I have Sword of Mana but haven't played it since it came out.
I remember enjoying it but I didn't have any nostalgia for any other games in the series, it's still the only one I've played. I spent a lot of time leveling weapons and farming for items, so I probably don't have a lot of scope as far as whether it drags. I'm the sort of person to voluntarily drag it out!
It does have two separate playthroughs, one as the boy who is better at combat and one as the girl who is better at magic. The story is hardly different, but the choice is there. So you could just play it once if you want to get through it or play it twice if you realize you really enjoyed it and want more.
I may have only enjoyed it because "omg I'm playing a console-like game on a portable, this is so amazing." Everything felt great on GBA back in the day.
Recommendations compiled from previous PA G&T GBA threads:
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to The Past - Port of the classic SNES original, Link to the Past is considered to be one of, if not the best 2D Legend of Zelda games ever. With a large World - and Dark World - to explore, tons of varied enemies and weapons, unique dungeons, and cool bosses, the game packs many hours of action-adventure gameplay. Includes Four Swords, an excellent cooperative/competitive multiplayer adventure of its own.
Metroid Zero Mission - Complete overhaul of the original Metroid game. Inspired by the original, Zero Mission has completley modernized the concept of the original game, incorporating modern gameplay mechanics, fantastic artstyle, wonderful audio remixes of the original tunes, as well as new content that expands the story of Samus's first mission.
Metroid Fusion - A brilliant addition to the Metroid series, Fusion continues the story of Samus as she is infected by an alien parasite - fusing her armor to her body, and endowing her with the ability to absorb others' energy and powers. The game is classic exploration, item-based platforming action. Tons of enemies and awesome boss battles. A definite GBA classic.
Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga - Superstar Saga is the perfect mix of turn-based combat, adventuring and platforming all in one. What will keep you playing through all that time is not just all the neat moves or the excellent graphics but the well-crafted and humorous story. It’s chock-a-block full of action, strategy, humor, mini-games, it'll take many hours to finish, and Luigi finally gets some props.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap - In exploring an unfamiliar land, Link discovers the Minish Cap, gaining the power to shrink to miniature size in order to save the Minish people. Travels back and forth between their world and his, solve puzzles, fight through dungeons and slowly uncover the evil behind their plight and vanquish it. The graphics, especially when zoomed in, are breath taking and the new remixed classic Zelda tunes fit the game perfectly. A fresh take on zelda gameplay.
Advance Wars - A deep and complex strategy game, and a virtual smorgasboard for strategy fans of all levels of ability. Its combination of easy controls, high replayability, and large depth, will keep players coming back for more for a long time to come. One of the best aspects of Advance Wars is the sheer amount of things you can do. If you choose not to play the Campaign mode, you can still fight and earn battlefields in the War Room, or can get friends together and play multiplayer on either one GBA or link up to four GBAs at one time.
Golden Sun - An epic story of good vs. evil, brilliant graphics, a great combat system and even a multiplayer vs. mode into a stunning RPG. Golden Sun transpires in a world shared by two immense continents, Angara and Gondowan. Here alchemy rules and rare individuals called Adepts have mastered Psynergy, or the ability to telekinetically move items and attack. An engrossing story told by a set of very unique characters that come to life with intriguing dialogue. If you’re looking for a game that has interesting plot development and engrossing gameplay then look no further.
WarioWare: Twisted - Wario is back with 200 all-new microgames and all-new ways to play them! Each Game Pak is equipped with a Gyro Sensor that detects sideways motion. Play over 200 all-new, lightning-quick microgames by rotating the GBA or pressing the A Button. Tops the original in terms of intuitive gameplay, graphics and sound... but the basic formula hasn't changed a bit. Despite this being the fourth installment and despite the core concept being one of the simplest things since Tetris, Wario Ware Twisted feels utterly unique
Super Mario Bros. 3 (Super Mario Advance 4) - In what many consider to be the best Mario game ever, players have to run, jump and stomp on enemies through eight enormous worlds, as they use new and classic power-ups. Includes upgraded, enhanced graphics, presentation, and audio. The bottom line is that this is Mario hop-n-bop action at its finest, with a goodly amount of minigames thrown into the mix for good measure. As great as it ever was.
Yoshi's Island (Super Mario Advance 3 - a vibrant canvas decorated in brilliant crayon and eye-popping pastels, Yoshi's Island is not only considered one of the most beautiful 2D platformers, but is also considered one of the best 2D platfomers ever made, gameplay-wise as well. The variety in what Yoshi can do and the diversity in level designs, not to mention the wonderful use of scaling and rotation for the level structures and the incorporation of a half-dozen clever mini-games makes Yoshi's Island one of the best platformers ever.
Super Mario World (Super Mario Advance 2) - All the important elements that made "Super Mario World" a classic are preserved in this portable version. With even more improvements made over the near-perfect SNES game, Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 deserves the highest honors. One of the best 2D mario games ever, right up there with Mario 3. It’s a must-have for the Game Boy Advance, and proof positive that great game design transcends technology and time.
Super Mario Bros. (Classic NES Series) - The Goomba-stompin' Mushroom Kingdom side-scroller from 1985 redefined the action genre and propelled a humble plumber to superstardom. This is a perfect emulation of the NES classic. If you enjoyed the original Super Mario Bros - or just enjoy precise, classic 2D platforming in general - you can't go wrong with the original.
Super Mario Bros. 2 (Super Mario Advance) - Like the other Mario Advance games, this version brings the classic Super Mario Bros. 2 to the GBA, with the enhanced visual and audio presentation you would expect from the Advance serires of remakes. This remake of the Classic NES game includes all of the multiple characters to play as, all of the zany levels, and whacky enemies and items of the original, but with improved 16-bit and portable form.
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising - Advance Wars 2 expands on the original title with even more strategic action and all-new features that take the game to the next level. . Use all-new powers and assaults to rain destruction upon your enemy. Master the command of new units as you tackle new terrain features and devise original battle strategies. Test your strategic skill against your friends with either Single- or Multi-Pak multiplayer modes. Use the customizable Map Editor to create the most complex and challenging battle maps ever, then trade them with a friend. Great package and excellent sequel to the classic original.
Golden Sun: The Lost Age - The Lost Age will be far more expansive than its predecessor, and players have the ability to meet and join parties of other characters, with party members coming and going as the story progresses. The gameplay includes action outside of the turn-based combat, and players will have the ability to collect djinn, which can be used in battle to solve the game's puzzles. Not only does this sequel bring back all that was great about the original, but it's longer, harder, and more involved. Not only is this a fantastic RPG, but it's arguably better than the first game. Add to that the best graphics on the GBA, a gigantic sound track and a massive, twisting story line and you have a winner.
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow - As Soma, you must navigate the castle's labyrinths while confronting perilous monsters at every turn. With all of its unique features and amounts of item/soul collection, Aria could be considered second to only one other game in the Castlevania series – the masterpiece, "Symphony of the Night." The graphics are unparalleled, the mosnters are original and challeng[ing] and the scope of the game is impressive. The greatest Castlevania game on the GBA, and arguably the best in the series.
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon - the first of three explorative, item-acquiring, 2D-action metroid-like Castlevania games on the system, COTM raised the bar for games of its kind on the GBA. Detailed 2D graphics and pure castlevania exploration and action. The castle is large, the boss creatures are massive in size and challenging to defeat. And the overall quest is extremely fulfilling.
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance - Unravel the mysteries of a shrouded castle in a world populated by menacing monsters and bloodcurdling spirits, against a relentless army of monstrous foes. Clearer, brighter visual presentation is the biggest difference between Harmony of Dissonance and "Circle of the Moon." Although the graphical quality is pretty much the same, Konami made everything bigger and went with a brighter colour palette. Excellent iteration in the metroid-like Castlevania 2D, exploratory sidescrolling adventures.
WarioWare: Mega Microgame$ - A large collection of minigames sent to you in rapid succession, challenging you constantly to go just one more level further, as the games pick up in both speed and difficulty. The games (more than 200 total) are extraordinarily simple yet extremely fun. Very addicting.
Fire Emblem - one of the best strategy-based RPGs on the GBA. Test your skills as a military strategist as you guide your forces into battle. Strike from above with your Pegasus Knights, of guide your armored footmen in close combat. You'll need to gauge your enemy wisely and use the terrain to your advantage as you fight across hostile lands and restore the lost heir to her birthright. Although the automatic save system makes it a great handheld title, it's perhaps even better suited to relaxing marathon sessions on your couch. Fire Emblem is well-crafted, and unless you have an aversion to turn-based strategy, it's highly recommend.
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones - Sequel to the excellent Fire Emblem, not only is this title many times better than the original, it offers one of the best and fulfilling experiences for the Game Boy Advance. Refining the gameplay of the original, but offering a fresh new story, great writing, and music. It is challenging, with enough depth of both gameplay and story to please existing fans, while multiple difficulty settings will keep the title accessible to most everyone.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance - With an engaging plot, a deep gameplay system that allows for as much customisation as any handheld RPG, and a length that is ridiculously good value, there isn't much excuse not to own this game for SRPG fans. A lighthearted but intriguing story, strong visuals, great art style and music, combine with incredibly deep SRPG strategy gameplay and tons of hours of content to make for one of the best portable SRPGs available.
