I enjoyed revisiting Super Nintendo for my recent Top 10 SNES games article, so wanted to quickly move onto another favourite system of mine - Gameboy Advance!
It was the first system which I was able to really enjoy, having some real disposable income to throw at it. I had also by then befriended my local game shop and was not ashamed to trade in finished games to get new ones.
So with no further ado - my ten favourite GBA games - and as with the SNES list before, these games were not only enjoyed back in the day, but hold up and are enjoyed today.
10. Sonic Advance
Sonic the Hedgehog starred in some of my favourite games of the 1990s. Certainly the first two Mega Drive games and the first on Game Gear / Master System still get played regularly in this house. This is one of (or the?) first times a Sonic game appeared on Nintendo Hardware - the difference between this and most others is that this is good. Great even!
The sense of speed is there, but with tight controls and clever level design. The art style is more modern than the Mega Drive games, and importantly you can save your progress - essential for handheld gaming.
9. Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
I have reservations about the Mario Advance series in general - more or less summed up as "cheeky Nintendo charging full price for one game at a time". However, this was my first opportunity to own, and therefore to get into, Super Mario World, and enjoying it on my beloved Gameboy Advance was a win for me.
You all know the game and what makes it special. Except now it was in a handheld console, for which it was a perfect fit.
8. Mario Kart Super Circuit
The second of a few Mario related titles on this list, Mario Kart Super Circuit is a great addition to the series.
Looking and playing much like its SNES counterpart, but improved in many ways, there are 20 tracks available - and then the 20 from Super Mario Kart unlocked by playing through all the stages again once you win the Special Cup. That's pretty generous for a Gameboy game!
The music isn't as memorable as in other versions, and it is not as good as some later full-3D additions, but the game overall is a lot of fun and offers enough to keep you coming back for a while.
7. Wario Ware, Inc. : Mega Microgame$
A random purchase at the time, this unexpected pickup became one of my favourite games of all time.
A series of 2-second mini games, which threw a title at you and gave you next to no time to work out what was going on, what you needed to do, and then to do it. Addictive gameplay and inventive craziness had me coming back for more and more and more. As you get to know the mini games you will find yourself in the zone, blasting through them as they get faster and faster, until you inevitably fail - then start again and aim for a new high score.
Future games improved, or at least added to, the formula, and all are worth a look, though the Wii U title Game & Wario leaves a lot to desired. Start with this GBA title and you won't be disappointed.
6. Metroid Fusion
I was torn about adding this one to this list. It belongs to a list of games hyped far beyond my understanding. But it is fun, and is certainly better than Metroid Zero.
Typical "Metroidvania" gameplay in 2D, it provided a break from Metroid Primes's slow-paced 3D universe. Exploring a labyrinth as you unlock the usual powers, the real difference in this title comes in the form of SA-X - a clone of Samus herself that mimics her at full power, whilst you control her at no power... whilst scripted, the sections in which SA-X stalks and chases you are difficult and pulse-inducing.
The game is short at just a few hours, and I remember returning it on Monday having bought it on Friday. However I have since replayed the game a few times and it still holds interest as much as most other Metroid games.
5. Mario Golf: Advance Tour
I like golf games. I have fond memories of playing Links 2004 for Xbox online against my friend Mike, and of enjoying Everybody's Golf on PSP with my wife. Go for a birdy!
Mario Golf, as you'd expect, adds a little interest to the formula in the shape of the titular plumber and his friends (and enemies), but it is at heart a fairly standard golf game. Hit A to start your shot, hit A to set power. There is some depth in control of your shots using various button combinations, and all in all it's a solid golf sim.
It is all wrapped in a light RPG blanket which adds next to nothing to the game other than casting you as a newcomer looking to claim trophies for each of the courses.
It may be ultimately quite shallow, but I still find myself compelled to play through the tournaments every now and then.
4. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
There are three Castlevania games on GBA. The first, Circle of the Moon is a brilliant title. The second, Harmony of Dissonance, is less so. Aria of Sorrow is the third series title on the system and improves a lot on its forebears. It also leads into my favourite of them all - Dawn of Sorrow on DS, a direct sequel.
