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Added by ape on 12 Aug 2012 08:47
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Game Boy Advance Games - ranked by preference

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People who added this item 192 Average listal rating (92 ratings) 7.2 IMDB Rating 0
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: March 21, 2001 (JP)
Publisher: Konami
Developer: KCEK
Genre: Action

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon was first first in a long line of Symphony of the Night-inspired Castlevania games that have now become mainstays of Nintendo handhelds, and it's probably still my favorite of that bunch as well. It's the same enjoyable formula found in Symphony of the Night, with a few minor changes, and in portable form - what's not to like about that? In the early days of the Game Boy Advance, this was one of the must-buy titles for the handheld...And even towards the end of the GBA's lifespan and beyond to today, it has maintained that title.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 364 Average listal rating (223 ratings) 7.9 IMDB Rating 0
Metroid Fusion - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: November 17, 2002 (NA)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Action

I remember really, really looking forward to this title...And I'll admit it, I was a little disappointed by it. I wanted a game like Super Metroid, where you could explore around in order to figure out how to advance...Instead, Metroid Fusion is much, much more linear and it almost holds your hand through each area of the game. However, those complaints aside, this is still a great game. The basic gameplay is fun, the story is interesting, and the graphics and audio are very good as well...If not for the hand-holding, linear story/gameplay progression, this probably would have been my favorite game on the Game Boy Advance. But as it is, it's still near the top of the heap.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 42 Average listal rating (25 ratings) 6.7 IMDB Rating 0
Klonoa: Empire of Dreams - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: July 19, 2001 (JP)
Publisher: Namco
Developer: Now Production
Genre: Platformer

Klonoa is a franchise that I really wish would get more attention than it gets. I have yet to play a bad game from the series, and Empire of Dreams may be the best of the bunch in my opinion. In Empire of Dreams, you travel through platforming levels that have to solve little puzzles in the form of finding keys to unlock doors in your way in order to advance. The option to go back and re-play levels in order to get 100% completion helps replay value, and quite frankly, many of the levels are fun enough where you may want to go back and replay them even after you achieve the 100% completion rate. I feel like this is an overlooked gem that deserves a whole lot more attention than it actually receives.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 157 Average listal rating (98 ratings) 7.8 IMDB Rating 0
Release Date: March 21, 2003 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Action

When I first played WarioWare, I was amazed. "They captured the inner workings of my brain and turned it into a video game," I remember thinking to myself. The concept of a bunch of minigames that take seconds to play thrown on top of each other doesn't sound like it would be something to keep you coming back for more...But WarioWare, Inc. is so charming, bizarre, and fun, that you're very likely to come back for more time and time again.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 191 Average listal rating (110 ratings) 7.3 IMDB Rating 0
Advance Wars - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: September 9, 2001 (NA)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Genre: Strategy - Turn-Based

Advance Wars brought turn-based strategy to the Game Boy Advance early in its life - and a quality strategy game at that. Playing very similarly to the TurboGrafx-16 classic Military Madness, Advance Wars is a strategy game revolving around taking over your enemy's home base in each battle. Even if you wipe out all of their troops, the battle is not over until you take over their main headquarters. To make things better, if you're tired of battling the computer, you can always grab a link cable and go head-to-head with a friend. Until Final Fantasy Tactics Advance appeared on our GBAs, this was, without question, the best strategy game on the handheld.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 19 Average listal rating (14 ratings) 7.9 IMDB Rating 0
Release Date: January 1, 2003 (JP)
Publisher: Atlus
Developer: Marvelous
Genre: Fighting

