Following the near decade-long, David-like success of their original monochrome Game Boy, Nintendo finally decided to release a half-hearted attempt at a colorized successor in 1998 with their markedly minimalistic follow-up, the Game Boy Color (even the device's name was phoned in). Although the system was a long time coming, Nintendo apparently realized pretty quickly that the GBC didn't constitute enough of an effort to suffice. Due to increasing competitive pressure, they decided to reveal an even better color portable, less than a year after the Game Boy Color's North American debut. It's immediate successor, the Game Boy Advance, would feature a much more powerful 32-bit processor, and dramatically
improved graphics, while still maintaining backwards compatibility with both of its predecessors.
Given the fact that the Game Boy Color was barely on store shelves a year before market attention and resources began shifting to its incoming successor, the GBC holds the unfortunate distinction of having one of the weakest libraries of any Nintendo console (not counting, of course, the absolutely massive assortment of original Game Boy titles that it could also play). Thankfully, the Game Boy Advance was around for a number of years before Nintendo decided to unveil their next portable console, so the GBA library was pretty stacked by comparison. Additionally, with hardware performance quite similar to the Super Nintendo, the Game Boy Advance was able to play host to an impressive number of classic ports from the 16-bit era, in addition to the multitude of outstanding original titles.
The incredible assortment of fantastic new and retro titles made the Game Boy Advance a particularly popular device, as it was a boon for fans and collectors of both. It's those outstanding original titles, however, that we will be focusing on today; and we have assembled a pretty respectable list (if we do say so ourselves) of some of the very best that the system had to offer. So, without further ado, here are 12 of the greatest (original) titles that the Game Boy Advance had to offer.
improved graphics, while still maintaining backwards compatibility with both of its predecessors.
Given the fact that the Game Boy Color was barely on store shelves a year before market attention and resources began shifting to its incoming successor, the GBC holds the unfortunate distinction of having one of the weakest libraries of any Nintendo console (not counting, of course, the absolutely massive assortment of original Game Boy titles that it could also play). Thankfully, the Game Boy Advance was around for a number of years before Nintendo decided to unveil their next portable console, so the GBA library was pretty stacked by comparison. Additionally, with hardware performance quite similar to the Super Nintendo, the Game Boy Advance was able to play host to an impressive number of classic ports from the 16-bit era, in addition to the multitude of outstanding original titles.
The incredible assortment of fantastic new and retro titles made the Game Boy Advance a particularly popular device, as it was a boon for fans and collectors of both. It's those outstanding original titles, however, that we will be focusing on today; and we have assembled a pretty respectable list (if we do say so ourselves) of some of the very best that the system had to offer. So, without further ado, here are 12 of the greatest (original) titles that the Game Boy Advance had to offer.
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (Konami, 2001)
The launch of the Game Boy Advance was decent enough, with a respectable assortment of quality new titles for early adopters to sink their teeth into. One in particular, however, stood head and shoulders above the rest - - Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. As Konami never saw fit to release an installment on Nintendo's extremely short-lived Game Boy Color (or any other color portable) Circle of the Moon had much to prove. This was particularly true in light of the largely negative reception of 1998's Castlevania Legends, Konami's previous Game Boy Castlevania title.
Thankfully, with it's impressive amount of content and Symphony of the Night-inspired gameplay, Circle of the Moon was regarded as something of a revelation, not only for small-screen Castlevania titles, but portable action adventure games in general. It would also go on to be nominated for various awards that year, as well as kick off an era of portable excellence for the Castlevania franchise. One that would continue on for 5 further, equally outstanding, installments between both the Game Boy Advance, and its eventual successor console, the Nintendo DS.
Thankfully, with it's impressive amount of content and Symphony of the Night-inspired gameplay, Circle of the Moon was regarded as something of a revelation, not only for small-screen Castlevania titles, but portable action adventure games in general. It would also go on to be nominated for various awards that year, as well as kick off an era of portable excellence for the Castlevania franchise. One that would continue on for 5 further, equally outstanding, installments between both the Game Boy Advance, and its eventual successor console, the Nintendo DS.
Advance Wars (Nintendo, 2001)
While Nintendo also offered up some pretty fun fare for the launch of their new hardware, their first big highlight wouldn't come till a few months later. Although Nintendo hadn't even originally planned to ever release Advance Wars outside of Japan, those plans were thankfully changed after the game was seen in action by their US marketing division. As Advance Wars would be Western players first exposure to the long-running "Wars" series, developer Intelligent Systems decided to add an in-depth tutorial allowing players to easily come to grips with the gameplay mechanics.
