Your favorite GBA game

[Goblin]

I just picked up my GBA, this afternoon. Now I need to get a few games for it. Rather than ask people to just list a bunch of titles that they like, or to create a top game 20 list, neither of which tell me anything. I'd like people to post their favorite GBA game, and tell me in 100 words or less why it's so great.

[MarioAllStar2600]

Wario Ware is a definate must. DEFINATE. I have never played it but i thinke veryone wills ay Advance wars 1 or 2.

[orangemage]

just get the 3 Castlevanias, well worth the cash

[ManekiNeko]

At this point, it's too hard to decide. Out of the games I own, it'd be a tie between Mario Kart: Super Circuit and Konami Arcade Classics. Out of the thousand plus games released for the system, I couldn't say.

JR

[Ed Oscuro]

just get the 3 Castlevanias, well worth the cash

And out of those, Aria of Sorrow if you're limited to trying just one.

I'd say play them in the order they were made if you can afford it. HoD is very interesting in a number of ways, but it's a shame the music sounds so bad. Level design is quite odd, but I found it somewhat enjoyable (at times).

Um...if we go over 100 words, do you just truncate the entry, or what?

[Goblin]

Wario Ware is a definate must. DEFINATE.

Why? What makes this so great?


just get the 3 Castlevanias, well worth the cash
Again why? Why should I spend my money on this one, over say "Twerpy's Adventures in Digital Press Land"?



I don't mean to be a pain, but I haven't bought a gameboy game since the GBC firt came out, so I am out of touch with what is good and what is crap. I walked into EB this afternoon and spent 30 minutes reading boxes, and didn't get anywhere. There were plenty of titles I'd heard about, but none that I could tell was better than another. If I trust the boxes (yeah right) they are all good. But I need more to go on than just "this one is great" or "you need to own this".

[Ed Oscuro]

Point taken, Goblin. Here's a cut'n paste of my Amazon.com review (keep in mind that some reviewers are saying the game is better than Symphony of the Night):


A fitting end (perhaps) to the Castlevania timeline., May 10, 2003
Reviewer: edoscuro (see more about me) from Battle Creek, MI USA
There's a Belmont in there somewhere.

First there was Circle of the Moon. Then there was Harmony of Dissonance. For those of you hoping that Aria would get away from the "Castleroid" (or Metroidvania) style of gameplay, you'll undoubtedly be annoyed that Aria once again uses a map system and items that must be picked up.

Unlike the other two games, though, Aria has a focus more in keeping with the CD-ROM based game Symphony of the Night. It's huge! We're not talking about simple length from A to B, or cheap inverted maps, though: instead of the simple Vampire Killer whip/morning star, you start out with a pocketknife and best mink stole, as the style of 2035 dictates one should go into battle equipped. Along with the usual upgradeable armor and profusion of healing items, you have the choice of equipping any of literally dozens of types of insane weaponry. You will eventually meet up with the Vampire Killer...but suffice to say that a number of things must happen first.

The Soul Powers should be mentioned as well. This is a fitting replacement for item capsules, with a somewhat plausible explanation: You have the power to absorb the souls of different monsters, gaining a unique power in the process. Not much more can be said about it, but the variety puts CotM's DSS tarot card combination system to shame.

The graphics are certainly a high point. Unlike CotM's stock graphics, drawn by a company outside of Konami, everything in AoS really belongs in a CV game. Some characters will be familiar, some are brand new...but they're all interesting. What about graphics effects? We've got awesome waterfalls, mirrored corridors, lots of good sprite rotation, and even different angle shots (chariots, horses and similar things run in a virtual circle, with unique sprites for viewing them at different angles). What's more, it all fits. Out of all the 2D Castlevania games, this is without a doubt the most competitive.

The music is very excellently composed, enough to make you forget it's all mono this time around. Forgiving that, the tunes are more nicely executed than the previous two games. Listen for the remix of "Don't Wait Until Night" and "Hearts of Fire."