King of Fighters EX2 is my favorite fighting game on the GBA handheld. It just does everything really well. The battles in the story mode are usually 3-on-3 team battles, with the need to knock out all three opponents one after the other. However, later battles it'll be 3-on-1 with your team of three battling against the final bosses. The downside to the game is the difficulty, as it's easier than King of Fighters EX was, and in turn, you likely won't need all three fighters on your team to put away the final bosses - they're not quite difficult enough for that. But difficulty is a minor gripe. I'm a huge fan of this game, and I don't think I'll discover another fighter on the GBA that I enjoy more than this one.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 12 Average listal rating (7 ratings) 8 IMDB Rating 0
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: May 30, 2001 (NA)
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Genre: Sports - Extreme Sports - Skateboarding

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 really was amazing when it first came out. It successfully transferred the fun of the console versions of the game to a 16-bit handheld, and managed to squeeze in that it was 3D as well. It really is amazing how much is crammed into this cartridge and how well it captures the fun of its console siblings. The controls are slightly changed due to the lack of buttons on the GBA, but after a few minutes of playing, you'll be hitting just about all of the moves you'd expect from a Tony Hawk game. The best part? It still plays just as smoothly and is just as fun today as it was when it was released at the Game Boy Advance's North American launch.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 45 Average listal rating (24 ratings) 7.5 IMDB Rating 0
Release Date: July 13, 2001 (JP)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Genre: Fighting

Super Street Fighter II Turbo: Revival, up until I played King of Fighters EX2, was my favorite fighting game on the Game Boy Advance. It's got a few minor additions to make it more than just a port of the 3DO Super Street Fighter II Turbo...Though, quite frankly, a port of a CD-based game on a cartridge-based handheld isn't shabby. But anyway, the lack of anything really new prevents me from having it higher on this list. It's a great, solid fighter, perfect if you want to play Street Fighter on the go, but it might leave you wanting a little more if you're looking for lots of extra content.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 275 Average listal rating (171 ratings) 6.9 IMDB Rating 0
Mario Kart: Super Circuit - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: July 21, 2001 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Genre: Racing

When I was in college, Mario Kart: Super Circuit came out...And I knew that I needed it. I was a huge fan of Super Mario Kart, and to have a portable game from the franchise was like a dream come true. There's nothing quite like hurling red koopa shells at the racer in front of you while you sit on the comfort of your toilet. I look back fondly at proclaiming victory while in the bathroom, only to walk out and find my roommate looking at me with a very puzzled face. Playing this fantastic portable racer was well worth making my roommate thinking I was crazy...And I guess I was crazy - crazy over this game.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 237 Average listal rating (130 ratings) 7.3 IMDB Rating 0
Super Mario Advance - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: March 21, 2001 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Platformer

Super Mario Advance is basically a re-packaged version of the North American version of Super Mario Bros. 2. I say re-packaged because it's not simply a port of the game with 16-bit graphics like SMB2 in Super Mario All-Stars was. Instead, new features and elements to the game are added like enemies in locations that they hadn't been in before, giant enemies, giant vegetables and power-ups to pull from the ground, voices of characters, and a combo system similar to the original Super Mario Bros. that makes getting extra lives even easier in a game where it was already easy to get 'em via the slot machine at the end of the levels. In my opinion, none of these really enhance the game in any way and feel more like a fancy gimmick to sell the game rather than something needed to make things better. It's still a solid game, and the additions make it interesting, but I'm just fine enjoying the original Super Mario Bros. 2 without all the fluff found here.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 14 Average listal rating (8 ratings) 5.8 IMDB Rating 0
Release Date: January 1, 2002 (JP)
Publisher: Sammy Studios
Developer: Marvelous
Genre: Fighting

If you're looking for a solid fighting game on the Game Boy Advance with some challenge, look no further than NeoBlood. This 3-on-3 fighting extravaganza is one of the better fighters not just on the Game Boy Advance, but on any handheld, in my opinion. It may not play quite as smooth as, say, a Street Fighter game, but it's dang close. And as I mentioned, there's some challenge here. You won't just mow through the game your first attempt at doing so. The game's final boss is also deceptively hard to beat, as you walk into the fight with a 3-on-1 situation. The catch is that you have to beat him three times to win...So, essentially, you're facing a team of three of the most difficult opponent in the game. All that said, NeoBlood is a great addition to the King of Fighters franchise and a fantastic fighter for on-the-go fighting.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 29 Average listal rating (16 ratings) 7.6 IMDB Rating 0
Street Fighter Alpha 3 - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: September 27, 2002 (JP)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Crawfish Interactive
Genre: Fighting