The game's developer also opted for an eye-catching pop-inspired graphical style, and worked quite diligently to balance the difficulty, in order to ensure that the title could be enjoyed by players of a variety of different ages and skill levels. The game would end up being a pretty significant early success for Nintendo, winning several awards and even a few perfect ratings from various publications. It also not only paved the way for further future "Wars" titles in the West - - including an equally outstanding sequel on the GBA - - but also for another of their (then) little known, previously Japan-only strategy properties: the, now world-famous, Fire Emblem franchise.
The game's developer also opted for an eye-catching pop-inspired graphical style, and worked quite diligently to balance the difficulty, in order to ensure that the title could be enjoyed by players of a variety of different ages and skill levels. The game would end up being a pretty significant early success for Nintendo, winning several awards and even a few perfect ratings from various publications. It also not only paved the way for further future "Wars" titles in the West - - including an equally outstanding sequel on the GBA - - but also for another of their (then) little known, previously Japan-only strategy properties: the, now world-famous, Fire Emblem franchise.
Metroid: Fusion (Nintendo, 2002)
Following the success of Advance Wars, Nintendo once again knocked it out of the park the very next year with a long-awaited sequel to their fan-favorite Metroid franchise. While series designer Yoshio Sakamoto opted to create a a brand new adventure, rather than simply porting the previous entry, Super Metroid, to the Super Nintendo-comparable Game Boy Advance hardware, Metroid: Fusion did utilize several of that wildly popular title's same mechanics, features, musical cues, and graphical touches (though many of these would be enhanced or altered in various ways). But supplementing these sensible callbacks were some smart new upgrades and abilities, and an appropriately unsettling, yet entirely engaging, all-new story. Like Advance Wars, Metroid: Fusion was also very well-received, both being nominated for, and winning, a number of different awards for 2002.
Ninja Five-O (Konami, 2003)
Apart from the three equally phenomenal Castlevania releases, Konami also published another pretty outstanding side-scrolling action title on the Game Boy Advance. This one created by acclaimed developer, Hudson Soft (which has actually since merged with Konami). Ninja Five-O (or Ninja Cop, as it was known in Europe) is a title that feels quite like a fantastic mix of some of gaming's greatest classics.
In particular, Bionic Commando, on the NES, and Shinobi, for the Game Gear. While the game failed to attract much notice initially, it has since become something of a sleeper hit, earning much retrospective praise from critics and is now considered to be one of the most sought after of all GBA titles. Luckily for would-be players who missed out on its original release, Ninja Five-O was just recently ported to modern consoles as well.
In particular, Bionic Commando, on the NES, and Shinobi, for the Game Gear. While the game failed to attract much notice initially, it has since become something of a sleeper hit, earning much retrospective praise from critics and is now considered to be one of the most sought after of all GBA titles. Luckily for would-be players who missed out on its original release, Ninja Five-O was just recently ported to modern consoles as well.
Iridion II (Shin'en, 2003)
Indie developer, Shin'en's first North American release was a laucnh title for the Game Boy Advance called Iridion 3D. While that game did manage to garner praise for its forward-scrolling, pseudo-3D graphics and excellent soundtrack, its gameplay was pretty widely criticized. Despite the game's overall mixed reception by critics, Iridion 3D ended up selling well enough to justify a follow-up, and Iridion II would be released just under two years later.
Responding to the criticisms from the first title, the view angle for the sequel was shifted to an isometric perspective and the player's ship was scaled down in size. These changes allowed for greater ease of movement and better distance gauging, making the gameplay a whole lot more enjoyable. Unlike 3D, Iridion II enjoyed a very positive reception from the gaming community and is generally considered to be among the very best shooters (if not the best) ever released for the system.
Responding to the criticisms from the first title, the view angle for the sequel was shifted to an isometric perspective and the player's ship was scaled down in size. These changes allowed for greater ease of movement and better distance gauging, making the gameplay a whole lot more enjoyable. Unlike 3D, Iridion II enjoyed a very positive reception from the gaming community and is generally considered to be among the very best shooters (if not the best) ever released for the system.