Final Fantasy IV Advance - The GBA version of this classic adventure includes all of the content of the original, plus new areas, spells, monsters, and more. . The game features the astounding music, challenging adventures and interesting storyline that FFIV is known for. Twelve different characters with new abilities, spells and items join and leave the party at different parts of the quest to keep the game fresh. Armed with the updated translation, and new abilities that we did not get in the original release, Final Fantasy IV is definitely a classic RPG worth picking up and playing through again or for the first time.
Final Fantasy V Advance - Remake of the classic original FFV - This title are more than a simple port of the SNES classic — every aspect of the games has been reviewed and enhanced. Additionally, a host of brand-new elements has been seamlessly merged with the original game, providing unexpected surprises for longtime fans. With new dungeons, new job classes, and other exciting features, both old-school players and newcomers can enjoy this genre-defining FINAL FANTASY title in a portable format.
Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls - Square Enix re-introduces the original Final Fantasy stories bundled in one package for the GBA. Both games feature additional stories and dungeons not found in the original games. Final Fantasy I features a new dungeon named Soul of Chaos, in which the player finds the four powerful Soul of Chaos boss monsters, in addition to various powerful equipment and valuable items. Final Fantasy II features a bonus story called Soul of Re-Birth highlighting the four NPC characters in the story, plus additional background stories of each.
Doom - port of the classic, genre-defining shooter Doom, this GBA game packs in nearly every aspect of the original PC game and makes it portable. The game looks great, runs well, sounds great and controls excellently. If you're a fan of Doom, a fan of shooters, or just a fan of action games, you owe it to yourself to own one of the most classic, high-paced, adrenaline-powered FPS games ever; in portable form.
Doom II - port of the classic sequel to Doom, this game improves upon every aspect of the original Doom on GBA. This game not only looks and sounds extremely close to the PC original, but it runs well too for the system. The game contains every weapon, level, and enemy of the original; you miss out on nothing in this huge FPS action game, including the enormous outdoor levels and frightening indoor levels. Link up for mulitplayer, at that!
Duke Nukem Advance - one of the best FPS games on the GBA (up there with the Dooms), this game provides a fast-paced arcadey first person shooter that looks and runs well and provides many interesting levels and locales to shoot down alien scum with a variety of interesting weapons. Bright vibrant graphics, classic Duke one-liners, and plenty of alien-blasting challenge, the game - while not as expansive as its PC forefather - still retains the attitude of the franchise, and manages to put a new twist on the arcadey-style shooting gameplay that you'd expect from a game like this.
Astro Boy: Omega Factor - a varied and excellent action game by legendary developer Treasure, Astro Boy has tons of levels, mulitple difficulties, a plot-oriented engaging story, and robust sidescrolling action gameplay with excellent control and impressive presentation. Signature company staples -- hordes of enemies, screens filled to bursting with explosive sprites, and a fiendish difficulty setting -- underscore a stunning, bite-sized seven-episode morsel. You will be hard pressed to find a better action game on the GBA.
Gunstar Super Heroes - a sequel to one of Treasure's classic 16 bit action games, Gunstar Super Heroes takes the concepts of the original and expands and refines them in this pseudo-remake. This fantastic action game pushes the GBA as hard as it can, all the while offering some seriously tight and fun gameplay throughout the special effects display. Despite the lack of weapon-combo system and 2 player mode, this game remains one of the most addicting and solid 2D action platformers on the GBA.
Mario Kart Super Circuit - New edition to the classic Mario Kart series, the GBA game takes inspiration from the previous Mario Kart incarnations and presents them in a new, stylized, SNES-like Mario Kart package. Mario Kart: Super Circuit puts your driving skills to the test on 40 tracks, each littered with wild weapons and obstacles. Feel like making some friends eat your dust? No problem. Four players can compete in Mario Kart: Super Circuit using only one Game Pak! If each player has a copy of the game, bonus features and new modes of play become available.
Metal Slug Advance - portable rendition of SNK's classic Metal Slug series, known for its tough, arcadey, sidescrolling action and humorous presentation, and its fun and destructive weapons and pilotable "Metal Slug" vehicles to wreck havoc on tons of varied and whacky enemies and bosses. The GBA incarnation represents the series' halmarks really well, and provides five challenging and rewarding missions of its own. Any fan of 2D arcade action or of the Metal Slug games should get this.
Drill Dozer - Thanks to brilliant design, fantastic gameplay and its in-built rumble device, Drill Dozer is one of the best 2D platformers you'll ever play. It features whimsical, memorable characters, terrific presentation and, most importantly, simply fantastic gameplay involving platforming, action, and an interesting drill mechanic. The puzzles provide an awesome balance of manual dexterity and mental prowess, and the game's pacing is spot on.Drill Dozer proves to be a great action game for the Game Boy Advance thanks to some creative, well-designed platforming elements and a number of classic-style boss battles, which keep the game uniformly intense throughout.
Riviera: The Promised Land - Despite the screen shots, it is not a tactical RPG, and it breaks a number of genre conventions associated with traditional RPGs. It could be argued, however, that this is the best reason to buy Riviera, as it certainly allows for a very interesting and unique experience with an emphasis on strategy and a wonderful story. The storyline is captivating, the technical presentation is superb and the unique gameplay twists make for a fresh role-playing experience that’s unlike many others.
Gradius Galaxies - Whether you're a grizzled arcade veteran or a newcomer to the series, Gradius Galaxies is sure to satisfy your appetite for destruction. This game is distilled Gradius shoot'em up gameplay, and is the best shoot'em up on the GBA. Excellent rendition of the series in portable form.
Alien Hominid - The GBA version of the classic console shooter of the same name. Alien Hominid on GBA retains all the super-fast action and irreverent humour of the larger console versions but in a format that you’ll really have trouble putting down. Prepare to freak-out all over again with this lovingly crafted slice of pure gaming joy. 13 levels of eye-popping insanity including the famous power-ups and huge bosses. Faithful conversion of artist Dan Paladin’s manic comic style to the GBA screen. Like the previous versions, its gameplay is challenging, kinetic, and old-school, all at the same time, and it's a complete blast to play.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories - Kingdom Hearts: COM for the Game Boy Advance bridges the gap between "Kingdom Hearts" and "Kingdom Hearts II," continuing Sora's tale where the original left off. The characters, locales, and enemies from the original are all here, creating a compelling game and story on par in many ways with the original. Combines two much-maligned RPG staples, random dungeons and card battles, and somehow pulls it off with aplomb. This is a terrific game that delivers a fun quest, stellar presentation, and an added incentive to revisit the game after it has been completed. Impressive presentation for a GBA game.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong - a perfect combination of platforming and puzzle-solving. Leap and battle through increasingly difficult levels as you use switches, conveyor belts, hammers, and more to overcome the hordes of enemies that block your way. The difficulty curve is perfect, and the game is constantly introducing new concepts to keep things fresh. Accessible and addicting.
Mega Man Battle Network (series) - If you like Megaman, RPGs, Action, or Adventure games in the slightest, this series does an incredibly good job of melding all of these aspects. All in all, combat is very easy to learn, but difficult to master -- and yet very satisfying. Although the game features a lot of action sequences, it’s really an RPG at heart. However, what makes this game unique is the battle system. It combines a turn based fighting system with a real time one.
Rebelstar Tactical Command - A turn-based strategy and combat game with role-playing elements, Rebelstar Tactical Command transports players to a not-so-distant future in which Earth is ruled by an evil empire.Four distinct play modes include campaign, skirmish, hot-seat multiplayer and multiplayer link mode. In hot-seat multiplayer mode, a replay option lets players review the opponent's last turn. The game's RPG elements allow players to develop unique characters and relationships and control individual soldiers. The game also boasts stealth skills, a variety of weapons, and destructible environments where players can strategically use the lines of sight rules to their advantage - or to their opponent's disadvantage.
Rhythm Tengoku - The team who brought you "WarioWare" brings you this incredibly cool minigame compilation in which rapid fire minigame are thrown at you Wario style, but must be played along to the rhythm of the music. A great portable game, perfect for short gameplay sessions or longer ones. Zany and endearing rhythm gameplay.
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story (series) - Swordcraft Story takes away all the daunting tedium and deftly delivers a fun, satisfying adventure enjoyable by both experienced and new players alike. Let me put it simply; this is a fun game. It has a quickly developed plot with interesting characters and an exciting enough battle system that you’ll never be bothered by the frequency of fights. What absolutely makes the game are the addictive side-scrolling real-time battles. An enjoyable RPG thanks to it's excellent, intense battles and the ability to actually create and take responsibility for your weapons, instead of just buying them from a shopkeeper.
Chu Chu Rocket - ChuChu Rocket! has tons of new puzzles, new gameplay features, and you can still play against three of your friends. You've got to keep those big hungry cats (KapuKapus) away from the mice (ChuChus). You direct the frantic little ChuChus with arrows, but the KapuKapus aren't far behind. You may rack up points saving ChuChus only to lose big if a KapuKapu gets into your rocket. If you manage to keep the felines at bay, your rocket will take to the skies as the winner! Truly a classic and fantastic puzzler. 4 player linkable battle, create-a-stage, create-a-character, and some of the best darn puzzles that ever made it to a portable.
