If you're looking for a little old-school gaming goodness, there's nothing like playing some of the best GBA games to get that hit of nostalgia. The Game Boy Advance library includes everything from ports of some of Nintendo's iconic '90s titles to games that pushed the limits of what the hardware was capable of at the time, and in this list, we've selected the finest of the bunch for you to play or revisit.
The picks from our list aren't just good GBA games; they're the elite, and there's plenty to choose from, considering over 1,500 different titles launched on the handheld. Some of these games are part of the Nintendo Classics library, exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers, while some you'll need to hunt down an original cartridge to play. Either way, they're all well worth checking out.
The best GBA games are:
- Pokémon Emerald
- Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
- Wario Land 4
- Advance Wars
- Kuru Kuru Kururin
- Golden Sun
- Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
- Yu Gi Oh! GX Duel Academy
- Mario Golf: Advanced Tour
- Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
- Astro Boy: Omega Factor
- Sonic Advance 2
- The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
- Tak and the Power of Juju
- The Sims Bustin' Out
- Tony Hawk's Underground 2
- Mario Kart: Super Circuit
- Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
- Spyro 2: Season of Flame
- Treasure Planet
- Final Fantasy VI
- Super Monkey Ball Jr.
- WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!
- One Piece
1. Pokémon Emerald
Following the release of Pokémon Sapphire and Ruby, Game Freak decided it hadn't had enough fun in the Hoenn region, giving us the gift that is Pokémon Emerald. With a slightly different plot, a few changes in terms of gym leaders and the Elite Four, and a notable emphasis on double battles, it somehow surpassed the already brilliant original third-generation Pokémon games, offering the most complete catch 'em all experience on the Game Boy Advance.
What makes Pokémon Emerald my top Pokémon pick of the GBA era is the Battle Frontier. To this day, it's still one of the best post-game offerings in a Pokémon game, with seven different challenges that put you to the test in a way that even the Elite Four can't match. Not only that, but each of the Battle Frontier's seven facilities mixes up the gameplay from the main game, offering something different for those looking to claim all seven gold symbols from the Frontier leaders before moving on to the next game.
Pokémon Emerald didn't just introduce the Battle Frontier, though. It also expanded on a lot of the already great content from Ruby and Sapphire, most notably the Safari Zone, which, after picking up the National Pokédex, gave you access to a bunch of Johto-native Pokémon missing from the original games and Pokémon Leaf Green and Fire Red. Admittedly, you'd have to go through a lot of effort to complete that Pokédex these days, but if you're a true trainer, it's all worth it.
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2. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Developer Intelligent Systems took a bit of a risk with Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones when it first released the game, alongside publisher Nintendo, back in 2004. It featured a host of new characters from an unseen region with warring factions and the potential return of a Demon King. The bold change in story, moving away from Marth and the gang, could have scared some off, but fortunately, this epic strategy game delivered on all fronts, offering fans of the series something different while giving new players a fresh story to thrust themselves into.
The Sacred Stones tells the tale of royal siblings Eirika and Ephraim, heirs to the kingdom of Renais, who are forced into exile when the neighboring Grado Empire launches an invasion. This attack forces the pair to find new companions across the region of Magvel while attempting to protect the titular Sacred Stones from the Grado, who seek to destroy them all. It's very Game of Thrones, but with satisfying strategy mechanics and a much more fulfilling conclusion.
If you're unfamiliar with the Fire Emblem series, the most notable difference between this game and other strategy titles is that if one of your units falls in battle, they stay dead. This mechanic makes The Sacred Stones' late game even more intense, as by that point, you've bonded with a lot of the characters. With one wrong move, you're a unit down in your quest to stop the resurrection of the Demon King and the fall of Magvel, adding to the dramatic tension of this game's epic conclusion and making it one of the best strategy games of the last 25 years.
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3. Wario Land 4
The GBA boasted a lot of fantastic platformers, but Wario Land 4 might be the best of the bunch. Each level inside the game's Golden Pyramid has its own theme and art style, from the putrid pixels of The Toxic Landfill to the tremendous toybox that is Domino Row, and the visuals are an absolute treat. You don't always have the chance to look at them, though, as Wario Land 4 employs a time-attack mechanic at the end of every level that keeps you on your toes as you dash back to the start.