Finally, AoS has intense replay value. Don't be swayed by people saying "And once you beat the ugly last boss, it's over!" That last 10% of the map played your first time through is where the game actually starts. With a few extra modes of game play, the ability to trade souls between different GBAs, and a profusion of weaponry (some archaic, some futuristic) this game will continue to present you with surprises for a long time to come. Along the way, you'll discover why I call this the end to the Castlevania timeline...and much more.

[Sotenga]

To me, it's a three-way tie between Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, Gradius Galaxies, and Wario Ware. Wait, you expect me to put one over the other?!? :fist:

I also like Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Konami Arcade Classics, and the other two Castlevanias. :)

[josekortez]

Why buy one game when you can buy 3? I suggest you head down to Toys R Us. They always have $10 GBA games. Granted, they're not all runaway hits, but it's a good place to build your library.

As for my favorite game, I'd pick Car Battler Joe, which I picked up at TRU for $10. It's an RPG crossed with vehicular combat. You can customize the cars you earn with new weapons and take on missions for cash. Sort of like Lil' Grand Theft Auto without the violence and hookers...

Second runner-up would go to Puyo Pop. I have a soft spot for Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine and puzzlers in general, so I had to have this one. Third runner-up goes to the Street Fighter series because it looks and sounds better than the SNES versions.

Nothing against the Castlevania fans, but Circle of the Moon bored me to death and I can't say I'll buy another game in the series...

[spoon]

My least favorite Castlevania is Aria of Sorrow. Great game, to short and easy.

I would rec. Konami Krazy Karts (I almost like this one better than Mario Kart). Think Mario Kart replaced with Konami characters and you get the idea.

Wario Ware is fun, quick, and addictive. Very addictive. It has over 200 mini games tossed together. Pick it up, you'll love it. If you don't, we will find you!

As mentioned earlier, Car Battler Joe is a cool take on RPGs. If you buy it and don't like it, sell it to me.

[ManekiNeko]

Hey Goblin, if you want more information about Game Boy Advance games, this is the place to be.

http://grblitz.overclocked.org/advance.htm

JR

[Balloon Fight]

Namco Museum. I went for a 4 hour car ride to vegas and this is all i played. It has excellent classics like Galaga, Galaxian, Ms. Pacman, Dig Dug, and Pole Position. The only game that fails is Pole Position, because the control isnt that great, but you do get used to it. Galaga i just keep trying to beat my old score, as well as my Dig Dug score.
Galaga is so addicting, because you just keep trying and trying to get a higher goal. I am not that great, but my top is 350,000. Get it, if you like classics.
Hope that helps you. :)

[SoulBlazer]

If you like Strategy/Tactics games, this system has some good ones. Tactics Orgs: Knights of Lodis, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Fire Emblem, and the two Advance Wars games are all great.

There's some good RPG's for the system as well -- Lunar, Golden Sun 1 and 2, and Lufia.

The new Metroid, Contra, and Gradius games are worth checking out.

And the three Castlevanias DO indeed rock, and again, my vote for the favorite of the three goes to Aria of Sorrow.

There are a lot of good remakes of older games as well -- all of the Mario's, Final Fight, Double Dragon, the prequel to Secret of Mana (coming soon!), River City Ransom, and many others.

Wario Ware is a great and easy game to get into, and a lot of old arcade classic collections also exist.

You even have 3D games, like Wing Commander: Privater.

I love my GBA SP. 8-)

[aremid23]

My favorites include:

Castlevania: CotM, HoD, and AoS
Metroid Fushion
TMNT
Klonoa: Empire of Dreams
Golden Sun
Golden Sun: The Lost Ages

You can't go wrong with any of those.

[aremid23]

My favorites include:

Castlevania: CotM, HoD, and AoS
Metroid Fushion
TMNT
Klonoa: Empire of Dreams
Golden Sun
Golden Sun: The Lost Ages

You can't go wrong with any of those.