Dr. Mario / Puzzle League - Two great classic puzzle games in one inexpensive package. Dr. Mario requires equal parts strategy and speed to achieve victory. Delete viruses by throwing vitamin capsules into a bottle. Since many viruses are trapped at the bottom of the bottle, you must plan ahead in order to eliminate them.In Puzzle League, you'll form a chain of three or more same-colored blocks. When you match up shapes, the blocks on top will fall onto other matching blocks, but if you can't make a match, the blocks rise to the top of the screen. This game also has unusual depth in terms of options and settings which lets players create a custom game experience.
Iridion II - There’s not a great deal that can be done to improve the 2D shooter’s basic premise, but Iridion II raises the bar by including superior audio, very decent graphics, and a good variety of both new (auto-upgrade) as well as classic (super-shot and smart bombs) gameplay features. Challenging and fun shooter with cool weapons and great presentation on the GBA.
Pokémon Fire Red/Leaf Green - Pokemon Red Fire and Leaf Green, the Game Boy Advance remakes of the first two Pokemon RPGs, let players explore the world of the original Game Boy game and collect sharper full-color versions of its familiar monsters. It also adds several new extra features to the game world, like television programs to interact with, invented languages to learn, and a more detailed, user-friendly Pokedex. The games come packaged with the new GBA wireless communication peripheral. From the big things to the little things like Move Tutors, new moves, and the ability to mix and match through literally hundreds of creatures, makes creating teams an endless task. Whether you're new to the series or been there from the beginning, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen will surely not disappoint.
Pokémon Ruby / Sapphire / Emerald - Thanks to the power of Game Boy Advance, graphics and battle animations look better than ever. Link up with three friends to battle in teams, or battle two Trainers at once as you travel through Hoenn.With the game’s ability to trade and battle with friends, plus incredible amount of Pokemon to capture and train, you won’t be putting these two down anytime soon. The game is bigger and deeper than previous incarnations. The core gameplay is still the same, but now there's a lot more to it. Lots of new features and a huge world to explore in the Pokemon world.
Sonic Advance (series) - the evolution of the classic 2D, high speed platforming action of Sega's flaghship franchise. The series is as good as ever on the GBA with fast platforming action and multiple characters with varying abilities to play through these games with. Great speed, platforming gameplay, and intricate and fun levels.
TMNT - a seemingly typical movie tie-in at first, TMNT is actually one of the best 2D brawlers on the GBA. It's an awesome throwback to old-school game design, but with tons of flair and technique to jazz up the experience into a contemporary piece. TMNT on the GBA doesn't slow the tempo with silly puzzles or frustrating platform-jumping sections. Instead, it's a pure, fast-paced brawler that lets you go wild beating on bad guys and bosses with a healthy variety of exaggerated martial arts moves. And, thanks to the eye-popping graphics and catchy audio, the game is as much fun to see and hear as it is to play. Surprising amount of depth.
F-Zero Maximum Velocity - A futuristic arcadey racing game inspired by "F-Zero" for the Super NES and "F-Zero X" for the Nintendo 64. Blazing fast speeds with sharp graphics, pulsating sounds and good controls. The element that really makes F-Zero Maximum Velocity shine is its four player option. 10 new craft, four five-track circuits, jumps, speed boosts, and other track challenges - a robust racing game for the GBA.
Mega Man Zero (Series) - the tough but rewarding 2D action-packed sidescroller, the Zero series is one of Capcom's finest 2D action platformers on the GBA. Tough as nails but fair and rewarding, these games have lots of variety, great presentation and graphics/audio, satisfying effects, awesome weapons and enemies and levels. The ability to use both the gun and sword (other weapons as well, later on) gives the game a fantastic mount of variety. It's tough as nails but rewarding and addicting.
Ninja Five-0 - this game is best described as a combination of classic Bionic Commando gameplay with fast-paced Ninja Gaiden platforming action. The gameplay and controls are amazing, as you progressively learn how to use the ninja's grappling hook to latch and swing and maneuver about the levels at lightning speed, while slashing down enemies and rescuing hostages with your katana and various Ninja magic spells. The game has a sweet difficulty curve but really takes off when you master the grappling mechanic. Several difficulties challenge you to replay once you've learned the very intuitive, easy to learn hard to master controls.
Sigma Star Saga - Sigma Star Saga combines the rich storyline and exploration of an RPG with an action-packed shoot'em up battle system. The shooter is a dying breed, but Namco has found a way to revitalize it and make it contagious for both hardcore role-players who seek something fresh and twitchy fingered gamers who have long waited to see this genre offer something fresh.
Street Fighter Alpha 3 - about as accurate and excellent a port of the classic 2D fighting game, Street Fighter Alpha 3. Featuring every character of the original SFA3, as well as some bonus characters, every level, and every move from the original, this game is a technical feat and an excellent representation of the 2D fighting classic. The game has a configurable, flexible control scheme to allow you to perform the many moves of the game on the 4-button GBA layout. Graphics, sound, and gameplay true to the original, this game is a must have for fighting fans.
Super Street Fighter 2: Turbo Revival - port of the excellent SSFII Turbo, this game is a faithful rendetion on the GBA. The gameplay is as responsive and rewarding as ever, and the iconic characters remain fresh. There are many new features, characters and stages that weren't in the original version. Great 2D street fighting gameplay.
King of Fighters EX2 Howling Blood - This is the second best fighting game on the GBA. KOFEX2 Howling Blood essentially replicates the gameplay of the excellent KOF2000, but alters the gameplay syste a bit and offers some new characters of its own. The graphics are as true to the NeoGeo games as you could hope with detailed and well animated sprites. The sound is fantastic and the levels all represent what you'd hope for in a KOF game. The controls are spot-on and well suited by the GBA's four action buttons. The tag team and combo system work well and the presentation of the game really does the KOF series justice. Excellent recomendation for any 2D fighter fan.
Super Robot Taisen (series) - anime-inspired strategy role-playing game, which delivers a great story and dozens of interesting missions. If you like the turn-based strategy RPG genre (such as Fire Emblem), you're almost guaranteed to enjoy this game. Be prepared to do a lot of reading, a lot of thinking, and a lot of losing. With that mindset, you can really enjoy this entry in Banpresto's long line of mecha SRPGs. Though it may not be overly deep in terms of strategy, the storyline and experience to be found in Super Robot Taisen is hard to beat. The sequel, SRT:TOG 2, includes many improvements to virtually every aspect of the original.
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis - A long, deep, and addicting strategy RPG that focuses on the turn-based management and strategic command of a small group of soldiers. Long, packed with value and excellently executed, armchair tacticians will appreciate the deep character design, while RPG enthusiasts will be surprised to find an extremely well developed storyline with branching paths backing the tactical focus. The sheer number of battles, along with the multiple endings (the story branches at several points based on the gamer’s selections), extra maps with hidden treasure not found in the main quest, and the multiplayer function that allows players to put their squads head-to-head make Tactics Ogre a game with a lot to offer in terms of gameplay.
Wario Land 4 - a very original and varied platformer on the GBA, Wario Land4 has a lot of variety in the game design and is more challenging than the usual side-scrolling fare due to its focus on making players figure out how to get to certain locations in the level. Tons of personality, diverse, and constantly throws new things at you to keep your interest.
Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town - an excellent iteration in the Harvest Moon series. It is up to you to successfully build and maintain a farm while befriending the people in town. You can do achieve your goals anyway you want, without a set path. Definitely stands on the shoulders of the Harvest Moons before it, but it also emerges as a much more polished, balanced, visually enjoyable, and definitive gameplay experience than any title in the series before it. Long and strangely addicting.
Advance Guardian Heroes - another brilliant sidescrolling fighter from legendary developer Treasure. Featuring over 20 controllable characters, more than 160 powerful moves to master, and many incredible multiplayer scenarios. Gamers play as one of three brand-new characters in an action-packed story of courage and sacrifice, upgrading and improving their powers as they progress. Advance Guardian Heroes features a simple user interface that allows instant pick-up-and-playability.The gameplay is solid action, not quite a fighting game, not quite an RPG, and always an action filled beat ‘em up. Constant action with many elements of the combat system to keep things changed up. The only caveat is the occasional slowdown during the game, but the gameplay and presentation more than make up for it.
Breath of Fire II - as a port of the SNES original, this is one of the most popular 16bit RPGs that continues the next epic quest in the Breath of Fire series. Re-enter the lifeof hero Ryu, a dragon morphing warrior, as he unknowingly embarks on a vast adventure in search of his missing father and little sister. Eight characters will join you along the way to help you find and master the hidden secrets of the vast landsyou will explore. Lengthy in nature, Breath of Fire II will keep you busy for quite some time and the story is more interesting in this rendition, with a colorful, and at times, zany cast. A very traditional RPG, with hours of engaging gameplay, a solid story and interface, and refinements all around.
F-Zero GP Legend - second GBA game in the classic FZero franchise, FZ GP Legend is just as fast as you would hope, but also challenging and addicting. Enough content for die hard gamers and an easy learning curve for casual gamers. The graphics are extraordinarily fast, accurate, and clear for a GBA game. Just gushing with tons of gameplay options. The game offeres more than what you'd expect from the series in terms of options and gameplay modes. It's easy to get into and allows a lot of racing growth as your experience increases. Make no mistake, even though GP Legend can be a tough nut to crack, the consistency of the track design and handling means this high difficulty level invites rather than discourages another go.
