The Ten Best Game Boy Advance Games

To gamers in their mid- to late- twenties, the Game Boy Advance was a big deal in our childhood. The GBA was a 32-bit system, and many considered it to be a golden era for handheld gaming. In much the way that the Super Nintendo revolutionized home console gaming, the GBA was a renaissance of those same design principals. Many genres were represented in the fantastic library of games, but RPGs and side-scrolling platformers were foremost among them. In the interest of reigniting that old spark of nostalgia, let’s count down the ten greatest Game Boy Advance games of all time.

Metroid: Fusion

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We’re kicking things off with the game that brought the Metroid series out of a ten-year slumber (alongside Metroid Prime). While Metroid Prime proved to be a bit more traditional, narratively, Fusion took the franchise into some interesting places. The mechanics were largely an evolution of what had been seen in Super Metroid a decade earlier, with some new twists. The storyline, however, saw Samus gaining autonomy back after being under the thumb of the Federation. An all-around excellent and cinematic title, Fusion was a welcome return to form for the bounty hunter.

WarioWare Inc: Mega Microgame$!

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Frenetic, fast-paced and ridiculous, Mega Microgames was the first entry in the WarioWare series. The player is faced with a rapid-fire series of ridiculous vignettes that they have to complete in a matter of seconds. Hilarious, reflex-based and irreverent, the game constantly moves the player from one ridiculous setting to the next. The series’ trademark humor is on display is this excellent entry, bringing constant fun and laughs.

Advance Wars

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The quirky, charming world of Advance Wars was first introduced to American audiences in 2001. This turn-based military strategy game has a cute art style, tight mechanics and a robust suite of game modes. The game proved popular with Americans, surprising Nintendo and prompting them to release a number of sequels. While none ever quite lived up to the sales and reception of the original, Advance Wars remains a fan-favorite game. There’s something about out-maneuvering your opponent and winning on the grand scale that’s just so satisfying!

Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga

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Without a doubt, Mario and Luigi is one of the funniest video games ever released. If you play this game, you will laugh. The villains are delightful, the gameplay is well-tuned, and the world is inviting. Everything about this game tells you that loving attention to detail went into making it. The active-time battle system from sister series Paper Mario appears here, as well, and is just as fun. The active-time inputs make the combat more engaging that traditional RPGs, allowing you to add your own flair to the battles. While the series has spawned many sequels, the original remains the golden standard.

Fire Emblem

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The second entry on this list from Intelligent Systems, Fire Emblem is something of a medieval version of Advance Wars. Similarly, while it was the seventh entry in the series, the GBA game was the first American release for the long-running franchise. The GBA version was released largely due to increased interest in Fire Emblem drummed up by the fighting game Super Smash Bros Melee, in which characters from Fire Emblem appear. For its part, though, Fire Emblem is an excellent tactical turn-based RPG. Characters who die stay dead in these games, meaning every battle has deeply personal stakes. Friendships grow, relationships blossom and fighters level up, so losing someone is always a heavy blow to sustain.

Metroid: Zero Mission

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After the ten-year drought of Metroid games, fans of the series received an embarrassment of riches. After the superb Metroid Prime and Fusion, this brilliant re-imagining of the first game blew everyone away. Zero Mission is the quintessential Metroid game, featuring a huge, maze-like labyrinth, unlockable powers and endless ambiance. The oppressive halls and dangerous locales become killing fields for Samus as she upgrades her suit and masters her powers. The game remains a fan-favorite for speed runs and is a testament to how much of a renaissance this era was for 32-bit games.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

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The second game released in the long-running Kingdom Hearts franchise, Chain of Memories used a unique card-battle system for combat. As a fusion of the series’ trademark action-RPG combat and deck-building, Chain of Memories was a deeply fascinating Game Boy experience. Featuring a deep, conspiratorial tale centering around a shadowy “Organization,” the game pleasantly flips to reveal a deep “B-Side” after the credits roll. After defeating the main antagonists as Sora, players can play through another story as Riku, the series’ secondary protagonist and one of the villains from the first game. Packed full of content, animated with loving care and deeper than many AAA games of the era, Chain of Memories is a tour de force for Square.

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

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Somehow, Game Boy Advance Games managed to keep outdoing themselves time and again. After the excellent Symphony of the Night, many believed there would never be another Castlevania to live up to that pedigree. They were wrong. Aria of Sorrow is one of the greatest games in the series, introducing the setting to a new era in time: the future. The protagonist, Soma, is a likable and badass kid with the power to trap enemy souls and use their powers. The world map is non-linear, and progression is RPG-like and satisfying. The boss fights are intense and challenging, and the enemy designs are genuinely scary and unsettling. I daresay this is the finest Castlevania game, and more evidence of what a rare system the GBA was.

Golden Sun

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Golden Sun is that rare game that seeks to emulate a great and outdoes it. Camelot, the studio behind this masterpiece, wanted to deliver an experience like the original Final Fantasy. And, certainly, Golden Sun wears that inspiration proudly. It features four warriors who seek to purify four lighthouses to save the world. However, it also features great puzzles, a deep story and genuinely engaging characters. Its sequels are also excellent, which is rare for games from this era. An epic scope, some incredible summoning animations and genuinely intense boss battles make this one of the finest turn-based RPGs ever made.

The Best of All Game Boy Advance Games: The Legend of Zelda: the Minish Cap

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The finest of all Game Boy Advance games, Minish Cap follows in the example of excellent handheld Zelda adventures set by games like Link’s Awakening. Oddly, this entry was developed by Capcom, not Nintendo, but it’s still a fantastic core series title. Following the backstory of Four Swords antagonist Vaati, this adventure takes place in a distant past. Link find an odd talking hat that allows him to shrink and see the world from a new perspective. In his tiny size, normal enemies like Chu Chu Jellies become full-scale dungeon bosses. Brimming with charm and featuring a delightful world to explore, Minish Cap encompasses everything that makes Zelda game so damn fun.