Still, the best thing about Wario Land 4 is the boss battles. Just like the platforming sections of the game, boss battles are timed, so you can easily find yourself with just a few seconds on the clock while dealing the decisive blow, which is just as euphoric as it sounds. The final battle is also something of a showstopper, especially for the era, with the queen of the Golden Pyramid proving a tough trial for even the more experienced gamer.
While the legacy of Wario Land 4 might not be as all-encompassing as some of the GBA platformers, it still had quite the impact, with modern games such as Pizza Tower and Antonblast clearly taking notes from the wacky gameplay. If you want to try it out for yourself, it's one of the games you can play as a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscriber from the Game Boy Advance library.
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4. Advance Wars
No list of the best GBA games is worth its salt if it doesn't feature Advance Wars. This classic turn-based strategy game sees you battle across land, air, and sea in an epic campaign that revitalized the genre for a new generation back in 2002. Nintendo trusted Intelligent Systems, the developer behind fellow SRPG series Fire Emblem, with developing Advance Wars, helping to cement the GBA as the go-to console for strategy goodness in the early '00s.
Advance Wars tells the story of a warring world, as you lead the Orange Star army against the forces of the Blue Moon, Yellow Comet, and Green Earth nations in a campaign to uncover a hidden enemy. Each commanding officer has their own unique ability, so you can get pretty inventive with your style of play, choosing to attack enemies head-on or lure them into your traps. It might sound complicated, but Advance Wars also happens to have one of the best tutorials of all time, teaching you the fundamentals while launching you right into the action.
Sadly, the Advance Wars series hasn't seen any new releases since Advance Wars: Days of Ruin back in 2008, despite the Nintendo Switch getting not one, but two fresh Fire Emblem games in recent years. The game did get a remaster, which I awarded a 10/10 score in our Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp review, but we'd still love to see a new Wars game with the original developer, Intelligent Systems, back at the helm.
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5. Kuru Kuru Kururin
Kuru Kuru Kururin might not be the most famous pick from our guide to the best GBA games, especially in the West, but it's still more than worthy of its place. The aim of the game is simple: you control a spinning stick, and you have to navigate carefully through maze-like levels without either side of the stick touching the walls. Sounds easy, right? Well, you're wrong. You're dead wrong.
This game is easily one of the most frustrating puzzle games of all time, let alone of the Game Boy Advance era, but that makes it all the better when you finally complete a level after countless attempts. Fortunately, the tutorial levels take it easy on you while you get to grips with the mechanics, so at least you're not thrown in at the deep end. Just try to keep your cool when you get to the late game, though, as even the slightest mistake can see you lose a good chunk of progress.
Like a lot of the other picks from this list, Kuru Kuru Kururin is available via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Game Boy Advance library, so you can check it out right away if you're a subscriber. If you're sick of the endless microtransactions in puzzling single-player games like Candy Crush and Royal Match, Kuru Kuru Kururin might just be the cure.
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6. Golden Sun
The Game Boy Advance boasted a bunch of epic RPG adventures, and Golden Sun is one of the very best. It's a game in the same vein as the likes of Chrono Trigger and Chronicles of Mana, but with its own unique combat mechanics and complex lore that put so many other fantasy titles from the same era to shame. If you're a fan of Final Fantasy or Xenoblade and have never played this game, it's time to change that.
Considering the limitations of the hardware, Golden Sun offers incredible depth in its mechanics, especially when it comes to character classes. Thanks to the Djinn system - Djinns are small creatures you collect on your quest - your characters can change classes on a whim, which opens up a lot of opportunities for strategizing and customizing your party ahead of a boss fight. That's something you're going to need to do, as Golden Sun doesn't take it easy on you when it comes to battles, with even some of the lesser enemies providing quite the challenge in the late game.
A lot of the other games in our guide to the best GBA games have sequels, but Golden Sun: The Lost Age is a must-play after completing the original, as it's the only way you can discover the epic ending of this grand fantasy. Once you've completed both Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age, which should take you at least 40 hours, we've got more turn-based fun for you in our guide to the best RPGs.