Klonoa Empire of Dreams - a colorful, stylized 2D platformer, and one of the best on the GBA. Bright, kaleidoscopic levels fill every inch of the screen, while the music and sound effects play nicely with Klonoa’s game style. An enriching game experience with lots of technical moves and hours of gameplay. A platformer requiring some brain-bending puzzles and thinking required. One of the best GBA sidescrollers and it's not even a NES/SNES port!
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire - Pokemon Pinball is much more than a typical pinball game. It combines fast flipper action with a unique way to catch your favorite Pokemon. As you search for Pokemon on both Ruby and Sapphire Fields you'll uncover lots of secrets, including Bonus Fields that let you battle Pokemon. This is a pretty ideal handheld game that is easy to pick up and play, for short or longer periods of time. Makes leaps and bounds above its predecessor through improved gameplay mechanics, fantastic new features, and a new coat of polish in the audio and visual departments. Polished pinball game with lots of cool pokemon stylings and dead-on pinball physics.
Rayman Advance - a beautiful, colorful 2D platformer in the fantastic Rayman series. Gorgeous graphics, fine details, and a neat artistic style. Accessible with creative levels and clever gameplay design. Excellent port of the Playstation original.
Rayman 3 - Certainly at the top of the heap of GBA platformers. It's not as difficult as the first one but it's still no cakewalk. It's going to keep you busy for a good long time. Colorful, detailed, and challenging, the game evolves the series’ gameplay and style. With a ton of unlockable features, including extras available only with connection to a GameCube, Rayman 3 has plenty of playing value. It's the level design that makes Rayman 3 stand out. While the early levels are mostly uninteresting, the game picks up as Rayman gains more of his trademark powers: the helicopter float, the wall climb, the super-punch, etc.
Boktai The Sun is in your Hand - From designer Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid), comes Boktai, a game to use sunlight to influence gameplay! Follow the adventures of a boy vampire hunter named Django who must overcome traps, defeat enemies, and fight through the deepest parts of dungeons to rid the world of evil. Everything controls well, the graphics are of the highest GBA quality, and the story is engaging. The levels are well designed, and the placement of enemies and their movement paths add to the difficulty, and unless you live in a sunny location, Boktai will prove to be more challenging than other adventure games. The built-in light sensor coupled with a world full of dynamic environments that actually change depending on the amount of sunlight the game pak detects ensures that the game’s most interesting bullet-point feature is more than just a gimmick.At its core, this is a first-rate action adventure game that features a good story, challenging puzzles, memorable battles, and some of the finest graphics and sound, to date, on the Game Boy Advance.
Racing Gears Advance - Racing Gears Advance features fast paced arcadey racing action. Choose from 12 officially licensed supercars; Feel the exhilaration of stopping another racer in their tracks with a well placed rocket, but be sure to upgrade your supercar to accomodate changing track conditions. Team up with your friends for multi-player racing action. It runs smooth, looks great, features tight controls and an arcade sense of physics that lets anyone get a handle on it in a couple of minutes. The fact that it's challenging and deep leaves room for gamers to develop their skills, both physical and mental, over time.
Shin Megami Tensei: Demi Kids - The basics of gameplay, and the different versions of the same game, are derived from the game's primary inspiration, Pokemon Red and Blue, and other monster-raising games. However, instead of catching monsters by defeating them in combat, the player must recruit them through diplomacy. The creatures the player obtains are called Demons. There are specific devils that only appear in each specific version. Gameplay that differs from most RPGs; the Demons in the game don't level up. The character who holds them does, and depending on the level of the character, the chances on whether the Demon will join him change. It also has link battle and link trade, where two players could duel each other or trade demons.
Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon - Darksol, a mysterious traveler, is secretly planning to resurrect an ancient, but terrible creature, the Dark Dragon. Play the part of a young warrior who washed ashore, but have lost your memory. When Guardiana is attacked, you are thrust into the role of leader and must unravel the mystery. Fans of epic turn-based quests and strategic battles will thoroughly enjoy it. Shining Force's biggest strengths are its setting, a delightfully half-serious anime fantasy world, and some of the most memorable, weirdest characters. An engaging and addictive experience even today. With the Card system adding an extra dimension to battles, ROTDD almost feels like a new game, but retains enough similarities to the original for series veterans to not walk away disappointed.
Super Puzzle Fighter II - Hailed as one of the best puzzle game of all time, Super Puzzle Fighter is chock full of competition, pint-sized SF characters, and non-stop high-energy insanity. Carefully stack the falling colored gems in strategic combinations. When the moment is right, use a burst gem to shatter your blocks. Watch your character execute a combo move and rain a volley of counter gems down on your opponent! Be the first to fill the other's screen with gems and K.O.!
Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland - Remake of the NES classic, Kirby:NiD comes with extra mini-games and an unlockable Meta-Knight mode. With fantastic level designs, great enemies and power-ups, as well as the addition of some fun and entertaining multiplayer modes, Kirby is a great addition for any platfomer fans. Not the longest nor most difficult game, it's still a great platforming romp with an excellent presentation.
Mario Golf: Advance Tour - fantastic GBA golfing game by developer Camelot. This great golf game is accessible and easy to pick up, but is deep enough for advance golf gamers to thoroughly enjoy. The game offers many courses to play through, as well as an RPG-lite design single player that is packed with different challenges. Excellent save system for easy pick up and play. Up to 4 players single-cart multi. Slick golf package.
Polarium Advance - The follow-up to a tile-flipping puzzle game for the Nintendo DS features a simple, challenging design that makes up for a bare-bones presentation. As a new and improved tile-flipping puzzler, Polarium Advance, for the Game Boy Advance, offers all new features that sharpen the brain and accelerate reflexes. Addicting, puzzle solving game.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (series) - These games bring everything from the Playstation THPS games and cram it all onto Nintendo’s portable. The levels and moves and multiple skaters are all there. Each of the levels are presented in an isometric point of view, onto which a 3D skater can maneuver and pull of the crazy chains of cool tricks that the series is known for. The GBA option captures the spirit of the game so much, even hardcore fans should want it as a portable alternative to the console originals. THPS3 - The game is tighter, longer, and more challenging than its predecessor, with more elements to enjoy, both in single and multiplayer modes.
It's Mr. Pants - Mr. Pants drops pieces towards the board, and you shunt them into place to create shapes, which either earns you points or cancels out shapes already on the board). But, there are complications...For a start, shapes have to be made in single colours, and pieces of the same colour can't be dropped on top of each other, either fully or partially. You can dump different colours on top of each other, which could kick off a crazy chain reaction if you're lucky or smart, but it could just as easily bring your progress to a grinding halt. In some modes the sinister crayon snake slithers around the perimeter of the board, and will squirm into the middle and put an end to your game if you don't keep kicking him back. Many players will quickly fall in love with the line-drawn artwork that's used in the menus and backgrounds, as well as the barnyard sound clips that are the game's sound effects.
Kuru Kuru Kururin (Japan only) - The player controls a slowly spinning stick called the Helirin, and must manoeuvre it through a series of mazes without touching the walls. The player controls the direction and speed of movement (there are 3 levels of speed), but the task is made difficult as the stick rotates continually. Once the player has successfully completed a level, there are bonuses to collect, record times to beat, and a gold star for completing the level without any accidents. The game also features multiplayer support that enables four-players to participate in the action with the use of a single cartridge.
Kururin Paradise (Japan only) - The gameplay is the same as the prequel, but faster and more frantic, requiring twitch-reflexes, whereas the original requires more thought, strategy, and fine calculation. This is due to Kururin Paradise's inclusion of a new feature that allows the player to speed up the rotation of their ship with a button press, encouraging them to skip through corners rather than align theirself at the correct angle.
Guru Logi Champ (Japan only) - Guru Logi Champ is a puzzle game by the Japanese developer Compile. Each stage requires the player to complete an image by placing and removing blocks on the board. The puzzles are set up so that there is no simple solution; often the player is blocked by other immovable areas and so must improvise a solution by constantly constructing and deconstructing their own barriers. An additional Battle Mode exists in which two players must race to finish puzzles in the fastest time. The game itself is best compared to Picross and Magical Drop.
MMBN2 is my fave also! I'd consider 4 to be the worst, and 1 to be outdone by all of its sequels. Don't get Battle Chip Challenge either!
I guess it helps that I'm a Dragonball fan, but Advance Adventure is really, really good. Just on its own, its a very fluid platform-beat em up with great animations, music, and stage variety. There's a bunch of extra content in it too, so even when you beat it once, you get to go through as Krillin and stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_gQftp8V6E
I don't know if you should add every MMBN, but the second is probably the best one.
Eh, I feel 3 and 6 are both better than 2 and 5 is better than 1 and 4 (Which are both pretty garbage).
Though really, I loved all of them when they came out. 1 and 4 just had some major translation issues and buggy gameplay that didn't age well. Same sort of thing happened with Star Force.
I guess it helps that I'm a Dragonball fan, but Advance Adventure is really, really good. Just on its own, its a very fluid platform-beat em up with great animations, music, and stage variety. There's a bunch of extra content in it too, so even when you beat it once, you get to go through as Krillin and stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_gQftp8V6E
I bought a legitimate knights of lodis copy fairly recently. it's still out there. I had kind of mixed feelings about it because the story is so awful/sad that it can be hard to enjoy it, especially if you pick route A.
castlevania: circle of the moon was probably my favorite gba title. aria of sorrow was okay, you can skip harmony of dissonance.
