamesold modestly but never really reached that coveted "million seller" that so many Nintendo

published games enjoy. Perhaps it was the daunting size of the thick box on the shelves. Orperhaps it was Wario's ugly mug on the cover. Whatever the reason, it's disappointing to find

that, with the tens of millions of Game Boy Advance systems and additional millions of GBA-compatible Nintendo DS games out there, that only a small fraction of system owners played this

one. Try to find a copy on clearance before you regret it and miss an opportunity to enjoy whatwe believe is the best game on the system.

Documents

Top 25 Game Boy Advance Games