So, I’ve been getting into GBA and want some recommendations. I’ve been playing advance wars and really like it, anyone know any similar games? (Not fire emblem because permadeath is an annoying mechanic?
And justgoogd GBA games in general
I’ve curated a list based on my own preferences. A couple caveats are that I haven’t played most of them, some stuff like DBZ and Yugioh are whatever if you’re not into those franchises and some stuff has better ports elsewhere and isnt included: https://pastebin.com/Fv2RtN61
I didn’t play many GBA games but ones that come to mind are:
- Metroid zero mission
- Mario and Luigi superstar saga
Red rescue team, if you haven’t played a pokemon mystery dungeon game before. I played the DS version (blue rescue team) and loved it.
I play that :3
It’s so cute, I love their cute little facial expressions :)
Yea :3
I really like the GBA pokemon stuff. Looks a lot better than the 3d games
I agree!
Yea, gen 7 looks kinda ugly. Even tho I like gen 7
- Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire
- Pokemon LeafGreen and FireRed
- Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
- Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
- Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons & Oracle of Ages (initially released for Game Boy Color, but it works just the same on the Advanced)
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.
This is the correct answer.
I’m weird and I have a real soft spot for the original PlayStation 1 Final Fantasy Tactics as well. Both solid games, imho.
Weird? Isn’t FFT widely considered one of the best games of all time?
I honestly only ever see people talking about FFTA, I almost never see people mention FFT for playstation.
Could just be me, but I don’t exactly run into lots of folks who are even aware it exists.
The lack of a modern port makes availability an issue, so it’s definitely more in cult classic territory, but it is definitely a critics’ darling and is often thrown around among the group of best games of all time. It’s not uncommon for it to rank nr. 1 on “Best Final Fantasy Games” lists either.
I have never read much of game reviews and game news nor “top” listicles, so maybe that’s why I’m less aware of the critical acclaim.
Metroid Fusion and Metroid Zero Mission
I personally enjoyed Spyro²: Season of Flame.
One of the biggest problems I will say about the game, though, is that you won’t always be able to tell where you’ll land when gliding and will probably lose plenty of lives because of it.
I’m guessinb its a 3dgame by that explanation? I prefer 2d
Fair enough. It’s mostly 3rd person 3D, but the view isn’t always great, making for some frustration. There are, if I remember correctly, a couple 2D levels where you play as the army bird guy, but otherwise, it’s 3D.
Are you playing on an emulator? There’s a plethora of cool Pokemon roms based on fire red
Currently playing emerald, not a hack, just the standard one
That’s how I roll too.
Yoshi’s Island!
Wario Land 4 was probably my fave
Core memory right here.
I love the Wario games because they were so chill. You were a invincible protagonist whose goal was solving puzzles and getting money.
I don’t remember 4 being that chill, when you press the frog button and have to leg it back to the start for fear of losing your loot it gets pretty intense!
Those were the GBA games I played and liked.
- TMNT (from the movie)
- Shining Soul I & II
- Castlevania - Aria of Sorrow
Dark Conflict/Days Of Ruin
What genre are they?
Advance Wars
Most similar to Advance Wars:
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Tactics Ogre: Knight of Lodis
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation
Shining Force:Resurrection of the Dark Dragon
Just in general:
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 1 and 2
Drill Dozer
Golden Sun 1 and 2
Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town
Guru Logic Champ
Metroid Fusion
Metroid Zero Mission
Medabots RPG
Klonoa: Empire of Dreams
- Boktai series: Hideo Kojima’s most unusual work, and I mean that in the best way. These games were so near and dear to my childhood, especially 2. Really though you want the Solar Sensor hardware for the full experience, but I love these games too much not to plug them anyway. Emulating them is worth it over not playing them at all. And for the third game, you’d have to pick between original hardware or the translation patch anyway.
- Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow: It’s Castlevania. It’s good. Also check out Circle of the Moon and Harmony of Dissonance, but AoS was by far the best of the GBA entries.
- Golden Sun 1/2: These games were way ahead of their time for how they designed a combat system that encourages you to use all of your tools and not just click basic Attack as if you gotta hoard your MP for a rainy day. Fantastic puzzles too.
- Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga: If you’ve played any of the other Mario RPGs, this one’s great too. Has a 3DS remake but I haven’t played that version so I can’t tell you how it compares.
- Metroid: Zero Mission: The original Metroid has aged rather poorly if you ask me, but this remake does a perfect job modernizing it into one of the best games in the series. Fusion is good too, but some fans have opinions on that one.
- Mother 3: Surely you have already heard of this game and do not need me to tell you to go play it. Have you not played it by now? Why not? Well, okay, if you haven’t played Earthbound first, go do so, then play this.
- Rhythm Tengoku: A wonderful game about pressing the A button. Sometimes you press the d-pad too. Translation patch.
- Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 1/2: If you’ve ever played the classic 2D Tales games, these are excellent spiritual successors to those. There’s a third game that’s JP-only, translation patch is being worked on but it’s been stuck in development hell for years…
- The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap: Zelda.
Holy shit boktai was kojima?! Only reason i about this series was the crossover chips and and endgame quest in MMBN4 and on. Super cool and unique concept with the solar panel stuff.
Thanks for the list
Rock’n’roll racing got a pretty solid GBA port, it’s a fantastic little isometric battle racer from the 90’s