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cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
edited June 2011
I still need to find a copy of that game. (Tactics Ogre: Knight of Lodis)
MS should really crib the idea that KoL used for class promotions.
Basically you needed certain achievements to turn into certain classes. Have Rare make Cheevo Warrior Deluxe.
Xenogears of Bore on
3DS CODE: 3093-7068-3576
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ZanshinretsuAbout 20% more deathstareSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
edited June 2011
One of my favorite games that I always come back to from the GBA era is Zone of the Enders: Fist of Mars. Did anyone else ever try it? It combined Advance Wars strategy with RPG elements, big customizable robots and good-old teen angst.
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PSN: theIceBurner, IceBurnerEU, IceBurner-JP | X-Link Kai: TheIceBurner
Dragon's Dogma: 192 Warrior Linty | 80 Strider Alicia | 32 Mage Terra
I remember enjoying it but I didn't have any nostalgia for any other games in the series, it's still the only one I've played. I spent a lot of time leveling weapons and farming for items, so I probably don't have a lot of scope as far as whether it drags. I'm the sort of person to voluntarily drag it out!
It does have two separate playthroughs, one as the boy who is better at combat and one as the girl who is better at magic. The story is hardly different, but the choice is there. So you could just play it once if you want to get through it or play it twice if you realize you really enjoyed it and want more.
I may have only enjoyed it because "omg I'm playing a console-like game on a portable, this is so amazing." Everything felt great on GBA back in the day.
Metroid Zero Mission - Complete overhaul of the original Metroid game. Inspired by the original, Zero Mission has completley modernized the concept of the original game, incorporating modern gameplay mechanics, fantastic artstyle, wonderful audio remixes of the original tunes, as well as new content that expands the story of Samus's first mission.
Metroid Fusion - A brilliant addition to the Metroid series, Fusion continues the story of Samus as she is infected by an alien parasite - fusing her armor to her body, and endowing her with the ability to absorb others' energy and powers. The game is classic exploration, item-based platforming action. Tons of enemies and awesome boss battles. A definite GBA classic.
Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga - Superstar Saga is the perfect mix of turn-based combat, adventuring and platforming all in one. What will keep you playing through all that time is not just all the neat moves or the excellent graphics but the well-crafted and humorous story. It’s chock-a-block full of action, strategy, humor, mini-games, it'll take many hours to finish, and Luigi finally gets some props.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap - In exploring an unfamiliar land, Link discovers the Minish Cap, gaining the power to shrink to miniature size in order to save the Minish people. Travels back and forth between their world and his, solve puzzles, fight through dungeons and slowly uncover the evil behind their plight and vanquish it. The graphics, especially when zoomed in, are breath taking and the new remixed classic Zelda tunes fit the game perfectly. A fresh take on zelda gameplay.
Advance Wars - A deep and complex strategy game, and a virtual smorgasboard for strategy fans of all levels of ability. Its combination of easy controls, high replayability, and large depth, will keep players coming back for more for a long time to come. One of the best aspects of Advance Wars is the sheer amount of things you can do. If you choose not to play the Campaign mode, you can still fight and earn battlefields in the War Room, or can get friends together and play multiplayer on either one GBA or link up to four GBAs at one time.
Golden Sun - An epic story of good vs. evil, brilliant graphics, a great combat system and even a multiplayer vs. mode into a stunning RPG. Golden Sun transpires in a world shared by two immense continents, Angara and Gondowan. Here alchemy rules and rare individuals called Adepts have mastered Psynergy, or the ability to telekinetically move items and attack. An engrossing story told by a set of very unique characters that come to life with intriguing dialogue. If you’re looking for a game that has interesting plot development and engrossing gameplay then look no further.
WarioWare: Twisted - Wario is back with 200 all-new microgames and all-new ways to play them! Each Game Pak is equipped with a Gyro Sensor that detects sideways motion. Play over 200 all-new, lightning-quick microgames by rotating the GBA or pressing the A Button. Tops the original in terms of intuitive gameplay, graphics and sound... but the basic formula hasn't changed a bit. Despite this being the fourth installment and despite the core concept being one of the simplest things since Tetris, Wario Ware Twisted feels utterly unique
Super Mario Bros. 3 (Super Mario Advance 4) - In what many consider to be the best Mario game ever, players have to run, jump and stomp on enemies through eight enormous worlds, as they use new and classic power-ups. Includes upgraded, enhanced graphics, presentation, and audio. The bottom line is that this is Mario hop-n-bop action at its finest, with a goodly amount of minigames thrown into the mix for good measure. As great as it ever was.
Yoshi's Island (Super Mario Advance 3 - a vibrant canvas decorated in brilliant crayon and eye-popping pastels, Yoshi's Island is not only considered one of the most beautiful 2D platformers, but is also considered one of the best 2D platfomers ever made, gameplay-wise as well. The variety in what Yoshi can do and the diversity in level designs, not to mention the wonderful use of scaling and rotation for the level structures and the incorporation of a half-dozen clever mini-games makes Yoshi's Island one of the best platformers ever.
Super Mario World (Super Mario Advance 2) - All the important elements that made "Super Mario World" a classic are preserved in this portable version. With even more improvements made over the near-perfect SNES game, Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 deserves the highest honors. One of the best 2D mario games ever, right up there with Mario 3. It’s a must-have for the Game Boy Advance, and proof positive that great game design transcends technology and time.
Super Mario Bros. (Classic NES Series) - The Goomba-stompin' Mushroom Kingdom side-scroller from 1985 redefined the action genre and propelled a humble plumber to superstardom. This is a perfect emulation of the NES classic. If you enjoyed the original Super Mario Bros - or just enjoy precise, classic 2D platforming in general - you can't go wrong with the original.
Super Mario Bros. 2 (Super Mario Advance) - Like the other Mario Advance games, this version brings the classic Super Mario Bros. 2 to the GBA, with the enhanced visual and audio presentation you would expect from the Advance serires of remakes. This remake of the Classic NES game includes all of the multiple characters to play as, all of the zany levels, and whacky enemies and items of the original, but with improved 16-bit and portable form.
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising - Advance Wars 2 expands on the original title with even more strategic action and all-new features that take the game to the next level. . Use all-new powers and assaults to rain destruction upon your enemy. Master the command of new units as you tackle new terrain features and devise original battle strategies. Test your strategic skill against your friends with either Single- or Multi-Pak multiplayer modes. Use the customizable Map Editor to create the most complex and challenging battle maps ever, then trade them with a friend. Great package and excellent sequel to the classic original.
Golden Sun: The Lost Age - The Lost Age will be far more expansive than its predecessor, and players have the ability to meet and join parties of other characters, with party members coming and going as the story progresses. The gameplay includes action outside of the turn-based combat, and players will have the ability to collect djinn, which can be used in battle to solve the game's puzzles. Not only does this sequel bring back all that was great about the original, but it's longer, harder, and more involved. Not only is this a fantastic RPG, but it's arguably better than the first game. Add to that the best graphics on the GBA, a gigantic sound track and a massive, twisting story line and you have a winner.
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow - As Soma, you must navigate the castle's labyrinths while confronting perilous monsters at every turn. With all of its unique features and amounts of item/soul collection, Aria could be considered second to only one other game in the Castlevania series – the masterpiece, "Symphony of the Night." The graphics are unparalleled, the mosnters are original and challeng[ing] and the scope of the game is impressive. The greatest Castlevania game on the GBA, and arguably the best in the series.
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon - the first of three explorative, item-acquiring, 2D-action metroid-like Castlevania games on the system, COTM raised the bar for games of its kind on the GBA. Detailed 2D graphics and pure castlevania exploration and action. The castle is large, the boss creatures are massive in size and challenging to defeat. And the overall quest is extremely fulfilling.
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance - Unravel the mysteries of a shrouded castle in a world populated by menacing monsters and bloodcurdling spirits, against a relentless army of monstrous foes. Clearer, brighter visual presentation is the biggest difference between Harmony of Dissonance and "Circle of the Moon." Although the graphical quality is pretty much the same, Konami made everything bigger and went with a brighter colour palette. Excellent iteration in the metroid-like Castlevania 2D, exploratory sidescrolling adventures.
WarioWare: Mega Microgame$ - A large collection of minigames sent to you in rapid succession, challenging you constantly to go just one more level further, as the games pick up in both speed and difficulty. The games (more than 200 total) are extraordinarily simple yet extremely fun. Very addicting.
Fire Emblem - one of the best strategy-based RPGs on the GBA. Test your skills as a military strategist as you guide your forces into battle. Strike from above with your Pegasus Knights, of guide your armored footmen in close combat. You'll need to gauge your enemy wisely and use the terrain to your advantage as you fight across hostile lands and restore the lost heir to her birthright. Although the automatic save system makes it a great handheld title, it's perhaps even better suited to relaxing marathon sessions on your couch. Fire Emblem is well-crafted, and unless you have an aversion to turn-based strategy, it's highly recommend.
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones - Sequel to the excellent Fire Emblem, not only is this title many times better than the original, it offers one of the best and fulfilling experiences for the Game Boy Advance. Refining the gameplay of the original, but offering a fresh new story, great writing, and music. It is challenging, with enough depth of both gameplay and story to please existing fans, while multiple difficulty settings will keep the title accessible to most everyone.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance - With an engaging plot, a deep gameplay system that allows for as much customisation as any handheld RPG, and a length that is ridiculously good value, there isn't much excuse not to own this game for SRPG fans. A lighthearted but intriguing story, strong visuals, great art style and music, combine with incredibly deep SRPG strategy gameplay and tons of hours of content to make for one of the best portable SRPGs available.