This handheld version of Street Fighter Alpha 3 doesn't have all the modes and pretty graphics (though, it still looks very good) of the console versions but it's still a solid fighting game. In fact, if you spent the majority of your time on the console versions playing Arcade mode, then this handheld version is like a dream come true. If you preferred to spend time leveling up in World Tour mode, then you might be disappointed to find that the mode isn't in this handheld version of the game. That said, this is still an incredible fighter, but for a better SFA3 experience, I'd stick with Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX on the PSP.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 48 Average listal rating (27 ratings) 7.1 IMDB Rating 0
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: March 21, 2001 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nd Cube
Genre: Racing

If you liked the original F-Zero on the Super NES, then you'll feel right at home with Maximum Velocity. Some folks may need to get used to how the game controls a bit, as the vehicles do slide around a little, but once you get the hang of when to let off the gas, hit the brakes, etc. you'll be having a blast with this futuristic racer. With a few secret cars to unlock, the game also provides some replay value, to keep you coming back for more. This is a solid racing title not just for the Game Boy Advance, but it stands up well against just about any racing game from any 16-bit console as well.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 7 Average listal rating (5 ratings) 7.4 IMDB Rating 0
Hot Potato! - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: June 29, 2001 (EU)
Publisher: BAM! Entertainment
Developer: Pukka Games
Genre: Puzzle

Hot Potato! is a unique little puzzle game that's almost like an inverted, scrolling Dr. Mario. You've got colored "potatoes" in the streets and your job is to match the correct colored potatoes together to eliminate 'em. Since you're constantly moving up the street, you've got to act fast in order to avoid getting pinched between a group of 'taters and the bottom of the screen. It's a fun, unique puzzle game that deserves a little recognition, in my opinion, and it's a decent choice if you're looking for a quality puzzle game on your GBA.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 4 Average listal rating (2 ratings) 7 IMDB Rating 0
It's Mr Pants - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: February 4, 2005 (EU)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Rare
Genre: Puzzle

It's Mr. Pants is a unique puzzle game that requires you to add and overlap shapes in order to create squares and rectangles, which will then disappear from the screen. The goal is to empty the screen from all colors. Some of the puzzles are easy while others are real head scratchers. I can't help but feel like a version of this game would have been a great addition to the Brain Age games released by Nintendo on the DS handheld, as these puzzles really make you think. That said, this isn't the best puzzle game I've played, but I'd say that it's still quite good and worth playing if only for the fact that it's an innovate puzzle game without anything else like it out there that I'm aware of. It's not just Mr. Pants, it's also one of a kind.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 42 Average listal rating (27 ratings) 5.9 IMDB Rating 0
Mario Pinball Land - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: August 26, 2004 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Fuse Games Limited
Genre: Pinball

When most folks think of a Mario game, they usually think of quality. Unfortunately, sometimes the chubby plumber's games aren't really anything special, which is the case with Mario Pinball Land - a game that is just passable as far as gameplay is concerned. It's mildly fun if you like pinball games, but otherwise you might not want to bother with it. There are some quality Mario and pinball games on the Game Boy Advance, unfortunately, this fits into neither of those categories.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 2 Average listal rating (2 ratings) 6 IMDB Rating 0
Droopy's Tennis Open - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: 2002 (EU)
Publisher: LSP
Developer: Bit Managers
Genre: Sports - Tennis