[Lady Jaye]

Of course, don't forget that the GBA is backward compatible. With this in mind, you can go for the rerelease of Dragon Warrior I & II (on one cart) or of Dragon Warrior III, both for GBC (be warned that the translation was remade, closer to the original Japanese text and that the difficulty level has been leveled down).

There's also the three GBC Zelda games: Link's Awakening (the regular version for the original Game Boy, or the color-supported DX version with an extra dungeon), but I strongly recommend instead the 2 Oracle games (Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages), both developed by Capcom for Nintendo.

Mega Man Zero isn't bad but it's very, very tough (I've heard that Zero 2 was better: a bit less challenging but really worth it).

Avoid at all costs Mortal Kombat Advance and Midway's Greatest Hits. Same goes for the rerelease of Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure. They're all excrutiatingly bad.

If you like simple, classic gaming twitch gaming, aside from Wario Ware, go for Game And Watch Gallery 4 (or G&W Gallery 1-3 for GBC; be aware that G&W Gallery 4 is a sort of best-of of the first 3 compilations). You can play both classic G&W games and their remake (while retaining the original gameplay).

Metroid Fusion is a short and sweet game inspired by Super Metroid without being a remake of it. Its main difference, is that the game is not as open-ended as Super Metroid. Areas remain locked until you need to access them. Because it's a short game, you may want to get it used.

[Lady Jaye]

Of course, don't forget that the GBA is backward compatible. With this in mind, you can go for the rerelease of Dragon Warrior I & II (on one cart) or of Dragon Warrior III, both for GBC (be warned that the translation was remade, closer to the original Japanese text and that the difficulty level has been leveled down).

There's also the three GBC Zelda games: Link's Awakening (the regular version for the original Game Boy, or the color-supported DX version with an extra dungeon), but I strongly recommend instead the 2 Oracle games (Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages), both developed by Capcom for Nintendo.

Mega Man Zero isn't bad but it's very, very tough (I've heard that Zero 2 was better: a bit less challenging but really worth it).

Avoid at all costs Mortal Kombat Advance and Midway's Greatest Hits. Same goes for the rerelease of Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure. They're all excrutiatingly bad.

If you like simple, classic gaming twitch gaming, aside from Wario Ware, go for Game And Watch Gallery 4 (or G&W Gallery 1-3 for GBC; be aware that G&W Gallery 4 is a sort of best-of of the first 3 compilations). You can play both classic G&W games and their remake (while retaining the original gameplay).

Metroid Fusion is a short and sweet game inspired by Super Metroid without being a remake of it. Its main difference, is that the game is not as open-ended as Super Metroid. Areas remain locked until you need to access them. Because it's a short game, you may want to get it used.

[BrAInDeD]

Games i liked on GBA are:

Metroid fusion
CVs
Megaman NTs
megaman zero 1,2
Super mario 3 weeeeeeeeee

:bad-words: i was really disappointed at Sonic Advance the graphics were good, sounds what u would expect from a sonic game but i just think the game is way to easy and all it is...is a damn time attack game the bad guys have little importance and wont even slow u down in the prosses of getting to the finish line its just really lame, You can even complete the game by using two buttons :grrr:

anyways to end this i find the new sonic games are just one big roller coaster u just go in one of those springs and u got half the fucking stage done and the bad guys in sonic adventure for DC the bad guys are boring fights just press 2 buttons whoopie... i mean there still good games but meh they lost its value just stick to the sega genesis sonics

[BrAInDeD]

Games i liked on GBA are:

Metroid fusion
CVs
Megaman NTs
megaman zero 1,2
Super mario 3 weeeeeeeeee

:bad-words: i was really disappointed at Sonic Advance the graphics were good, sounds what u would expect from a sonic game but i just think the game is way to easy and all it is...is a damn time attack game the bad guys have little importance and wont even slow u down in the prosses of getting to the finish line its just really lame, You can even complete the game by using two buttons :grrr:

anyways to end this i find the new sonic games are just one big roller coaster u just go in one of those springs and u got half the fucking stage done and the bad guys in sonic adventure for DC the bad guys are boring fights just press 2 buttons whoopie... i mean there still good games but meh they lost its value just stick to the sega genesis sonics