Final Fantasy IV Advance - The GBA version of this classic adventure includes all of the content of the original, plus new areas, spells, monsters, and more. . The game features the astounding music, challenging adventures and interesting storyline that FFIV is known for. Twelve different characters with new abilities, spells and items join and leave the party at different parts of the quest to keep the game fresh. Armed with the updated translation, and new abilities that we did not get in the original release, Final Fantasy IV is definitely a classic RPG worth picking up and playing through again or for the first time.
Final Fantasy V Advance - Remake of the classic original FFV - This title are more than a simple port of the SNES classic — every aspect of the games has been reviewed and enhanced. Additionally, a host of brand-new elements has been seamlessly merged with the original game, providing unexpected surprises for longtime fans. With new dungeons, new job classes, and other exciting features, both old-school players and newcomers can enjoy this genre-defining FINAL FANTASY title in a portable format.
Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls - Square Enix re-introduces the original Final Fantasy stories bundled in one package for the GBA. Both games feature additional stories and dungeons not found in the original games. Final Fantasy I features a new dungeon named Soul of Chaos, in which the player finds the four powerful Soul of Chaos boss monsters, in addition to various powerful equipment and valuable items. Final Fantasy II features a bonus story called Soul of Re-Birth highlighting the four NPC characters in the story, plus additional background stories of each.
Doom - port of the classic, genre-defining shooter Doom, this GBA game packs in nearly every aspect of the original PC game and makes it portable. The game looks great, runs well, sounds great and controls excellently. If you're a fan of Doom, a fan of shooters, or just a fan of action games, you owe it to yourself to own one of the most classic, high-paced, adrenaline-powered FPS games ever; in portable form.
Doom II - port of the classic sequel to Doom, this game improves upon every aspect of the original Doom on GBA. This game not only looks and sounds extremely close to the PC original, but it runs well too for the system. The game contains every weapon, level, and enemy of the original; you miss out on nothing in this huge FPS action game, including the enormous outdoor levels and frightening indoor levels. Link up for mulitplayer, at that!
Duke Nukem Advance - one of the best FPS games on the GBA (up there with the Dooms), this game provides a fast-paced arcadey first person shooter that looks and runs well and provides many interesting levels and locales to shoot down alien scum with a variety of interesting weapons. Bright vibrant graphics, classic Duke one-liners, and plenty of alien-blasting challenge, the game - while not as expansive as its PC forefather - still retains the attitude of the franchise, and manages to put a new twist on the arcadey-style shooting gameplay that you'd expect from a game like this.
Astro Boy: Omega Factor - a varied and excellent action game by legendary developer Treasure, Astro Boy has tons of levels, mulitple difficulties, a plot-oriented engaging story, and robust sidescrolling action gameplay with excellent control and impressive presentation. Signature company staples -- hordes of enemies, screens filled to bursting with explosive sprites, and a fiendish difficulty setting -- underscore a stunning, bite-sized seven-episode morsel. You will be hard pressed to find a better action game on the GBA.
Gunstar Super Heroes - a sequel to one of Treasure's classic 16 bit action games, Gunstar Super Heroes takes the concepts of the original and expands and refines them in this pseudo-remake. This fantastic action game pushes the GBA as hard as it can, all the while offering some seriously tight and fun gameplay throughout the special effects display. Despite the lack of weapon-combo system and 2 player mode, this game remains one of the most addicting and solid 2D action platformers on the GBA.
Mario Kart Super Circuit - New edition to the classic Mario Kart series, the GBA game takes inspiration from the previous Mario Kart incarnations and presents them in a new, stylized, SNES-like Mario Kart package. Mario Kart: Super Circuit puts your driving skills to the test on 40 tracks, each littered with wild weapons and obstacles. Feel like making some friends eat your dust? No problem. Four players can compete in Mario Kart: Super Circuit using only one Game Pak! If each player has a copy of the game, bonus features and new modes of play become available.
Metal Slug Advance - portable rendition of SNK's classic Metal Slug series, known for its tough, arcadey, sidescrolling action and humorous presentation, and its fun and destructive weapons and pilotable "Metal Slug" vehicles to wreck havoc on tons of varied and whacky enemies and bosses. The GBA incarnation represents the series' halmarks really well, and provides five challenging and rewarding missions of its own. Any fan of 2D arcade action or of the Metal Slug games should get this.
Drill Dozer - Thanks to brilliant design, fantastic gameplay and its in-built rumble device, Drill Dozer is one of the best 2D platformers you'll ever play. It features whimsical, memorable characters, terrific presentation and, most importantly, simply fantastic gameplay involving platforming, action, and an interesting drill mechanic. The puzzles provide an awesome balance of manual dexterity and mental prowess, and the game's pacing is spot on.Drill Dozer proves to be a great action game for the Game Boy Advance thanks to some creative, well-designed platforming elements and a number of classic-style boss battles, which keep the game uniformly intense throughout.
Riviera: The Promised Land - Despite the screen shots, it is not a tactical RPG, and it breaks a number of genre conventions associated with traditional RPGs. It could be argued, however, that this is the best reason to buy Riviera, as it certainly allows for a very interesting and unique experience with an emphasis on strategy and a wonderful story. The storyline is captivating, the technical presentation is superb and the unique gameplay twists make for a fresh role-playing experience that’s unlike many others.
Gradius Galaxies - Whether you're a grizzled arcade veteran or a newcomer to the series, Gradius Galaxies is sure to satisfy your appetite for destruction. This game is distilled Gradius shoot'em up gameplay, and is the best shoot'em up on the GBA. Excellent rendition of the series in portable form.
Alien Hominid - The GBA version of the classic console shooter of the same name. Alien Hominid on GBA retains all the super-fast action and irreverent humour of the larger console versions but in a format that you’ll really have trouble putting down. Prepare to freak-out all over again with this lovingly crafted slice of pure gaming joy. 13 levels of eye-popping insanity including the famous power-ups and huge bosses. Faithful conversion of artist Dan Paladin’s manic comic style to the GBA screen. Like the previous versions, its gameplay is challenging, kinetic, and old-school, all at the same time, and it's a complete blast to play.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories - Kingdom Hearts: COM for the Game Boy Advance bridges the gap between "Kingdom Hearts" and "Kingdom Hearts II," continuing Sora's tale where the original left off. The characters, locales, and enemies from the original are all here, creating a compelling game and story on par in many ways with the original. Combines two much-maligned RPG staples, random dungeons and card battles, and somehow pulls it off with aplomb. This is a terrific game that delivers a fun quest, stellar presentation, and an added incentive to revisit the game after it has been completed. Impressive presentation for a GBA game.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong - a perfect combination of platforming and puzzle-solving. Leap and battle through increasingly difficult levels as you use switches, conveyor belts, hammers, and more to overcome the hordes of enemies that block your way. The difficulty curve is perfect, and the game is constantly introducing new concepts to keep things fresh. Accessible and addicting.
Mega Man Battle Network (series) - If you like Megaman, RPGs, Action, or Adventure games in the slightest, this series does an incredibly good job of melding all of these aspects. All in all, combat is very easy to learn, but difficult to master -- and yet very satisfying. Although the game features a lot of action sequences, it’s really an RPG at heart. However, what makes this game unique is the battle system. It combines a turn based fighting system with a real time one.
Rebelstar Tactical Command - A turn-based strategy and combat game with role-playing elements, Rebelstar Tactical Command transports players to a not-so-distant future in which Earth is ruled by an evil empire.Four distinct play modes include campaign, skirmish, hot-seat multiplayer and multiplayer link mode. In hot-seat multiplayer mode, a replay option lets players review the opponent's last turn. The game's RPG elements allow players to develop unique characters and relationships and control individual soldiers. The game also boasts stealth skills, a variety of weapons, and destructible environments where players can strategically use the lines of sight rules to their advantage - or to their opponent's disadvantage.
Rhythm Tengoku - The team who brought you "WarioWare" brings you this incredibly cool minigame compilation in which rapid fire minigame are thrown at you Wario style, but must be played along to the rhythm of the music. A great portable game, perfect for short gameplay sessions or longer ones. Zany and endearing rhythm gameplay.
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story (series) - Swordcraft Story takes away all the daunting tedium and deftly delivers a fun, satisfying adventure enjoyable by both experienced and new players alike. Let me put it simply; this is a fun game. It has a quickly developed plot with interesting characters and an exciting enough battle system that you’ll never be bothered by the frequency of fights. What absolutely makes the game are the addictive side-scrolling real-time battles. An enjoyable RPG thanks to it's excellent, intense battles and the ability to actually create and take responsibility for your weapons, instead of just buying them from a shopkeeper.
Chu Chu Rocket - ChuChu Rocket! has tons of new puzzles, new gameplay features, and you can still play against three of your friends. You've got to keep those big hungry cats (KapuKapus) away from the mice (ChuChus). You direct the frantic little ChuChus with arrows, but the KapuKapus aren't far behind. You may rack up points saving ChuChus only to lose big if a KapuKapu gets into your rocket. If you manage to keep the felines at bay, your rocket will take to the skies as the winner! Truly a classic and fantastic puzzler. 4 player linkable battle, create-a-stage, create-a-character, and some of the best darn puzzles that ever made it to a portable.