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7. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is another RPG entry for our guide to the best GBA games, but it doesn't take itself quite as seriously as the likes of Golden Sun or Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. This wacky quest takes Nintendo's platforming brothers on a trip to Beanbean Kingdom to save Princess Peach's voice from the clutches of unfamiliar villains Cackletta and Fawful, with stellar level design, glorious pixelated visuals, and more than your fair share of puns and wordplay.
Unlike a Mario platformer, seeing off an enemy in this game isn't as simple as shooting a fireball or jumping on their head. Instead, Superstar Saga employs a turn-based battle system akin to Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, resulting in a Mario game that requires a bit more strategy than most. This spin-off also made the most of the GBA's limited hardware, as you control Mario with the 'A' button and Luigi with the 'B' button, unless you switch the two around, which multiple games have since co-opted as a means of controlling two characters at the same time.
The legacy of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is still prevalent today, with the latest game in the series arriving in late 2024. You can read all about that in our Mario & Luigi: Brothership review. Still, the first game is widely regarded as the best - and by widely regarded, I mean that's what I think - so if you're looking for a slice of nostalgia with a side of engaging turn-based combat and witty one-liners, it's still worth checking this game out.
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8. Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Duel Academy
There's no shortage of Yu-Gi-Oh! games on the Game Boy Advance, but the best in terms of story, card availability, and mechanics has to be Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Duel Academy. Set during the first season of the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX anime, this game introduces you to a bunch of new characters and cards, including Jaden and his Elemental Heroes, Chazz and his Ojama monsters, and many more. Going back to school has never been quite so much fun.
Rather than playing as one of the main characters, you find yourself at Duel Academy as a new student, lumped in with Jaden and his friends at the bottom of the food chain in the Slifer Red house. Through battling opponents and excelling in school tests - which are more fun than they sound, by the way - you can move on to the more intermediate Ra Yellow house or work your way to the very top rung and find yourself in the Obelisk Blue dorm.
Playing Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Duel Academy these days feels like a real throwback, given how much more complicated the core card game has become in the almost 20 years since it originally launched. Still, if you're looking for more dueling content after graduating from Duel Academy, our guide full of the best mobile card games has more than a few entries that can keep your deck-building strategy cogs turning.
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9. Mario Golf: Advanced Tour
Mario Golf: Advanced Tour isn't just one of the greatest GBA games; it's an absolute technical marvel. It looks as good as a lot of the equivalent golf games launching on home consoles at the time, and when you consider the performance capabilities of the Game Boy Advance, that's pretty staggering. Whether you're tackling the dusty desolation of the Dunes Course or the freewheeling fairways of the Links Course, this game is a great way to cover 18 holes without leaving the comfort of your couch.
Advanced Tour boasts multiple game modes, six different courses, and a bunch of playable characters, so there's no shortage of content to dig your teeth into here. It also has a story mode, which was a bit of a rarity for sports games at the time, and while its cookie-cutter plot isn't quite as compelling as some of the other options from this list, it's a great way of getting your golfing fundamentals down before upping the difficulty in match play or stroke play.
While we've had plenty of Mario Golf games since, a couple of which you can find in our guide to the best golf games, the early 2000s might be when the series peaked, with Advanced Tour and the GameCube equivalent, Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, living on in the hearts of countless Nintendo fans. Sadly, Advanced Tour isn't part of the Nintendo Classics GBA library, but the Japanese gaming giant is always adding new games, so we're hoping this golfing great might join the collection before too long.
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10. Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
Much like Wario Land 4, Yoshi's Island offered something a little different to the classic Nintendo 2D platformer experience when it arrived on Game Boy Advance in 2002. While it's technically a Mario game, Yoshi is the star of the show, with the little green dinosaur setting off on a quest across 48 levels, including a few boss bouts, to save Baby Luigi from the clutches of Kamek and deliver him, alongside his brother, to the Mushroom Kingdom.