[Balloon Fight]

I also forgot to mention Golden Sun. This is one of the best RPG's of all time in my opinion. You have awesome graphics for a GBA, all kinds of different summons, characters, spells, items, and basically everything you can think of.
The story is good also, and it seems to go on for a long time. Get the 1st one before the 2nd if you do decide on these.

[Balloon Fight]

I also forgot to mention Golden Sun. This is one of the best RPG's of all time in my opinion. You have awesome graphics for a GBA, all kinds of different summons, characters, spells, items, and basically everything you can think of.
The story is good also, and it seems to go on for a long time. Get the 1st one before the 2nd if you do decide on these.

[BrAInDeD]

I agree with ya balloon fight i too have forgot to mention what a great game golden sun is, could be the beginning of a great new rpg series. :D

[BrAInDeD]

I agree with ya balloon fight i too have forgot to mention what a great game golden sun is, could be the beginning of a great new rpg series. :D

[Balloon Fight]

I agree with ya balloon fight i too have forgot to mention what a great game golden sun is, could be the beginning of a great new rpg series. :D

Hopefully! I love the games, and hopefully it will span on like Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy.
There better be at least one more. (Waves fist in air)

[Balloon Fight]

I agree with ya balloon fight i too have forgot to mention what a great game golden sun is, could be the beginning of a great new rpg series. :D

Hopefully! I love the games, and hopefully it will span on like Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy.
There better be at least one more. (Waves fist in air)

[maxlords]

I can't believe no one has recommended Boktai: The Sun is in your Hands! One of the best games for GBA IMO! Just look up the reviews w/screenshots on IGN or Gamespy for any of this stuff! :D

[maxlords]

I can't believe no one has recommended Boktai: The Sun is in your Hands! One of the best games for GBA IMO! Just look up the reviews w/screenshots on IGN or Gamespy for any of this stuff! :D

[Lady Jaye]

Yeah, Golden Sun is great. And Golden Sun 2 is really the second part of the first game, not a standalone sequel (or a sequel set generations later, à la Dragon Warrior).

Speaking of RPGs, I have mixed feelings about Phantasy Star Collection, mostly because of the annoying saving bug that should have never been in Phantasy Star 1 in the first place, as well as a needed adaptation to the portable format that was omitted (the fact that, going into shops, there's no telling which piece of equipment is for whom, and whether it increases or decreases the current stats. I think that this was a mistake on THQ's part. Yes, there's a fold-out list included with the game, but do you want to carry such a list with you on the go?).

[Lady Jaye]

Yeah, Golden Sun is great. And Golden Sun 2 is really the second part of the first game, not a standalone sequel (or a sequel set generations later, à la Dragon Warrior).

Speaking of RPGs, I have mixed feelings about Phantasy Star Collection, mostly because of the annoying saving bug that should have never been in Phantasy Star 1 in the first place, as well as a needed adaptation to the portable format that was omitted (the fact that, going into shops, there's no telling which piece of equipment is for whom, and whether it increases or decreases the current stats. I think that this was a mistake on THQ's part. Yes, there's a fold-out list included with the game, but do you want to carry such a list with you on the go?).

[Lady Jaye]

Yeah, Golden Sun is great. And Golden Sun 2 is really the second part of the first game, not a standalone sequel (or a sequel set generations later, à la Dragon Warrior).

Speaking of RPGs, I have mixed feelings about Phantasy Star Collection, mostly because of the annoying saving bug that should have never been in Phantasy Star 1 in the first place, as well as a needed adaptation to the portable format that was omitted (the fact that, going into shops, there's no telling which piece of equipment is for whom, and whether it increases or decreases the current stats. I think that this was a mistake on THQ's part. Yes, there's a fold-out list included with the game, but do you want to carry such a list with you on the go?).