This European exclusive was a game that I instantly wanted to play - I like video game tennis and Droopy may be my favorite cartoon character of all-time...Combining the two seemed like a good idea to me. The end result isn't bad, but it's not that great, either. It's simply passable. The tennis here is decent, with power-ups that appear on the court to make things interesting. It's not the most smooth or fluid tennis game I've played, but it's still very much passable. If you love tennis or Droopy, this game is worth a play...Otherwise, you might be better off with some of the other tennis games on the GBA.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 7 Average listal rating (4 ratings) 5.8 IMDB Rating 0
WWF Road to WrestleMania - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: November 18, 2001 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Natsume
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

WWF Road to Wrestlemania isn't a terrible wrestling game, but it had the misfortune of being released after the fantastic Fire Pro Wrestling (a GBA launch title) which really blows this game out of the water in every aspect. That said, it's still an okay wrestling title if you're a wrestling fan. It can be fun to take folks you might think deserved more time in the WWE limelight like Raven , William Regal, or Tazz and take 'em to the main event of Wrestlemania...But there are better titles to do that on than this so-so game.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 2 Average listal rating (2 ratings) 6 IMDB Rating 0
Muppet Pinball Mayhem - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: May 29, 2002 (NA)
Publisher: NewKidCo
Developer: Digital Eclipse
Genre: Pinball

Muppet Pinball Mayhem is a passable pinball game with mildly amusing tables to play on...But strip the Muppet license away and it's nothing special. That said, it surprises me that this is more of a "pure" pinball game, or one that emulates realistic tables, rather than it be more of a video game-y pinball game with Muppets wandering around on the table for the pinball to bounce into. When I think Muppets, I'd imagine a wacky pinball game...Not a realistic simulation. So, if you're a pinball purist and a Muppet fan, you might be in heaven here...But for the rest of us, this is an okay pinball game, but the GBA has better options in the pinball genre.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 4 Average listal rating (3 ratings) 4.3 IMDB Rating 0
Release Date: December 6, 2002 (JP)
Publisher: Kemco
Developer: Tantalus Interactive
Genre: Action

Kemco wanted another Crazy Castle game made, but no longer had the Bugs Bunny license. What to do? Why get another well-known cartoon character, of course. Unfortunately, Woody Woodpecker was well known a few decades ago and hasn't really been featured a whole lot since that time. That said, Crazy Castle 5 is an okay game. It gives a good effort with Woody gaining special abilities and the like as you play...But the level layouts are very bland and dull, sometimes making it feel like a chore to make your way through each level. It's just shy of passable, in my opinion...Some better level design could have made this a very fun game instead of just a mildly amusing one.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 10 Average listal rating (4 ratings) 6 IMDB Rating 0
Guilty Gear X Advance Edition - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: January 24, 2002 (JP)
Publisher: Sammy Studios
Developer: Arc System Works
Genre: Fighting

Guilty Gear X Advance Edition is incredibly fun...Until you realize that you've just beaten the game and gotten perfect victories over almost everyone you faced. Turning up the difficulty doesn't help matters - you'll still get plenty of perfects...The fights just last longer because the computer will block more. I really only lost when I TRIED to lose. To nab a "Game Over" screen for this list, I put the difficulty on highest, set the GBA down and let the computer try to beat me...Which it didn't do within the time limit. I lost for having less health instead of being knocked out. That's an issue, friends. That major complaint aside, this is still a very fun game when playing against other people...And the gameplay itself can be very fun...But the head-scratching lack of difficulty really hurts this title.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 4 Average listal rating (3 ratings) 5 IMDB Rating 0
Army Men Advance - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: June 10, 2001 (NA)
Publisher: 3DO
Developer: DC Studios
Genre: Action

This is one of the better Army Men games, which honestly isn't saying a whole lot considering the lack of quality that the series is known for, but I can honestly see this as being a "guilty pleasure" game for some folks as it's not great by any stretch, but it can have its moments where it's kind of fun. This will never win any awards, and there are plenty of better titles to choose from on the GBA, but it's not a total disappointment if you're stuck playing it.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 20 Average listal rating (15 ratings) 5.8 IMDB Rating 0
Tekken Advance - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: December 21, 2001 (JP)
Publisher: Namco
Developer: Eighting
Genre: Fighting