Even all these years later, Yoshi's Island's gameplay is fantastic. The real highlight is Yoshi's trademark flutter jump, which makes the platforming sections feel different from anything you might have experienced in other classic Mario games. There are also a lot more puzzles than you might expect from a traditional 2D platformer, which keeps things fresh when you've already had your fill of flutter jumping and hurling Yoshi eggs at anyone unfortunate enough to get in your way.
Not only is the gameplay great, but Yoshi's Island's coloring book visual aesthetic still looks wonderful and ties in very nicely with the kindergarten theme that Baby Mario provides. It's a shame that none of the more recent games starring Yoshi have lived up to Yoshi's Island, but that doesn't take away from the fact that this is one of the best Mario games to date and a reminder that sometimes a port from an older console can be just as engaging as something brand-new.
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11. Astro Boy: Omega Factor
While Astro Boy might be a cultural icon akin to Mickey Mouse in Japan, he's not quite as popular throughout the rest of the world. That's not just a shame because the anime series is an absolute classic, but also because it means that a lot of people don't know about Astro Boy: Omega Factor, which happens to be one of the Game Boy Advance's best beat 'em up games, dipping in and out of incredible tales from decades of sci-fi storytelling.
What helps Omega Factor stand out from the long list of other GBA beat 'em ups is that Astro Boy isn't limited to just throwing punches and kicks. He has a laser, and he can also fly, so you can get pretty creative when it comes to taking down enemies. The game also features a leveling-up system that felt pretty advanced for the time, especially for a beat 'em up game, as well as a few secrets, which give you a reason to revisit levels after completing them.
Sadly, Astro Boy: Omega Factor isn't currently available via the Nintendo Switch Online Nintendo Classics library, but if you've still got a GBA or GBA SP, it's worth trying to track down a cartridge to give it a go for yourself. Failing that, you can still get your kick of action inspired by Japanese pop-culture giants from our guide to the best anime games.
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12. Sonic Advance 2
All the games in the Sonic Advance trilogy are great, but the middle child is our top pick. Sonic Advance 2 has everything: great level design, improved animations, and some of the best Dr. Eggman showdowns across the whole series. It proved a little controversial when it first launched in 2003, with some suggesting it was too difficult, but all these years later, it's widely regarded as one of the standout games in Sonic's long-running history.
With five playable characters, nine distinct zones, and seven special stages, there's no shortage of content to speed through in Sonic Advance 2. Better still, the game also features a time attack mode, so you can really put your skills controlling the Blue Blur to the test, as well as the Tiny Chao Garden, which features some lovely minigames that serve as a bit of a palate cleanser between all the perilous high-speed platforming. I love hanging out with my tiny Chao friends.
Given Sonic Advance 2's place in the pantheon of the best Sonic games, it's a surprise that Sega has never given us the chance to replay Sonic Advance 2, as well as the other games from the trilogy, on modern hardware. Fortunately, thanks to the popularity of the original, you can still pick up a Sonic Advance 2 on eBay for as little as $10, which, as should be clear by now, we think is more than worth it.
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13. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Link gets the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids treatment in The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, making for an action-adventure experience that felt like a true breath of fresh air for the series at the time. While maintaining the top-down approach of some of the earlier Zelda blockbusters, The Minish Cap's shrinking gimmick provided Nintendo with the opportunity to shake up the gameplay, with Link setting off on a daring quest to reforge the legendary Picori Blade and save Princess Zelda. Classic Link.
Outside of the titular Minish Cap's transformational powers, this game introduced some other items to help Link on his adventure. There's the Gust Jar, sucking in objects and enemies; the Mole Mitts, enabling Link to excavate the environment; and the Cane of Pacci, which can flip things on their head or turn holes into cannons. All these new items make The Minish Cap's puzzles more complex, which, in turn, makes you feel even more pride when you finally figure out what it is you're supposed to be doing.
Something else that helped The Minish Cap stand out from the other picks in our guide to the best Zelda games is the villain. Link's regular nemesis, Ganon, is nowhere to be seen. Instead, you find yourself in a perilous battle with Vaati, a much more human antagonist than the series' usual big bad. If you want to take on Vaati yourself, this game is one of the many you can check out via the Nintendo Switch Online Nintendo Classics library. Considering the price of second-hand cartridges, that might be the best option.
