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Let's Talk Game Boy Advance! Top 5s. - Printable Version

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Let's Talk Game Boy Advance! Top 5s. - Xander - 12-18-2020

The Game Boy Advance has a marvelous library of games. I've been rediscovering and building my collection of GBA games over the past few years; I nowhave over 75 games now and still a bunch more on my want list.

So I thought we could discuss some Top 5s. And since objective Top 5 lists can be a bit stale, I'll be more specific.

My Top 5 GBA Recommendations:
  1. Advance Wars
  2. Golden Sun
  3. Metroid Fusion
  4. Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga
  5. Fire Emblem
I'd recommend these games for their uniqueness and exclusiveness, especially with respect to the non-Japanese markets.

Advance Wars and then Fire Emblem were old franchises given new life on the GBA with their worldwide introductions. Advance Wars is probably my favourite game on the system.

Golden Sun is a fantastic RPG with great visuals and music and was a really console-like RPG experience on the handheld, with a story that spanned 2 games.

Metroid Fusion took the Super Metroid formula to a new place including more Horror elements. The experience of being hunted by the SA-X can induce actual fear in the player which was impressive for a handheld game.

Mario & Luigi was the basically the beginning of a brand new Mario RPG series, which has seen many sequels and even a remake; nothing beats the original though.

An honourable mention goes to Warioware Inc.

My Top 5 Remakes on the GBA:
  1. Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen
  2. Metroid: Zero Mission
  3. Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
  4. <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}-->The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
  5. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Pokemon LeafGreen and FireRed are almost perfect games. They definitely recapture the original Pokemon games while adding much needed quality of life improvements to the menu and to using Pokemon Moves outside of battle. The updated sprites and colours are my defacto standard when I imagine what Pokemon look like.

Metroid: Zero Mission takes the great Metroid Fusion game engine and implements it perfectly with the original Metroid's map and story. Lots of people prefer this Metroid title over Metroid Fusion for it's closer adherence to the traditional Metroid gameplay formula.

You can't beat Super Mario 3, especially when it has all of the visual updates from the Super Mario All-stars version of the game. Also, who could forget the gimmicky e-reader and it's extra levels and bonuses.

2D Zelda is good Zelda, not much else needs to be said. The bonus of a multiplayer with an aesthetic tie-in to Wind Waker was also pretty fun.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 was not so much a remake as a reimagining. Without a proper 3D engine, the team pivoted to an isometric perspective and made probably the best launch title on the GBA.

Honourable mention to all the other Mario remakes and the Final Fantasy games. These franchises really went nuts with releases.

Top 5 Non-Nintendo Games:
  • Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
  • Tactics Ogre: Knight of Lodis
  • Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town
  • Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
  • <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}-->MegaMan Battle Network
All the GBA Castlevania games are great fun. I played them over the last few years for the first time and was very impressed. The best of these is Aria of Sorrow.

Tactics Ogre often plays second Fiddle to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance on the GBA. And while I am only halfway through this game, I honestly like it better than FFTA. It's been great so far. I feel like it has a better story and I care more about the characters.

Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town took me completely by surprise. I bought it on a whim and tried it one morning. I was almost immediately hooked and played the game through to the credits.

The better known Tactics game on the GBA, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is fun, if a bit repetitive. A solid GBA title.

A MegaMan strategy RPG? Apparently! This series might have the most games on the whole system at 6, and even more if you add in the MegaMan Zero games.

My Top 5 GBA Regrets:
  1. No Original 2D Mario Platformer
  2. Unrelease 2D Metroid, Metroid Dread
  3. The Last Game Boy
  4. No Backlight at Launch
  5. Cardboard Boxes
I feel this one the most. Nintendo kept rereleasing old Super Mario games, but we never got a brand new one. We'd have to wait to wait for the DS for this.

Metroid Dread would have continued the tradition of Metroid Fusion on the DS. But the DS's success and the success of Metroid Prime seems to me have led to this title getting scrapped in favour of more the more Prime-like game, Metroid Prime Hunters. We would have to wait until the 3DS for another 2D Metroid game.

The Nintendo DS was a risk for Nintendo. A wacky two screened device with a touchscreen. Unwilling to initially commit their entire handheld efforts in this new direction, the DS was going to be the infamous 3rd Pillar of Nintendo consoles. Of course, when the DS was a massive success, Nintendo quickly abandoned the Game Boy line. Perhaps one day we'll get a Game Boy Classic? Other Big Brin

The GBA had no backlight. That meant without direct light, it was difficult to even see some games. This led to many games altering their colour palettes (ultimately for the worse) to try and increase visibility. The GBA SP with it's front light system would fix most of these issues, and eventually the GBA SP AGS-101 model had a full backlight. Clever modders have now even made it possible to put the backlit screens (as well as brand new IPS LCD screens) into the original GBA form factor.

Cardboard boxes aren't great for the video game collector. They notoriously are easily damaged and more difficult to store and display than things like DVD cases. Thankfully, with the new Nintendo DS came new plastic cases, the first of which featured a small holster for GBA cartridges. Many collectors, myself included, have used these cases, with printed slipcovers, to store and display their GBA collections!

I could talk about the GBA all day, so maybe I should stop there. If you made it this far, thanks for reading! :P

I'd love to read more wacky Top 5 lists from you guys! Top 5 Sports Games? Top 5 Anime Games? Top 5 Underrated Games? Top 5 Accessories? Maybe I'll add some more Top 5s in a few days!  Whoops!

RE: Let's Talk Game Boy Advance! Top 5s. - VinnyVideo - 12-19-2020

Oh yeah, the GBA has quite an awesome library indeed. The GBA didn't have an especially long life, yet pretty much every major Nintendo series got a great game for it.

Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap are worth mentioning, too.

RE: Let's Talk Game Boy Advance! Top 5s. - Pedigree - 12-19-2020

1. Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga
2. WarioWare Twisted
3. Sonic Advance 3
4. Legend of Zelda Minish Cap
5. Pokemon FireRed/Leaf Green

RE: Let's Talk Game Boy Advance! Top 5s. - Xander - 12-20-2020

(12-19-2020, 10:09 AM)VinnyVideo Wrote: Oh yeah, the GBA has quite an awesome library indeed. The GBA didn't have an especially long life, yet pretty much every major Nintendo series got a great game for it.

Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap are worth mentioning, too.
Yep, there are so many games worth mentioning. That's why Top 5s are nice for GBA discussion. Super Circuit would definitely top my list of multiplayer games. I own but haven't completed Amazing Mirror, but I've heard good things. Minish Cap I've played and quite enjoyed: definitely a great title.
(12-19-2020, 12:47 PM)Pedigree Wrote: 1. Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga
2. WarioWare Twisted
3. Sonic Advance 3
4. Legend of Zelda Minish Cap
5. Pokemon FireRed/Leaf Green

You can't go wrong with these. I own them all. I've yet to complete Twisted though, as I only got that recently. Nice list!

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