Dr. Mario / Puzzle League - Two great classic puzzle games in one inexpensive package. Dr. Mario requires equal parts strategy and speed to achieve victory. Delete viruses by throwing vitamin capsules into a bottle. Since many viruses are trapped at the bottom of the bottle, you must plan ahead in order to eliminate them.In Puzzle League, you'll form a chain of three or more same-colored blocks. When you match up shapes, the blocks on top will fall onto other matching blocks, but if you can't make a match, the blocks rise to the top of the screen. This game also has unusual depth in terms of options and settings which lets players create a custom game experience.
Iridion II - There’s not a great deal that can be done to improve the 2D shooter’s basic premise, but Iridion II raises the bar by including superior audio, very decent graphics, and a good variety of both new (auto-upgrade) as well as classic (super-shot and smart bombs) gameplay features. Challenging and fun shooter with cool weapons and great presentation on the GBA.
Pokémon Fire Red/Leaf Green - Pokemon Red Fire and Leaf Green, the Game Boy Advance remakes of the first two Pokemon RPGs, let players explore the world of the original Game Boy game and collect sharper full-color versions of its familiar monsters. It also adds several new extra features to the game world, like television programs to interact with, invented languages to learn, and a more detailed, user-friendly Pokedex. The games come packaged with the new GBA wireless communication peripheral. From the big things to the little things like Move Tutors, new moves, and the ability to mix and match through literally hundreds of creatures, makes creating teams an endless task. Whether you're new to the series or been there from the beginning, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen will surely not disappoint.
Pokémon Ruby / Sapphire / Emerald - Thanks to the power of Game Boy Advance, graphics and battle animations look better than ever. Link up with three friends to battle in teams, or battle two Trainers at once as you travel through Hoenn.With the game’s ability to trade and battle with friends, plus incredible amount of Pokemon to capture and train, you won’t be putting these two down anytime soon. The game is bigger and deeper than previous incarnations. The core gameplay is still the same, but now there's a lot more to it. Lots of new features and a huge world to explore in the Pokemon world.
Sonic Advance (series) - the evolution of the classic 2D, high speed platforming action of Sega's flaghship franchise. The series is as good as ever on the GBA with fast platforming action and multiple characters with varying abilities to play through these games with. Great speed, platforming gameplay, and intricate and fun levels.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
TMNT - a seemingly typical movie tie-in at first, TMNT is actually one of the best 2D brawlers on the GBA. It's an awesome throwback to old-school game design, but with tons of flair and technique to jazz up the experience into a contemporary piece. TMNT on the GBA doesn't slow the tempo with silly puzzles or frustrating platform-jumping sections. Instead, it's a pure, fast-paced brawler that lets you go wild beating on bad guys and bosses with a healthy variety of exaggerated martial arts moves. And, thanks to the eye-popping graphics and catchy audio, the game is as much fun to see and hear as it is to play. Surprising amount of depth.
F-Zero Maximum Velocity - A futuristic arcadey racing game inspired by "F-Zero" for the Super NES and "F-Zero X" for the Nintendo 64. Blazing fast speeds with sharp graphics, pulsating sounds and good controls. The element that really makes F-Zero Maximum Velocity shine is its four player option. 10 new craft, four five-track circuits, jumps, speed boosts, and other track challenges - a robust racing game for the GBA.
Mega Man Zero (Series) - the tough but rewarding 2D action-packed sidescroller, the Zero series is one of Capcom's finest 2D action platformers on the GBA. Tough as nails but fair and rewarding, these games have lots of variety, great presentation and graphics/audio, satisfying effects, awesome weapons and enemies and levels. The ability to use both the gun and sword (other weapons as well, later on) gives the game a fantastic mount of variety. It's tough as nails but rewarding and addicting.
Ninja Five-0 - this game is best described as a combination of classic Bionic Commando gameplay with fast-paced Ninja Gaiden platforming action. The gameplay and controls are amazing, as you progressively learn how to use the ninja's grappling hook to latch and swing and maneuver about the levels at lightning speed, while slashing down enemies and rescuing hostages with your katana and various Ninja magic spells. The game has a sweet difficulty curve but really takes off when you master the grappling mechanic. Several difficulties challenge you to replay once you've learned the very intuitive, easy to learn hard to master controls.
Sigma Star Saga - Sigma Star Saga combines the rich storyline and exploration of an RPG with an action-packed shoot'em up battle system. The shooter is a dying breed, but Namco has found a way to revitalize it and make it contagious for both hardcore role-players who seek something fresh and twitchy fingered gamers who have long waited to see this genre offer something fresh.
Street Fighter Alpha 3 - about as accurate and excellent a port of the classic 2D fighting game, Street Fighter Alpha 3. Featuring every character of the original SFA3, as well as some bonus characters, every level, and every move from the original, this game is a technical feat and an excellent representation of the 2D fighting classic. The game has a configurable, flexible control scheme to allow you to perform the many moves of the game on the 4-button GBA layout. Graphics, sound, and gameplay true to the original, this game is a must have for fighting fans.
Super Street Fighter 2: Turbo Revival - port of the excellent SSFII Turbo, this game is a faithful rendetion on the GBA. The gameplay is as responsive and rewarding as ever, and the iconic characters remain fresh. There are many new features, characters and stages that weren't in the original version. Great 2D street fighting gameplay.
King of Fighters EX2 Howling Blood - This is the second best fighting game on the GBA. KOFEX2 Howling Blood essentially replicates the gameplay of the excellent KOF2000, but alters the gameplay syste a bit and offers some new characters of its own. The graphics are as true to the NeoGeo games as you could hope with detailed and well animated sprites. The sound is fantastic and the levels all represent what you'd hope for in a KOF game. The controls are spot-on and well suited by the GBA's four action buttons. The tag team and combo system work well and the presentation of the game really does the KOF series justice. Excellent recomendation for any 2D fighter fan.
Super Robot Taisen (series) - anime-inspired strategy role-playing game, which delivers a great story and dozens of interesting missions. If you like the turn-based strategy RPG genre (such as Fire Emblem), you're almost guaranteed to enjoy this game. Be prepared to do a lot of reading, a lot of thinking, and a lot of losing. With that mindset, you can really enjoy this entry in Banpresto's long line of mecha SRPGs. Though it may not be overly deep in terms of strategy, the storyline and experience to be found in Super Robot Taisen is hard to beat. The sequel, SRT:TOG 2, includes many improvements to virtually every aspect of the original.
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis - A long, deep, and addicting strategy RPG that focuses on the turn-based management and strategic command of a small group of soldiers. Long, packed with value and excellently executed, armchair tacticians will appreciate the deep character design, while RPG enthusiasts will be surprised to find an extremely well developed storyline with branching paths backing the tactical focus. The sheer number of battles, along with the multiple endings (the story branches at several points based on the gamer’s selections), extra maps with hidden treasure not found in the main quest, and the multiplayer function that allows players to put their squads head-to-head make Tactics Ogre a game with a lot to offer in terms of gameplay.
Wario Land 4 - a very original and varied platformer on the GBA, Wario Land4 has a lot of variety in the game design and is more challenging than the usual side-scrolling fare due to its focus on making players figure out how to get to certain locations in the level. Tons of personality, diverse, and constantly throws new things at you to keep your interest.
Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town - an excellent iteration in the Harvest Moon series. It is up to you to successfully build and maintain a farm while befriending the people in town. You can do achieve your goals anyway you want, without a set path. Definitely stands on the shoulders of the Harvest Moons before it, but it also emerges as a much more polished, balanced, visually enjoyable, and definitive gameplay experience than any title in the series before it. Long and strangely addicting.
Advance Guardian Heroes - another brilliant sidescrolling fighter from legendary developer Treasure. Featuring over 20 controllable characters, more than 160 powerful moves to master, and many incredible multiplayer scenarios. Gamers play as one of three brand-new characters in an action-packed story of courage and sacrifice, upgrading and improving their powers as they progress. Advance Guardian Heroes features a simple user interface that allows instant pick-up-and-playability.The gameplay is solid action, not quite a fighting game, not quite an RPG, and always an action filled beat ‘em up. Constant action with many elements of the combat system to keep things changed up. The only caveat is the occasional slowdown during the game, but the gameplay and presentation more than make up for it.
Breath of Fire II - as a port of the SNES original, this is one of the most popular 16bit RPGs that continues the next epic quest in the Breath of Fire series. Re-enter the lifeof hero Ryu, a dragon morphing warrior, as he unknowingly embarks on a vast adventure in search of his missing father and little sister. Eight characters will join you along the way to help you find and master the hidden secrets of the vast landsyou will explore. Lengthy in nature, Breath of Fire II will keep you busy for quite some time and the story is more interesting in this rendition, with a colorful, and at times, zany cast. A very traditional RPG, with hours of engaging gameplay, a solid story and interface, and refinements all around.
F-Zero GP Legend - second GBA game in the classic FZero franchise, FZ GP Legend is just as fast as you would hope, but also challenging and addicting. Enough content for die hard gamers and an easy learning curve for casual gamers. The graphics are extraordinarily fast, accurate, and clear for a GBA game. Just gushing with tons of gameplay options. The game offeres more than what you'd expect from the series in terms of options and gameplay modes. It's easy to get into and allows a lot of racing growth as your experience increases. Make no mistake, even though GP Legend can be a tough nut to crack, the consistency of the track design and handling means this high difficulty level invites rather than discourages another go.