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14. Tak and the Power of Juju
A lot of the games in this guide feature well-known gaming icons, such as Sonic, Link, and Mario. Then, there's Tak and the Power of Juju. Tak was a complete unknown when Activision introduced him to the world back in 2003. However, thanks to some lovely jungle visuals, engaging platforming, and a plot that feels like it was written for a cartoon rather than a video game, it's something of a cult classic.
This game tells the story of the Pupanunu people, who are almost all turned into sheep following the return of Tlaloc, an evil shaman. That's where Tak, one of the few Pupanunu not to get the woolly transformation treatment, comes in. Tasked with finding the Spirit Rattle, which allows the user to communicate with Juju spirits, as well as finding the Dream Stones and undoing the spell cast on his tribe, Tak takes off on an epic quest across eight different in-game worlds, with a few tricky boss battles to keep him on his toes.
The success of Tak and the Power of Juju led to a few more games in the series, as well as a Nickelodeon animated series, but we've not seen the platforming Pupanunu since 2008's Tak and the Guardians of Gross. If you are looking for more cartoon action, though, we can still lend a hand with our guide to the best South Park games.
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15. The Sims Bustin' Out
Of all the gaming series I thought would never work on the GBA, The Sims is right up there, but Bustin' Out proved me and a lot of other gamers wrong. This game did away with the point-and-click mechanics that had made The Sims so successful, which, again, you'd think would rip the heart right out of it. Instead, it made Bustin' Out feel like something new for the series and a game worth trying for anyone fluent in Simlish.
For a Game Boy Advance game, Bustin' Out's Create-a-Sim tool offered a surprising amount of depth, enabling you to recreate your likeness in 32-bit glory before finding a new life for yourself in SimValley. There's more of an emphasis on completing objectives in this game compared to the classic sandbox gameplay of PC versions of The Sims, but that's not a bad thing, as the game gives you plenty to do and rewards you with new houses to call home and almost annoyingly engaging mini-games to keep you busy.
While The Sims might not be the cultural juggernaut it once was, there's no denying that games like Bustin' Out and The Urbz both helped to influence the generation of developers responsible for some of our favorite cozy games. Like a lot of other third-party picks from our list of the best GBA games, Bustin' Out isn't part of the Nintendo Classics GBA library, but you can find original cartridges for well under $20 on eBay.
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16. Tony Hawk's Underground 2
You just can't have a list of great games from the early 2000s, no matter the console, without a Tony Hawk entry for good measure. When it comes to the GBA, there's no shortage of options to choose from, but we've gone with 2004's Tony Hawk's Underground 2, an absolute classic of the genre.
While Tony Hawk's Underground 2 got some criticism at the time of its release for not offering much outside of extra content compared to the original game, all these years later, that's the same reason it's so good. It takes what was already great about Underground and expands on it, with more skaters, parks, and tricks to pull off. That's not to mention the cutscenes, which see legends like Bam Margera and Mr. Hawk himself in all their pixelated glory taking on a world tour.
If you've already played Tony Hawk's Underground 2, we'd also recommend checking out Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, which only narrowly lost out to the second Underground game when picking out the best of the best GBA games for this list. We've also got a Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 Switch 2 review you can check out if you feel like getting back on the board without dealing with the limited graphics of what the GBA was capable of back in the day.
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17. Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Did you really think we could put together a list of the best Game Boy Advance games and not include Mario Kart: Super Circuit? No Nintendo console is worth its salt without a Mario Kart pick, and this one just happens to be great. It features eight classic characters, 40 different tracks, and five different game modes, including Grand Prix, Quick Run, and the fan favorite Time Trial.
Of Mario Kart: Super Circuit's 40 tracks, 20 were new for the game in 2001, while the other 20 were remastered classic tracks from the original Super Mario Kart. That means that this was the first game from the series to reintroduce retro tracks, which later became something of a staple of Mario Kart games. As ever, each course also has a record to beat, or a 'ghost,' which adds hours of optional gameplay for anyone who wants to prove they're better at karting than the developers.