Final Fantasy Tactics: Advance (Square Enix, 2003)
Between the two aforementioned Advance Wars titles, and two equally fantastic Fire Emblem titles, the Game Boy Advance was absolutely lousy with top-notch strategy titles. Even more impressive was the fact that all four of those hit titles came from just one developer, Nintendo's incredibly talented second-party studio, Intelligent Systems. But, believe it or not, there were still other great strategy titles that graced the GBA during its incredibly impressive run. One particularly good example actually came from somewhere other than Intelligent Systems - - the (then) newly-merged super corporation, Square Enix. That title was 2003's Final Fantasy Tactics: Advance.
Follow-up to the equally outstanding PlayStation original, Tactics: Advance offered several improvements to the formula, including more vibrant, detailed graphics, and new gameplay mechanics for added strategic depth. The game was a hit with fans and critics alike, becoming one of the higher selling Game Boy Advance titles, and receiving numerous accolades and award nominations, from a variety of gaming publications. Tactics: Advance would also receive its own solid follow-up a few years later, on the GBA's successor console, the Nintendo DS.
Follow-up to the equally outstanding PlayStation original, Tactics: Advance offered several improvements to the formula, including more vibrant, detailed graphics, and new gameplay mechanics for added strategic depth. The game was a hit with fans and critics alike, becoming one of the higher selling Game Boy Advance titles, and receiving numerous accolades and award nominations, from a variety of gaming publications. Tactics: Advance would also receive its own solid follow-up a few years later, on the GBA's successor console, the Nintendo DS.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (Nintendo, 2003)
While the Game Boy Advance featured multiple ports of classic Super Mario titles, it sadly never received any new installments to the legendary platforming series. It did receive a pretty superb RPG title starring the beloved fraternal protagonists of those games, however. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga represented something of a spiritual successor to both Super Mario RPG, on the Super Nintendo, as well as Paper Mario, on the Nintendo 64 (although that series has since received multiple legitimate follow-up installments as well).
Superstar Saga shared a fair amount of style and mechanics with those prior releases (and even some of the same development staff). The game was well-received by critics and, like Final Fantsy Tactics: Advance, became one of the highest-selling titles to be released for the GBA. In fact, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga was so successful, it would actually end up spawning a series of its own, with follow-up titles appearing on the DS, 3DS, and, most recently, Nintendo Switch.
Superstar Saga shared a fair amount of style and mechanics with those prior releases (and even some of the same development staff). The game was well-received by critics and, like Final Fantsy Tactics: Advance, became one of the highest-selling titles to be released for the GBA. In fact, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga was so successful, it would actually end up spawning a series of its own, with follow-up titles appearing on the DS, 3DS, and, most recently, Nintendo Switch.
Mario Golf: Advance Tour (Nintendo, 2004)
One of the best golf games to grace Sony's original PlayStation console was a little title from Camelot Software Planning called Hot Shots Golf (or Everybody's Golf, outside North America). As you may or may not be aware, that series would be carried on in studio Clap Hanz's capable...well, hands. Camelot, meanwhile, would end up forming a partnership of sorts with Sony rival, Nintendo, for whom it would begin working on various new Mario sports titles (in addition to a few other games). This partnership kicked off with a pair of outstanding 1999 hits for the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color, both simply titled, "Mario Golf".
While both of these games were pretty fantastic entries to the Mario Golf series, quite incredibly, it was actually the vastly inferior-looking Game Boy Color title that was slightly better regarded by critics at the time. This was due, in large part, to Camelot's somewhat unorthodox, yet fully successful decision to season an already excellent game of golf with RPG elements. In 2004, Camelot continued this trend with their next portable series release, Mario Golf: Advance Tour.
Sharing many of the same staff members, and even some of the same game elements, as the incredible Golden Sun titles (two other ridiculously good GBA games from Camelot), Advance Tour was a great-looking, phenomenally-playing, and deeply-engaging Mario Golf installment. Following its release, Advance Tour was met with high praise from the gaming community and would even manage to add a few awards to the Mario Golf trophy case. Sadly, Nintendo and/or Camelot apparently decided to take a break during the DS/Wii era as the next installment wouldn't hit the virtual links until the 2014 3DS release, Mario Golf: World Tour, nearly a decade later.
While both of these games were pretty fantastic entries to the Mario Golf series, quite incredibly, it was actually the vastly inferior-looking Game Boy Color title that was slightly better regarded by critics at the time. This was due, in large part, to Camelot's somewhat unorthodox, yet fully successful decision to season an already excellent game of golf with RPG elements. In 2004, Camelot continued this trend with their next portable series release, Mario Golf: Advance Tour.