[Lady Jaye]

Yeah, Golden Sun is great. And Golden Sun 2 is really the second part of the first game, not a standalone sequel (or a sequel set generations later, à la Dragon Warrior).

Speaking of RPGs, I have mixed feelings about Phantasy Star Collection, mostly because of the annoying saving bug that should have never been in Phantasy Star 1 in the first place, as well as a needed adaptation to the portable format that was omitted (the fact that, going into shops, there's no telling which piece of equipment is for whom, and whether it increases or decreases the current stats. I think that this was a mistake on THQ's part. Yes, there's a fold-out list included with the game, but do you want to carry such a list with you on the go?).

[maxlords]

Double Post! *sigh*

[maxlords]

Double Post! *sigh*

[Lady Jaye]

Yeah, Golden Sun is great. And Golden Sun 2 is really the second part of the first game, not a standalone sequel (or a sequel set generations later, à la Dragon Warrior).

Speaking of RPGs, I have mixed feelings about Phantasy Star Collection, mostly because of the annoying saving bug that should have never been in Phantasy Star 1 in the first place, as well as a needed adaptation to the portable format that was omitted (the fact that, going into shops, there's no telling which piece of equipment is for whom, and whether it increases or decreases the current stats. I think that this was a mistake on THQ's part. Yes, there's a fold-out list included with the game, but do you want to carry such a list with you on the go?).

[Lady Jaye]

Yeah, Golden Sun is great. And Golden Sun 2 is really the second part of the first game, not a standalone sequel (or a sequel set generations later, à la Dragon Warrior).

Speaking of RPGs, I have mixed feelings about Phantasy Star Collection, mostly because of the annoying saving bug that should have never been in Phantasy Star 1 in the first place, as well as a needed adaptation to the portable format that was omitted (the fact that, going into shops, there's no telling which piece of equipment is for whom, and whether it increases or decreases the current stats. I think that this was a mistake on THQ's part. Yes, there's a fold-out list included with the game, but do you want to carry such a list with you on the go?).

[BrAInDeD]

LOL You posted the same thing 3 times :duh:

[BrAInDeD]

LOL You posted the same thing 3 times :duh:

[Lady Jaye]

Hey, don't fucking call me stupid! It's not my fucking fault if PHPbb can't post properly or give me the appropriate error message.

I'm getting sick and tired of getting shitted at for stuff that happen out of my fucking control. Why the fuck would you think that I'd post the same shit three times, huh?

:angry:

[Lady Jaye]

Hey, don't fucking call me stupid! It's not my fucking fault if PHPbb can't post properly or give me the appropriate error message.

I'm getting sick and tired of getting shitted at for stuff that happen out of my fucking control. Why the fuck would you think that I'd post the same shit three times, huh?

:angry:

[Lady Jaye]

What the hell is going on??? Please, someone, fix this board!!!!!!! It's driving me nuts!!!!

[Lady Jaye]

What the hell is going on??? Please, someone, fix this board!!!!!!! It's driving me nuts!!!!

[Lady Jaye]

*sigh* It's the curse of the forum sotware that just won't work right!

[Lady Jaye]

*sigh* It's the curse of the forum sotware that just won't work right!

[BrAInDeD]

WoAH Jaye i was just joking it happeneds to me too sometimes anyways im sorry if i have somewhat made you mad please forgive me :embarrassed:

[BrAInDeD]

WoAH Jaye i was just joking it happeneds to me too sometimes anyways im sorry if i have somewhat made you mad please forgive me :embarrassed:

[Half Japanese]

He actually only posted it twice: :duh:

[Half Japanese]

He actually only posted it twice: :duh:

[calthaer]

I'm going to be the voice of dissent here on some of these things.