You know the drill. Much like Metroid Fusion you start off weak and with minimal access to the map, defeating bosses and unlocking powers to grant further access. You also level up in a light RPG manner as you defeat more and more enemies.
The gameplay is deep, and it will last you several hours. Controls are perfect, and the story fun.
This could have been number one. It was close. It's just surpassed by the DS sequels - mostly due to the hardware itself granting a second screen for a permanent map display.
3. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
A basic RPG at heart, taking cues from Paper Mario, Super Star Saga's real strengths are its story and its irreverence for the Super Mario universe.
In a twist of genius you control Mario and Luigi at the same time. Luigi follows Mario, and actions are assigned to the A button for Mario and B for Luigi. Different actions are unlocked as you go, allowing you to access different areas.
The characters are a joy to behold and really add to the fun of the story. Perfectly formed and only the first of several in an ongoing series. Any of them are worth picking up, but you might as well start at the start and work through them all.
2. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Wow. Just wow.
Obviously the GBA hardware was not going to give us a convincing 3D Tony Hawk Game as on PlayStation, but what a great idea to go for an isometric view. Sometimes it can be confusing to see the depth of the stages, but by and large they have been cleverly laid out for the best effect.
Essentially a portable version of the PlayStation game, there's a lot of fun and replay value here.
The soundtrack is of course missing all its nu-metal and pop punk glory, replaced by serviceable midi-like rock n roll. All tricks are present, with ollies and grinds handled my A and B and flip and grab tricks assigned to L and R. It takes some getting used to, especially with hands as big as mine, but once you're comfortable it's as enjoyable as in its big brother.
It just goes to show that a little bit of clever thought can condense bugger games successfully to smaller hardware without necessarily losing any of the magic.
1. Warioland 4
I was there when we were first introduced to Wario. Chasing him down in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, he was simply an evil guy to give you a reason for doing what you were doing.
A little later and Super Mario Land 3 carried the subtitle "Warioland". An odd thing to happen, though bot unheard of, for the antagonist to take over a series. Handheld Mario didn't even recover until years later with DS's New Super Mario Bros.
Two more Warioland titles followed on Gameboy and Gameboy Color before the fourth landed on Gameboy Advance. Taking everything that had been laid down before - Wario's insatiable greed for treasure being the main motivation - Nintendo crafted one of their finest 2D handheld platforming titles.
The basic idea is that Wario makes his way through a level, collecting as much treasure as he can along the way. There are also four pieces of a gem to collect - collect them all to unlock the door to the world boss - and a CD which unlocks a piece of music for the sound player accessible in the menu. Finally a key is hidden in the stage which unlocks the door to the next stage. If you finish the level without finding the key, you will have to replay it and search a little harder.
At the end of each stage is a time bomb (usually at the end). Jump in it to open the stage's exit and race against time - the exit is found at the beginning of the stage, and you must get there before the time runs out of lose all your treasure from the level. Just for fun the level layout will change, taking you in a different route on the way back. Sometimes, if you haven't found all the collectibles in the way into the stage, you will find the remainder in the alternative route out.
This is a beautifully formed game, and goes a long way to make up for the shameful lack of an original Super Mario hame on the system.
Honourable Mentions
Another system with a LOT of great games. Here are a couple that would have been on my list if it weren't for the others.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past;
Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 4 - These two could have been in my GBA top 10, for the same reasons as mentioned in my SNES top 10. They scale so well to the GBA hardware and are as much fun as they used to be in their original forms.
Golden Sun - A lot of fun, and well-loved for a reason. Sometimes obtuse but the story is enjoyable and the combat fun.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap - another Zelda game, and the only new release from the series on GBA. A weak alternative to ALttP but still has taken charms. Core mechanic revolves around shrinking down to mini size.
Kuru Kuru Kururin - a strange game. You control a rotating stick through obstacle courses through which it barely fits, with limited control over its rotation speed. It is a quirky game, quite difficult to control, but fun once you get the hang of it.
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