Funnily enough, Mario Kart: Super Circuit was one of the first Mario Kart games without Nintendo at the development helm, trusting longtime collaborator Intelligent Systems with creating the racer. It might seem a little outdated in some places, especially considering there are only eight Mario Kart characters to choose from compared to the latest installment's 50, but it's still a delight for fans of retro racers and quite a technical achievement considering the limitations of the GBA's hardware.
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18. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Honestly, we could have included any of Konami's gothic action-adventure games of the Game Boy Advance era on this list, but ultimately, we've gone for Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. This entry in the long-running series tells the story of a prophecy detailing the resurrection of Dracula and the lengths that the main character, Soma Cruz, is willing to go to in a battle to stop the lord of vampires from returning. Spoiler: that means battling some terrifying creatures, and it's an absolute thrill.
Aria of Sorrow is notable for introducing the Tactical Soul ability, enabling Soma to gain different abilities that come in handy when engaging in combat. These abilities range from Guardian souls, which you can use to summon familiars to fight on your behalf, to Enchant souls, which do everything from boosting your stats to giving you the power to walk on water. The potential combinations make for a game that encourages you to develop a certain style of play, and you can see its influence in modern hits such as Dead Cells, Hades, and more.
Still, the best thing about this Castlevania game is its bosses. Even if you're a Metroidvania combat expert, these foes are willing to push you to your limits. Death is a memorable boss battle, with the specter's spinning scythe proving hard to dodge, while the second phase of the showdown with Graham Jones takes up so much of the screen that it's hard to find time or space to develop a plan of attack. If you're a glutton for punishment, there's not much better, and once you're done, you can check out our guide to all the Castlevania games for more vampire-slaying goodness.
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19. Spyro 2: Season of Flame
Spyro's outing on the PlayStation might be more famous than his handheld heroics, but Spyro 2: Season of Flame is a great option for fans of the series. As usual, this game sees everyone's favorite purple dragon set off on a rescue mission, this time to save Dragon Realm's fireflies from the clutches of the Rhynocs. There are a few familiar faces on board to help out, though, including Sparx, Bianca, and Hunter, as well as a famous villain from Spyro's past.
While Season of Flame's gameplay is a lot different from the original trilogy, it still feels great to play, with Spyro chasing down fireflies across a series of picturesque and pixel-perfect isometric levels. Despite the limitations of the Nintendo hardware at the time, the titular dragon controls really well, whether you're breathing ice onto an unsuspecting sheep or gliding across a gap, making for an adventure that seems like an extension of everything we loved about the original, rather than a reimagining.
If all that wasn't enough, Season of Flame also boasts a killer soundtrack that still has me turning the volume rocker all the way up when replaying it over 20 years later. There's just something about Spyro games and great music that goes hand-in-hand. If you complete this one and you're looking for more fun with nostalgic gaming icons, we've also got a guide to the best Crash Bandicoot games.
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20. Treasure Planet
Games based on films are much rarer these days, but back in the glory days of the Game Boy Advance, they were much more common. One of the better adaptations for Nintendo's handheld is Treasure Planet, which, if you don't know, is based on the 2002 film of the same name. It's an isometric action game, one of the many on the GBA, but its puzzle-based gameplay made it one to remember, even all these years later.
Treasure Planet vaguely follows the same story as the film, and you play as Jim Hawkins as he leaves his humdrum life behind in search of fame and fortune. His Solar Surfing skills come in handy, though, as littered between the puzzle-oriented levels are surfing challenges that can prove to be quite tricky. Some might even describe them as janky, but with my nostalgia goggles on, all I can remember is having a great time whizzing across the GBA's tiny display.
Treasure Planet isn't a classic just for its gameplay, though. It's also a perfect example of great graphics on the Game Boy Advance, with the pixelated visuals almost perfectly capturing the charm of the film. It's certainly one for fans of Disney games, or anyone looking for an adventure that is packed with puzzles but doesn't star a Nintendo icon in a green cap.