Metroid Fusion is a good game. Why is it so good? I was interested enough in the game to finish it, pure and simple - something I have not done with Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, Golden Sun, or Lunar Legend. I think I made it in CotM all the way to Dracula and it looks like I'm going to have to level-up for a while before I can beat him - boooring. Golden Sun has neat battle animations but that's about as far as the appeal of this title goes for me. Story is bland and long-winded - same is true for Lunar Legend. I lost all interest after around the fifteenth hour of irrelevant plot twists.

Metroid Fusion is also short and sweet, with frequent power-ups and new things to discover. I didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much as I did Prime, but it's better than Metroid III IMO.

Maybe SMB3 is worth it; I don't know. I picked up SMW which I think was worth it because you get to play as Luigi in every board...Luigi operates like he does in SMB2 (longer jump times, as well as fireballs that bounce higher and a cape that has slightly different abilities...oh, and Yoshi behaves differently with him, too - can spit out any bad guy instead of just swallowing, I think). Added some good replay value to the game.

Other than that I've been less-than-impressed with the available titles. I'll probably pick up River City Ransom, but that's just about the only title I think I'll enjoy. The GBA has a vast array of shovelware and few gems, IMO. Why we can't see more adventure games like Zelda, Startropics, and stuff like that is beyond me.

[calthaer]

I'm going to be the voice of dissent here on some of these things.

Metroid Fusion is a good game. Why is it so good? I was interested enough in the game to finish it, pure and simple - something I have not done with Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, Golden Sun, or Lunar Legend. I think I made it in CotM all the way to Dracula and it looks like I'm going to have to level-up for a while before I can beat him - boooring. Golden Sun has neat battle animations but that's about as far as the appeal of this title goes for me. Story is bland and long-winded - same is true for Lunar Legend. I lost all interest after around the fifteenth hour of irrelevant plot twists.

Metroid Fusion is also short and sweet, with frequent power-ups and new things to discover. I didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much as I did Prime, but it's better than Metroid III IMO.

Maybe SMB3 is worth it; I don't know. I picked up SMW which I think was worth it because you get to play as Luigi in every board...Luigi operates like he does in SMB2 (longer jump times, as well as fireballs that bounce higher and a cape that has slightly different abilities...oh, and Yoshi behaves differently with him, too - can spit out any bad guy instead of just swallowing, I think). Added some good replay value to the game.

Other than that I've been less-than-impressed with the available titles. I'll probably pick up River City Ransom, but that's just about the only title I think I'll enjoy. The GBA has a vast array of shovelware and few gems, IMO. Why we can't see more adventure games like Zelda, Startropics, and stuff like that is beyond me.

[Zubiac666]

The "new" gba Kirby is great.
Also get "Silent Scope"!!
It's one of my favs
:D

[Zubiac666]

The "new" gba Kirby is great.
Also get "Silent Scope"!!
It's one of my favs
:D

[Zubiac666]

The "new" gba Kirby is great.
Also get "Silent Scope"!!
It's one of my favs
:D

uuhh...double post!
but not my fault,the first one didn't work
but then it's also here....weird
:embarrassed:

[Zubiac666]

The "new" gba Kirby is great.
Also get "Silent Scope"!!
It's one of my favs
:D

uuhh...double post!
but not my fault,the first one didn't work
but then it's also here....weird
:embarrassed:

[BrAInDeD]

Wow someone really has to fix this damn problem LOL

[BrAInDeD]

Wow someone really has to fix this damn problem LOL

[RetroYoungen]

Super Dodge Ball Advance rocked. It's not really all that deep, but what can I say, I love dodge ball (and smacking people with dodge balls and having them die when you hit them too much). Great game! I want more dodge ball games, screw "professional" sports!

[RetroYoungen]

Super Dodge Ball Advance rocked. It's not really all that deep, but what can I say, I love dodge ball (and smacking people with dodge balls and having them die when you hit them too much). Great game! I want more dodge ball games, screw "professional" sports!