Sharing many of the same staff members, and even some of the same game elements, as the incredible Golden Sun titles (two other ridiculously good GBA games from Camelot), Advance Tour was a great-looking, phenomenally-playing, and deeply-engaging Mario Golf installment. Following its release, Advance Tour was met with high praise from the gaming community and would even manage to add a few awards to the Mario Golf trophy case. Sadly, Nintendo and/or Camelot apparently decided to take a break during the DS/Wii era as the next installment wouldn't hit the virtual links until the 2014 3DS release, Mario Golf: World Tour, nearly a decade later.
Astro Boy: Omega Factor (SEGA, 2004)
In 2003, to mark the 40th anniversary of the original Astro Boy anime (as well as the titular character's canonically-established birthday), a brand new Astro Boy anime was released by series creator Osamu Tezuka's animation studio. In honor of this momentous occasion, legendary video game company Sega decided to recruit the near-equally legendary developer Treasure to assist them with creating an Astro Boy title for the Game Boy Advance. The result was 2004's Astro Boy: Omega Factor, a game that is regarded by many as one of the greatest titles ever to grace a Nintendo portable.
Omega Factor boasted jaw-dropping visuals, a storyline and score system that allowed for multiple playthroughs, a massive cast of fan-favorite characters to seek out and interact with, and incredibly satisfying action gameplay from the some of the absolute masters of the genre. All wrapped up in a top-notch tribute to one of the most influential series (and characters) in anime history. Unsurprisingly, Omega Factor was a huge hit with gaming critics everywhere and even ended up finding its way onto numerous best games lists, not only for the year it came out, but of all time!
Omega Factor boasted jaw-dropping visuals, a storyline and score system that allowed for multiple playthroughs, a massive cast of fan-favorite characters to seek out and interact with, and incredibly satisfying action gameplay from the some of the absolute masters of the genre. All wrapped up in a top-notch tribute to one of the most influential series (and characters) in anime history. Unsurprisingly, Omega Factor was a huge hit with gaming critics everywhere and even ended up finding its way onto numerous best games lists, not only for the year it came out, but of all time!
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (Nintendo, 2005)
In May of 2001, Capcom, along with their subsidiary, Flagship, simultaneously released a pair of Zelda titles for the Game Boy Color. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, and Oracle of Seasons together represented the successful results of their attempt at creating their own original interconnected Zelda adventure. Not long after the strong reception of those games, Capcom (and Flagship) soon got to work on yet another new Zelda title, this time for the Game Boy Advance.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap would serve as a full-fledged Zelda adventure, as well as a prequel to the multiplayer Four Swords bonus game that was included with the 2002 GBA port of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (which Capcom and Flagship also helped develop). Minish Cap boasted a beautiful cartoon-style aesthetic, very similar to the one used in the outstanding 2003 GameCube hit, The Legend of Zelda: the Wind Waker. It also featured the return/canonical debut of the Four Swords villain Vaati, as well as some pretty creative new items and abilities (not least of which being the titular Minish Cap). Upon release, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap was met with a pretty massive amount of praise, and would even go on to become a best-seller for the Game Boy Advance, as well as the recipient of multiple game of the year awards.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap would serve as a full-fledged Zelda adventure, as well as a prequel to the multiplayer Four Swords bonus game that was included with the 2002 GBA port of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (which Capcom and Flagship also helped develop). Minish Cap boasted a beautiful cartoon-style aesthetic, very similar to the one used in the outstanding 2003 GameCube hit, The Legend of Zelda: the Wind Waker. It also featured the return/canonical debut of the Four Swords villain Vaati, as well as some pretty creative new items and abilities (not least of which being the titular Minish Cap). Upon release, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap was met with a pretty massive amount of praise, and would even go on to become a best-seller for the Game Boy Advance, as well as the recipient of multiple game of the year awards.
Racing Gears Advance (Orbital Media, 2005)
Racing Gears Advance was the debut game of (then) newly-created Canadian development studio, Orbital Media: and for a first effort, they really went and knocked it out of the park. An isometric combat racer, the game played like something of a modern remake of the NES classic, RC Pro-Am. Racing Gears Advance boasted top-notch visuals, an ample variety of weapons and items to choose from, a plethora of upgradable options for your ride, and multiple licensed, real-world luxury vehicles to choose from.