Tekken Advance is closer to a Tekken console game than one might imagine with it being on a 16-bit handheld. The action is still 3D and plays mostly the same, but minor changes are made due to the lack of buttons on the Game Boy Advance in comparison to a console controller. Along with this impressive accomplishment, the game has both an arcade mode and a tag arcade mode, where you battle with teams of three fighters, tagging in and out as needed. Unfortunately, after the arcade fun runs out, there's not much keeping you here...And a lack of arcade mode endings may take away a lot of potential replay value for some. Overall it's a really well done effort to bring a 3D fighter to a 16-bit handheld...But aside from that novelty, the game itself is simply passable and most folks will grow bored with it shortly after playing.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 4 Average listal rating (2 ratings) 5.5 IMDB Rating 0
Release Date: November 23, 2002 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: 3d6 Games
Genre: Action - Brawler

Altered Beast was an okay game back when it was released, but it also suffered from some poor-feeling controls. A few decades later, and Altered Beast gets itself a sequel on the Game Boy Advance and while the game looks pretty nice, the control issues are still here. The game has other aspects that actually make it feel like a step back from the original Altered Beast...Like how levels seem to last forever before you're able to collect enough orbs to transform into a beast. This VERY basic brawler has no exciting aspects to the gameplay to justify the length of the bland levels...The boss fights are fun, but not fun enough to make the journey to them worthwhile. Want to play Altered Beast? Get the original.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 11 Average listal rating (7 ratings) 5.4 IMDB Rating 0
Popeye: Rush for Spinach - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: April 24, 2005 (NA)
Publisher: Namco
Developer: Magic Pockets
Genre: Racing

Popeye: Rush for Spinach is a unique blend of racing game and platformer. The game is basically a foot race between Popeye, Bluto, Olive Oyl, and Wimpy as you try to jump over obstacles, take advantage or power-ups like skateboards, cars, and (of course) spinach, and get to the finish line before your opponents. The game is moderately fun the first time you play...But once will likely be more than enough for most people...I can't see too many people playing this and craving more foot race action...Especially if Bluto wins and you watch him drop his pants and show off his boxers in celebration - and sadly, that actually does happen.
ape's rating:
People who added this item 12 Average listal rating (12 ratings) 1.1 IMDB Rating 0
Mortal Kombat Advance - Game Boy Advance
Release Date: December 12, 2001 (NA)
Publisher: Midway
Developer: Virtucraft
Genre: Fighting

Want to see what a broken fighting game looks like? Mortal Kombat Advance can be the template. The computer literally avoids you 90% of the time during the fight. Walk towards them, they walk away from you. Up to the final two fights, all you have to do is walk towards an opponent until they back themselves into a corner and then repeatedly hit the punch button for the win, piling on the flawless victories in the process. The final two battles against Mortaro and Shao Khan are just as easy. They try to attack you, but simply ducking and uppercutting is enough to get yourself more flawless wins. Difficulty aside, the game itself controls horribly and just feels like a rushed, incomplete game. This is up there as one of the worst fighting games that I've ever played.
ape's rating:

I'll be doing lists like this for all systems eventually. As I play games for the system, I'll add them to the list. They're ranked by my own personal preference, so keep that in mind if you can't figure out why game A is ranked above game B.

For release date info, I took the first release date and included the region the date comes from. Here's the key for that: NA - North America, JP - Japan, EU - Europe, AU - Australia

This is a work-in-progress list. Since I'm currently mowing through portable fighting games, I thought I might as well rank them as they're fresh in my mind. Other games shall be added later.

Added to

18 votes
Video Games - ranked by preference (55 lists)
list by ape
Published 12 years, 8 months ago 8 comments



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