14 best Game Boy Advance games (2022)

Nintendo’s history is rich with handheld games. However, few devices in the Nintendo lineup have such a vast library.

The Game Boy Advance, as the Nintendo handheld’s middle child, acts as an intermediary between those handhelds. Players are shown that handheld games don’t have to be just side-scrollers and puzzles. 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

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. All this 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 SagaThis is one handheld RPG that’s not only the best, but also ranks among the top RPGs.

Pokémon Emerald

Your favorite Pokémon generation is almost certainly tied to your age when you started playing. I was a fan of the first three generations. Pokémon EmeraldIt is the most beautiful.

Emerald Fusion of two or more counterparts Ruby 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.

Original Ruby Sapphire The games have a lot to offer, from interesting start-ups to beautiful islands and Legendaries that you can 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 FusionWas the Metroid’s last 2D Metroid title before? Metroid Dread launched last year — a gap that spanned nearly two decades (sans Mercury Steam’s fabulous Samus ReturnsStart over Metroid 2). The appreciation for Fusion only grew over the long break. Metroid FusionThis is a great Metroid game and still looks incredible.

Fusion It takes place aboard a BSL-type space station. The events of Super MetroidSamus becomes infected by a parasite named 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. The X parasite is back as SAXX, a frightening Samus clone who roams the station. It’s a lot.

Metroid Fusion is a new series that offers many different powers and suits. These are sure to please Metroid loyalists. 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.

KirbyNightmare in Dreamland

Kirby’s Nightmare in DreamlandThis is a remake Kirby’s AdventureSince 1993. When Kirby fails to dream, he discovers that King Dedede — one of the puffball’s most common villains — has broken the Star Rod. Kirby, who is a good at copying and platforming, must rebuild the artifact to defeat a slew of baddies.

Nightmares in DreamlandTakes the Kirby magic to the handheld to allow fans to easily copy it. Even though Kirby is still a great game, it’s worth picking up. Nightmares in DreamlandYou will also find a variety of sub-games, for solo and multiplayer play such as the Samurai Kirby miniaturegame, or boss rush.

Kirby is a joy to be around, and he leaves a strong legacy on Game Boy. Nightmares in DreamlandHe is one of the best.

Final Fantasy TacticsAdvance

Final Fantasy Tactics AdvanceFinal Fantasy’s world is combined with tactical map-based combat like Fire Emblem. Despite this change in combat and gameplay, the game still maintains the charm of Final Fantasy’s characters and their world.

Players adored Final Fantasy TacticsOn the PlayStation: Advance This is an offshoot. Final Fantasy remains a staple videogame, and players continue to clamor for the Final Fantasy Tactics brand. 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

Photo: Konami via Polygon

CastlevaniaAria of Sorrow This is Castlevania’s best-selling game SymphonyOf the NightThis is the last one for the Game Boy Advance.

So it is 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. And unlike Castlevania, it’s not like 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 SorrowThis game combines Castlevania’s classic hunting with new weaponry and a refreshing setting. 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 WarsYet another strategy game. But unlike Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics, Advance WarsIt is all about tanks, soldiers and modern warfare.

Advance WarsYou can command your army of soldiers by training them at bases, and then sending them off to 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.

This may be a replacement for the full scripted story and names characters in tactics games that use anonymous pawns. 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 CampSwitch to it later in the year

WarioWare: Twisted

Image: Nintendo

WarioWare: The Nintendo DS was already out, so it came after that game. It makes good use of that late timing by innovating using a gyrosensor.

There were many input options before consoles and controllers. Twisted The game was changed. The game retained the micro-game theme of the old WarioWare but included games that would require you to flip your Game Boy upside down as quickly as possible.

WarioWare’s games have a lot of fun and interesting gameplay. Still, WarioWare: The sequel did exactly what it should do and gave life to an already solid foundation.

Bit Generations Coloris

Bit Generations ColorisIt’s a puzzle-based game with a different take on match three gameplay. You don’t have to move pieces in a specific order. Instead, you can morph pieces according to your requirements. 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. Combining that with the bright colors and beautiful sound effects you get a puzzle game you will enjoy for many years.

Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap

Fans are a part of every Legend of Zelda title. Legend of Zelda: The Minish CasketIt has a certain cult following. And that’s for good reason: The Minish CapThe best Zelda handheld game.

The Minish CapTake Link along on an adventure using a strange hat which allows Link to shrink and expand, much like Alice in Wonderland. 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 has some of the most memorable games of all time, which is why it’s still praised by fans. It Minish CapIts reputation as one of the top is testament to its high quality.

Astro Boy: Omega Factor

Astro Boy isn’t the first side-scrolling, robotic hero that comes to mind when you think about video games. His Game Boy Advance game is, however. Astro Boy: Omega FactorThe excellent example is of an expertly licensed property.

Omega Factor is a beat-’em-up that features both land and flight sections. Astro Boy is able to punch, kick and shoot lasers with his hands. He also has several stats that can enhance his capabilities.

Many games from the early 2000s based on other properties can’t live up to the source material and end up feeling hollow. However, Astro Boy: Omega FactorThis hidden gem made it home on Game Boy Advance.

Mr. Driller 2

Mr. Driller 2This puzzle-game features chibi characters drilling into 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.

This is the sequel Mr. Driller maintains the original’s charming characters while offering more impressive visuals on a superior handheld system. Mr. Driller 2You can also play with friends in bonus modes. It’s a great example of handheld refinement, and watching a series evolve just as the consoles do.

Drill Dozer

Drill DozerAnother late Game Boy Advance title, this one was released in North America almost two years after its predecessor 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.

Drill DozerJill is a little girl that pilots the Drill Dozer mech. You’ll need to battle through multiple screens, taking on enemies and spinning to face threats from numerous directions. This game has a lot of bosses, a variety of stages and an impressive collection. But it also features an unusual feature that is unique for Game Boy Advance games: a built-in rumble pack.

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

Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire

Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire This is the sequel to the original Pokémon PinballGame 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.

However, what is it that makes this possible? Pokémon Pinball: Ruby and SapphireIts charm is the reason it deserves to be on this list. 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