Additionally, Racing Gears featured a pretty outstanding electronic-inspired soundtrack, courtesy of acclaimed game composer Neil Voss. The game was enthusiastically-received by critics and, by and large, was also considered to be a pretty decent success for Orbital Media. Unsurprisingly, a sequel was planned for the Nintendo DS, but sadly never came to fruition. Orbital Media would eventually end up going out of business, in 2014, so there is likely little chance that a follow-up will ever leave the (now) non-existent garage.
Additionally, Racing Gears featured a pretty outstanding electronic-inspired soundtrack, courtesy of acclaimed game composer Neil Voss. The game was enthusiastically-received by critics and, by and large, was also considered to be a pretty decent success for Orbital Media. Unsurprisingly, a sequel was planned for the Nintendo DS, but sadly never came to fruition. Orbital Media would eventually end up going out of business, in 2014, so there is likely little chance that a follow-up will ever leave the (now) non-existent garage.
Drill Dozer (Nintendo, 2006)
Drill Dozer was developer Game Freak's first, and only, non-Pokemon title to be released for the Game Boy Advance, or Color; and it was arguably even better than any of those (admittedly) excellent series installments. The game was an all-new action-platformer starring the entertainingly spirited protagonist, Jill, and her titular Drill Dozer. Game Freak did an excellent job making the mechanics of the dozer's drill varied and clever, giving players a game that was both interesting and fun to play. The game cartridge also included a rumble pack (one of only two GBA games to do so), which added a very welcome level of immersion to the proceedings. Add in the well-written humor and colorful, detailed graphics, and it's really no wonder why Drill Dozer was considered by many to be one of the absolute must-play highlights of the Game Boy Advance.
The Game Boy Advance launched in North America on June 11th, 2001. It boasted some pretty fantastic internal hardware specs, as well as a pretty unique-looking horizontally-arranged form factor created by an outside Tokyo-based design studio hired by Nintendo. Despite creating a much more powerful successor to the oddly inadequate Game Boy Color, as well as seriously intending to compete against the rival portable gaming systems of the early 21st century, Nintendo was still missing one incredibly important feature that they had stubbornly refused to implement over three generations of Game Boy systems, including the debut model of the Game Boy Advance - - a backlight.
Suffice it to say, this omission did not go unnoticed by the critics of the day. The public, however, didn't seem to mind too much, as the Game Boy Advance still enjoyed strong sales, in both North America and Japan. Thankfully, though, Nintendo did eventually add a light to their fantastic 2003 clamshell-style redesign, the Game Boy Advance SP (but even this model took two versions before Nintendo finally gave it a proper backlight).
Ultimately, the Game Boy Advance served its purpose and then some. It's five different configurations (including the GameCube-attaching Game Boy Player and the miniscule Game Boy Micro) combined to make the platform one of Nintendo's highest-selling at the time (second only to the original Game Boy). In November 2004, the even more successful Nintendo DS made its debut, and the Game Boy Advance would eventually be discontinued in 2008. Though Nintendo may have begun to move on from the system over 20 years ago now, the Game Boy Advance still lives on in the collections and hearts of the fans it struck a special chord with. Fans who, to this day, and always, it remains a particular favorite of.
Suffice it to say, this omission did not go unnoticed by the critics of the day. The public, however, didn't seem to mind too much, as the Game Boy Advance still enjoyed strong sales, in both North America and Japan. Thankfully, though, Nintendo did eventually add a light to their fantastic 2003 clamshell-style redesign, the Game Boy Advance SP (but even this model took two versions before Nintendo finally gave it a proper backlight).
Ultimately, the Game Boy Advance served its purpose and then some. It's five different configurations (including the GameCube-attaching Game Boy Player and the miniscule Game Boy Micro) combined to make the platform one of Nintendo's highest-selling at the time (second only to the original Game Boy). In November 2004, the even more successful Nintendo DS made its debut, and the Game Boy Advance would eventually be discontinued in 2008. Though Nintendo may have begun to move on from the system over 20 years ago now, the Game Boy Advance still lives on in the collections and hearts of the fans it struck a special chord with. Fans who, to this day, and always, it remains a particular favorite of.
[Images: Nintendo, Konami, Shin'en, Square Enix, SEGA, Orbital Media]
 | [AJ Amideo] |