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21. Final Fantasy VI
Much like Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3, Final Fantasy VI is both a port of a great SNES title and one of the best Game Boy Advance games of all time. From the moment you load up this game, with its iconic opening detailing 1,000 years of history of the World of Balance, and that scene with Terra, Biggs, and Wedge marching through a snowy, desolate landscape in their Magitek Armor suits, you know it's going to be a good one.
With a core cast of fourteen playable characters, each of whom has their own strengths and weaknesses, FF VI revolutionized turn-based RPG combat for its era, and you can still feel its influence to this day in games such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Octopath Traveler 2, and many more. It also set the tone for the future of the Final Fantasy series, abandoning the whimsical fantasy setting and adopting a colder, more industrial approach in a world that seeks to strike a balance between science and magic.
If the engaging combat and stunning storytelling aren't enough to convince you, Final Fantasy VI also happens to boast a breathtaking soundtrack. Many consider this game's score as one of legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu's finest works, and we wouldn't disagree. If you check this one out and crave more RPG goodness, we've got a list full of the best Final Fantasy games for you to check out next.
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22. Super Monkey Ball Jr.
The early 2000s truly were the glory days for the Super Monkey Ball series, and Super Monkey Ball Jr. is one of the reasons why it was such a good time for fans of platforming chaos. This game managed to bring the joy of the first two GameCube titles to the handheld form factor without sacrificing too much in the way of its wacky gameplay fundamentals, and it still holds up to this day.
With four playable characters, including AiAi, MeeMee, Baby, and GonGon, over seventy levels to beat, and four optional minigames, Super Monkey Ball Jr. is pretty generous in terms of content for a GBA game. It's also one of the few Game Boy Advance titles to offer multiplayer, so you and a friend can face the ultra-challenging Master Levels together.
Not only is Super Monkey Ball Jr. a great game, but it's also something of a technical tour de force, considering the graphical limitations of the hardware. It just feels like a pixelated version of the GameCube game, and that's the best compliment I could offer. If you do check this one out and want to see how the series has evolved since then, be sure to take a look at our Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble review.
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23. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!
Yes, we've already got a game starring Wario in this list, but as the first in a series that's still going strong to this day, we had to include WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more chaotic game on the Game Boy Advance, offering an experience that feels akin to competing on a wild Japanese game show without having to get off your sofa.
As the name suggests, this debut WarioWare title features a host of wacky minigames that range from steering paper planes through the sky to picking a digital nose. As you'd expect from a game starring Wario, things can get pretty gross, but in a fun Saturday morning cartoon kind of way. There are over 210 minigames to check out, so it should keep you busy for quite a while.
If you want to try this one out yourself, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! is part of the collection of Game Boy Advance games available to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members. As we mentioned earlier, there are also a few sequels, and if you're looking for something from the series with a few more modern touches, you can check out our WarioWare: Move It! review.
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24. One Piece
Just like the famous anime series it takes its inspiration from, One Piece is a riveting adventure packed with perilous battles, super-powered pirates, and plenty of vibrant environments. You play as Luffy, the stretchy star of the show, but you can summon characters such as Zoro, Nami, and Sanji to help you progress.
This game follows the story of the East Blue Saga, including bouts with big bads Buggy the Clown, Don Krieg, and some other familiar faces. These boss battles are a highlight of the experience, and if you're one of the many who have watched the original anime, it's a great way to catch up on Luffy's beginnings without sitting through a whole 61 episodes of TV.
Not only is the gameplay great in One Piece, making it one of the best pirate games of the GBA era, but it's also pretty impressive in terms of visuals. That's thanks to Dimps Corporation, the developer, which also handled the Sonic Advance series, bringing to life an art style that feels authentic to the anime and manga source material.
While there's no chance of any new GBA games arriving any time soon, outside of some niche indie projects, our guide to the most exciting upcoming Switch games is full of sequels and spin-offs related to some of the titles we've mentioned.
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That's all for our guide to the best GBA games. If you're looking for more gaming nostalgia, be sure to check out our long lists of the best DS games and best 3DS games, which include more than a few sequels to some of the picks from this list, or see what's new in our guides to the best Switch games and the best mobile games. If you've got some suggestions for some good GBA games that we didn't include, join the official Pocket Tactics Discord to tell us all about them.