If you were born in the late 1990s or early 2000s, it's likely that you've owned a Game Boy Advance, also known as the GBA. The portable console developed by the Japanese company Nintendo was one of the most popular of its time, winning over thousands of fans of different ages all over the world.
The console not only brought games from franchises already established at the time, but also completely new titles such as Ninja Five-O. In today's list, we'll bring you the 5 best GBA games for you who want to live the past by playing something from this console.
Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire
We can't make a list of the best GBA games without mentioning at least one title from the Pokémon franchise. Part of the third generation of Pokémon gamesRuby and Sapphire were released in 2002 and were an instant bestseller. Like the games of the previous two generations, Ruby and Sapphire are RPGs focused on capturing more than 135 Pokémon scattered throughout the Hoenn region.
This is the first game in the series to have duo battles, where you and another NPC use your Pokémon to defeat another duo, although this mechanic only appears a few times during gameplay. Unfortunately there are no easy ways to play the original third generation of Pokémon, the best option would be to buy a GBA with Ruby or Sapphire from a reliable online sales site.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
The next title on our list of the best games Super Circuit is one of the most popular games on the Game Boy Advance console and also one of the most beloved by Mario fans. Super Circuit was released in 2001 exclusively for the portable console and is the fourth best-selling Game Boy Advance game. Despite its success, it didn't bring any major technical or gameplay innovations compared to its two predecessors.
In the game you race against 8 other characters from the famous franchise such as Bowser, Peach, Toad and others. There are three difficulty levels, 50cc, 100cc and 150cc, and 40 different tracks. It also has 5 different game modes, Grand Prix, Time Trial, Quick Run, VS Mode and Battle Mode.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords
A Link to the Past and Four Swords are actually two different games released on the same GBA cartridge. The first, A Link to the Past, is an adapted version of the game of the same title released in 1991 for the Super Nintendo, while the second, developed by Capcom, is a multiplayer game where you can play with up to three friends.
The games were critical and sales successes, and to this day are the highest rated GBA games on sites such as GameRankings and Metacritic. Four Swords, in particular, was so successful and pleased gamers and critics so much that in 2004 a sequel entitled Four Swords Adventure was released for GameCube. Even if they had been sold separately, they would still be one of the best GBA games ever made.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Continuing our list is one of the greatest sports games of all time, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. The franchise, which was very successful in the late 1990s and early 2000s, released its third title in 2001 for consoles such as PlayStation, PlayStation 2The following year, it was finally released for the GBA and became an absolute hit.
In the game you can use 13 professional skateboarders, including Tony Hawk, and various other unlockable characters such as Wolverine, Darth Maul and Doomguy. The game differs from its predecessors by adding mechanics that enhance much larger combos on the skateboard and new maneuvers. In 2002 it won the award for best sports game for Game Boy Advance and competed for best game of the year for GBA.
Final Fantasy VI Advance
To finish off our list of the best GBA games, we have one of the most popular franchises in gaming history, Final Fantasy. The title released for GBA in 2006 is a remastered version of the game of the same name released in 1994 for Super Nintendo. The GBA game brings some changes to the gameplay and adds new content, however, the biggest difference between the original and the original is the more robust graphics.
Just like the other best GBA games on our list, good gameplay alone isn't enough to guarantee its place among the greatest of all time, it's also necessary for the audience to identify with the characters and/or the story in some way. One of Final Fantasy's strengths is its deep and engaging storyline, where the playable and non-playable characters you meet during your adventure turn your experience into something unique.
So, did you like our list of the best GBA games? Which is your favorite among these 5? Let us know in the comments! Want to read more about games? Then take a look at our article on the 5 strongest Street Fighter characters. Now, if you want to know more about Game Boy Advance games, click on the video below.