Klonoa Empire of Dreams - a colorful, stylized 2D platformer, and one of the best on the GBA. Bright, kaleidoscopic levels fill every inch of the screen, while the music and sound effects play nicely with Klonoa’s game style. An enriching game experience with lots of technical moves and hours of gameplay. A platformer requiring some brain-bending puzzles and thinking required. One of the best GBA sidescrollers and it's not even a NES/SNES port!
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire - Pokemon Pinball is much more than a typical pinball game. It combines fast flipper action with a unique way to catch your favorite Pokemon. As you search for Pokemon on both Ruby and Sapphire Fields you'll uncover lots of secrets, including Bonus Fields that let you battle Pokemon. This is a pretty ideal handheld game that is easy to pick up and play, for short or longer periods of time. Makes leaps and bounds above its predecessor through improved gameplay mechanics, fantastic new features, and a new coat of polish in the audio and visual departments. Polished pinball game with lots of cool pokemon stylings and dead-on pinball physics.
Rayman Advance - a beautiful, colorful 2D platformer in the fantastic Rayman series. Gorgeous graphics, fine details, and a neat artistic style. Accessible with creative levels and clever gameplay design. Excellent port of the Playstation original.
Rayman 3 - Certainly at the top of the heap of GBA platformers. It's not as difficult as the first one but it's still no cakewalk. It's going to keep you busy for a good long time. Colorful, detailed, and challenging, the game evolves the series’ gameplay and style. With a ton of unlockable features, including extras available only with connection to a GameCube, Rayman 3 has plenty of playing value. It's the level design that makes Rayman 3 stand out. While the early levels are mostly uninteresting, the game picks up as Rayman gains more of his trademark powers: the helicopter float, the wall climb, the super-punch, etc.
Boktai The Sun is in your Hand - From designer Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid), comes Boktai, a game to use sunlight to influence gameplay! Follow the adventures of a boy vampire hunter named Django who must overcome traps, defeat enemies, and fight through the deepest parts of dungeons to rid the world of evil. Everything controls well, the graphics are of the highest GBA quality, and the story is engaging. The levels are well designed, and the placement of enemies and their movement paths add to the difficulty, and unless you live in a sunny location, Boktai will prove to be more challenging than other adventure games. The built-in light sensor coupled with a world full of dynamic environments that actually change depending on the amount of sunlight the game pak detects ensures that the game’s most interesting bullet-point feature is more than just a gimmick.At its core, this is a first-rate action adventure game that features a good story, challenging puzzles, memorable battles, and some of the finest graphics and sound, to date, on the Game Boy Advance.
Racing Gears Advance - Racing Gears Advance features fast paced arcadey racing action. Choose from 12 officially licensed supercars; Feel the exhilaration of stopping another racer in their tracks with a well placed rocket, but be sure to upgrade your supercar to accomodate changing track conditions. Team up with your friends for multi-player racing action. It runs smooth, looks great, features tight controls and an arcade sense of physics that lets anyone get a handle on it in a couple of minutes. The fact that it's challenging and deep leaves room for gamers to develop their skills, both physical and mental, over time.
Shin Megami Tensei: Demi Kids - The basics of gameplay, and the different versions of the same game, are derived from the game's primary inspiration, Pokemon Red and Blue, and other monster-raising games. However, instead of catching monsters by defeating them in combat, the player must recruit them through diplomacy. The creatures the player obtains are called Demons. There are specific devils that only appear in each specific version. Gameplay that differs from most RPGs; the Demons in the game don't level up. The character who holds them does, and depending on the level of the character, the chances on whether the Demon will join him change. It also has link battle and link trade, where two players could duel each other or trade demons.
Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon - Darksol, a mysterious traveler, is secretly planning to resurrect an ancient, but terrible creature, the Dark Dragon. Play the part of a young warrior who washed ashore, but have lost your memory. When Guardiana is attacked, you are thrust into the role of leader and must unravel the mystery. Fans of epic turn-based quests and strategic battles will thoroughly enjoy it. Shining Force's biggest strengths are its setting, a delightfully half-serious anime fantasy world, and some of the most memorable, weirdest characters. An engaging and addictive experience even today. With the Card system adding an extra dimension to battles, ROTDD almost feels like a new game, but retains enough similarities to the original for series veterans to not walk away disappointed.
Super Puzzle Fighter II - Hailed as one of the best puzzle game of all time, Super Puzzle Fighter is chock full of competition, pint-sized SF characters, and non-stop high-energy insanity. Carefully stack the falling colored gems in strategic combinations. When the moment is right, use a burst gem to shatter your blocks. Watch your character execute a combo move and rain a volley of counter gems down on your opponent! Be the first to fill the other's screen with gems and K.O.!
Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland - Remake of the NES classic, Kirby:NiD comes with extra mini-games and an unlockable Meta-Knight mode. With fantastic level designs, great enemies and power-ups, as well as the addition of some fun and entertaining multiplayer modes, Kirby is a great addition for any platfomer fans. Not the longest nor most difficult game, it's still a great platforming romp with an excellent presentation.
Mario Golf: Advance Tour - fantastic GBA golfing game by developer Camelot. This great golf game is accessible and easy to pick up, but is deep enough for advance golf gamers to thoroughly enjoy. The game offers many courses to play through, as well as an RPG-lite design single player that is packed with different challenges. Excellent save system for easy pick up and play. Up to 4 players single-cart multi. Slick golf package.
Polarium Advance - The follow-up to a tile-flipping puzzle game for the Nintendo DS features a simple, challenging design that makes up for a bare-bones presentation. As a new and improved tile-flipping puzzler, Polarium Advance, for the Game Boy Advance, offers all new features that sharpen the brain and accelerate reflexes. Addicting, puzzle solving game.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (series) - These games bring everything from the Playstation THPS games and cram it all onto Nintendo’s portable. The levels and moves and multiple skaters are all there. Each of the levels are presented in an isometric point of view, onto which a 3D skater can maneuver and pull of the crazy chains of cool tricks that the series is known for. The GBA option captures the spirit of the game so much, even hardcore fans should want it as a portable alternative to the console originals. THPS3 - The game is tighter, longer, and more challenging than its predecessor, with more elements to enjoy, both in single and multiplayer modes.
It's Mr. Pants - Mr. Pants drops pieces towards the board, and you shunt them into place to create shapes, which either earns you points or cancels out shapes already on the board). But, there are complications...For a start, shapes have to be made in single colours, and pieces of the same colour can't be dropped on top of each other, either fully or partially. You can dump different colours on top of each other, which could kick off a crazy chain reaction if you're lucky or smart, but it could just as easily bring your progress to a grinding halt. In some modes the sinister crayon snake slithers around the perimeter of the board, and will squirm into the middle and put an end to your game if you don't keep kicking him back. Many players will quickly fall in love with the line-drawn artwork that's used in the menus and backgrounds, as well as the barnyard sound clips that are the game's sound effects.
Kuru Kuru Kururin (Japan only) - The player controls a slowly spinning stick called the Helirin, and must manoeuvre it through a series of mazes without touching the walls. The player controls the direction and speed of movement (there are 3 levels of speed), but the task is made difficult as the stick rotates continually. Once the player has successfully completed a level, there are bonuses to collect, record times to beat, and a gold star for completing the level without any accidents. The game also features multiplayer support that enables four-players to participate in the action with the use of a single cartridge.
Kururin Paradise (Japan only) - The gameplay is the same as the prequel, but faster and more frantic, requiring twitch-reflexes, whereas the original requires more thought, strategy, and fine calculation. This is due to Kururin Paradise's inclusion of a new feature that allows the player to speed up the rotation of their ship with a button press, encouraging them to skip through corners rather than align theirself at the correct angle.
Guru Logi Champ (Japan only) - Guru Logi Champ is a puzzle game by the Japanese developer Compile. Each stage requires the player to complete an image by placing and removing blocks on the board. The puzzles are set up so that there is no simple solution; often the player is blocked by other immovable areas and so must improvise a solution by constantly constructing and deconstructing their own barriers. An additional Battle Mode exists in which two players must race to finish puzzles in the fastest time. The game itself is best compared to Picross and Magical Drop.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
Huh. Not sure how that one got overlooked. Thanks for the heads-up
Ill add it in a bit.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
I don't know if you should add every MMBN, but the second is probably the best one.
Check out the Penny Arcade World of Tanks thread to join us in some fun times.
I guess it helps that I'm a Dragonball fan, but Advance Adventure is really, really good. Just on its own, its a very fluid platform-beat em up with great animations, music, and stage variety. There's a bunch of extra content in it too, so even when you beat it once, you get to go through as Krillin and stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_gQftp8V6E
Eh, I feel 3 and 6 are both better than 2 and 5 is better than 1 and 4 (Which are both pretty garbage).
Though really, I loved all of them when they came out. 1 and 4 just had some major translation issues and buggy gameplay that didn't age well. Same sort of thing happened with Star Force.
I love how faithful the sprites are to the manga!
castlevania: circle of the moon was probably my favorite gba title. aria of sorrow was okay, you can skip harmony of dissonance.
Basically you needed certain achievements to turn into certain classes. Have Rare make Cheevo Warrior Deluxe.
PSN: Zanshiretsu <-- misspelled because I am dumb.