Relying on who you ask, the query “what are the greatest GBA video games?” could be one which reveals lots a few gamer. Massive into JRPGS? It’s most likely Golden Solar and Fireplace Emblem: The Binding Blade. Extra of a Mario fan? Then it’s Famous person Saga and Energy Tour tennis. Actually, there are simply too many choices, however that doesn’t imply we’re not going to try to condense them down into one listing. That’s what we do.
For extra lengthy lists of thrilling titles, take a look at our picks for one of the best Swap journey video games, Swap technique video games, Swap racing video games, and free Swap video games. Or, for those who’re making an attempt to maintain issues retro, flip again the clock even additional with our listing of one of the best Sport Boy video games.
With that out of the way in which, let’s get into the greatest GBA video games.
Pokémon Emerald
Let’s be honest, each Pokémon sport from the GBA period might simply make this listing, but when we have now to select one, it’s at all times Pokémon Emerald. With bundles of post-game content material due to the Battle Frontier, the joy of discovering Johto Pokémon within the prolonged safari zone, and one of the best model of the third gen’s narrative arc, there’s a motive you see Emerald on the high of many greatest Pokémon video games lists.
Mario Golf: Advance Tour
Whereas different golf video games didn’t have the nerve to push the GBA to its limits with a 3D title, Mario Golf: Advance Tour placed on its big-person pants and provided a near-console high quality expertise for the time. With an intuitive design that pushes you to maintain enhancing your handicap and 4 thrilling programs to play on, there are hours of content material for these eager on discovering the golf green on this title,
Wario Land 4
Wario Land 4 has a particular place in my coronary heart as the sport I first performed on GBA, however don’t assume I’m biased right here. Wario’s fourth foray is effectively generally known as one of many wackiest platformers on GBA, asking the query “What if Mario performed as if it had been a fever dream trapped inside an Egyptian pyramid?”. From the mind-boggling bosses to the charming minigames, the entire Wario Land 4 expertise is among the most memorable of the GBA period, and effectively value catching up on for any retro fanatics.
Golden Solar
Golden Solar was created by the brothers Hiroyuki and Shugo Takahashi as a technique to fight Sony’s growing JRPG dominance on the flip of the millennium, and it did simply that. Typically rating as the highest choose on different greatest GBA video games lists, Golden Solar’s epic narrative takes a few of the greatest tropes from the style and makes use of them to create a story by some means in contrast to some other, with the overarching story throughout the unique sport, it’s GBA sequel Golden Solar: The Misplaced Age, and DS follow-up Golden Solar: Darkish Daybreak coming collectively to showcase a tour de power in video games writing and RPG mechanics.
Sonic Advance 2
Earlier than Sonic the Hedgehog entered his mid-noughties malaise, the blue blur was doing gangbusters on GBA due to titles like Sonic Advance 2. The center baby of the three Sonic Advance titles is commonly heralded as one of the best of the bunch, due to the improved pace of the hedgehog himself, in addition to improved degree design, and some difficult missions to check those that go via Inexperienced Hill Zone with ease.
Metroid: Zero Mission
A reimagining of a sequence’ place to begin can so usually go incorrect, however with Metroid: Zero Mission, Nintendo actually determined to go to city in bringing the unique Metroid expertise to life in handheld type. On this model, you’ll be able to really inform what the enemies are alleged to be, and the deep-space horror vibes flip up a couple of notches due to memorable bosses like Mom Mind trying, effectively, revolting. Higher nonetheless, you’ll be able to full this one in a single afternoon, so there’s no motive for it to not be in your catalogue.
Yoshi’s Island: Tremendous Mario Advance 3
Very like Wario Land 4, Yoshi’s Island presents a substitute for the basic Mario-style platforming, this time due to some floaty dinosaurs, flying eggs, and one very peeved child Bowser. Outdoors of gameplay, and that gameplay is a lot fulfilling, Yoshi’s Island is a pastel paradise, utilizing childlike illustrations to construct a world that feels completely different to anything within the Mario sequence, and is a should for anybody who hasn’t skilled its pleasure.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Recollections
There was some trepidation from sequence followers when Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Recollections was introduced method again within the early days of the saga, with some followers discovering it troublesome to imagine the console expertise might translate to handheld. How incorrect they had been, with Chain of Recollections a childhood spotlight for a lot of who nonetheless love the convoluted franchise, due to an clever reimagining of KH gameplay for the GBA’s limitations, all of the beloved characters, and only a normal vibrancy in regards to the sport that makes each location really feel full of creativeness.
Tremendous Avenue Fighter II: Turbo Revival
One other SNES port completely fitted to the GBA, Tremendous Avenue Fighter II: Turbo Revival takes every little thing nice in regards to the unique sport, and, effectively, turbo prices it for a brand new era. With the potential of combating on the go due to the GBA’s hyperlink cable connection, you’ll be able to take any of the enduring roster of fighters to battle in opposition to your folks – although they’ll want a replica themselves – via varied sport modes and throughout vivid phases from everywhere in the world.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend Of Zelda sequence loves an excellent gimmick, time journey, shifting between worlds, apocalyptic moons that grasp over you want an impending omen of doom, that type of factor. In The Minish Cap, issues go all Honey, I Shrunk the Youngsters, as Hyperlink good points the flexibility to miniaturise himself for an additional journey, and this results in Hyrule as you’ve by no means seen it earlier than, like via the lens of a magnifying glass. Outdoors of every little thing being teeny-tiny, The Minish Cap additionally offers Hyperlink some new sword-wielding skills, making it one of many strongest top-down Zelda experiences for pure fight.
Mario & Luigi: Famous person Saga
Mario & Luigi: Famous person Saga is a sport that lives as much as its identify, sending the pair of plumbing brothers on a scale of epic proportions, all of the whereas battling via with RPG mechanics a la Paper Mario whereas offering loads of laughs. With Nintendo trusting AlphaDream with its most valuable IP, the developer delivered after which some, making a blueprint that will proceed all through till 2015’s Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam efficiently.
Mario Kart: Tremendous Circuit
If Nintendo ever wants a success for a brand new console, there’s one title you could be positive the developer is eager to race to launch, and it’s Mario Kart. Tremendous Circuit was the sequence debut on handheld, with memorable tracks like Cheep-Cheep Circuit and Ribbon Street mixed with the unique twenty Tremendous Mario Kart tracks to over forty completely different places (for those who’re together with battle maps). Whereas the graphics are a bit exhausting to get together with at the moment, it’s nonetheless value making an attempt out this title for any Mario or Nintendo historians.
There you may have it, our picks for one of the best GBA video games from again within the day. For extra trendy hits, or for those who’re simply feeling wordy, take a look at our picks for one of the best video games like Wordle.