The best Game Boy Advance games

The 10 GBA games to play first, and 40 more worth your time.

1. 1
   

   

   Pokémon Emerald Version

   2004 · Nintendo · Game Freak

   The definitive version of the Hoenn adventure: everything from Ruby and Sapphire plus the Battle Frontier, a post-game facility that keeps competitive players busy for months.

2. 2
   

   

   The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

   2004 · Nintendo · Flagship

   Capcom’s Flagship built this Zelda around a talking cap that shrinks Link to the size of the tiny Minish, turning every room into two levels at once.

3. 3
   

   

   Metroid Fusion

   2002 · Nintendo · Nintendo

   Samus is hunted by the SA-X, a parasite copy of herself at full power. Tighter and more directed than earlier Metroids, and genuinely tense.

4. 4
   

   

   Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

   2003 · Konami · Konami

   Set in 2035, it lets Soma Cruz absorb the souls of defeated enemies as new powers — the best of the three GBA Castlevanias.

5. 5
   

   

   Golden Sun

   2001 · Nintendo · Camelot Software

   Camelot’s RPG uses Psynergy both in battle and to solve puzzles in the field, with collectable Djinn that reshape your party.

6. 6
   

   

   Advance Wars

   2001 · Nintendo · Intelligent Systems

   Turn-based war on a handheld, deep enough for veterans and approachable for beginners. The first Wars game released outside Japan.

7. 7
   

   

   Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

   2003 · Nintendo · AlphaDream

   AlphaDream’s RPG controls both brothers at once and turns every attack and dodge into a timing challenge, with some of Nintendo’s funniest writing.

8. 8
   

   

   Fire Emblem

   2003 · Nintendo · Intelligent Systems

   The first Fire Emblem released in the West. Strategic battles where fallen units stay dead, and a story told through dozens of characters.

9. 9
   

   

   WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!

   2003 · Nintendo · Nintendo

   Over 200 microgames that last a few seconds each. Nintendo’s strangest idea on the GBA, and one of its most replayable.

10. 10
    

    

    Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

    2003 · Square Enix · Square Enix

    A tactics RPG set in Ivalice, with a job system for every race and judges who enforce changing laws on each battlefield.

Last checked: 2026-11-11