Hello folks, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl!
Last time, we looked at the overlooked DS title Mario Hoops 3 on 3, and it really wasn’t a particularly close race. Although Europe / Japan performed admirably, the North American design easily won the day with 77% of the vote.
This week, as we celebrate 30 years of Resident Evil, we’re checking out the GameCube revamp Code Veronica X, which originally released in 2003 following its launch on Dreamcast and PS2. It’s generally well-regarded by fans, though some elements have certainly aged quite poorly in the years since. It’s heavily rumoured to be receiving a remake at some point in the future, so we’ll definitely keep an eye on that.
For now, it’s a proper three-way brawl between North America, Europe, and Japan, so let’s get cracking.
This is the box art design that you’re probably most used to seeing given that it’s since been used for re-releases on the likes of the Xbox 360 and PS4. It features Chris and Claire Redfield front and centre, with the spectre of Albert Wesker looming in the background. We’re not sure about the blue glow around Chris and Claire, but it’s a cool, atmospheric piece.
Europe’s design is pretty cool. It’s an extreme close-up of Claire Redfield’s face, indicating her status as the game’s main character. You can also see images of a zombie in Claire’s eyes, which is just so cool. Truth be told, you just wouldn’t see box art designs like this these days – a true product of its time.
Japan went down a similar route to North America, albeit without the presence of Albert Wesker. Instead, we see Chris and Claire facing away from each other with an ominous spooky environment seen in the background. There’s quite a lot of text here, which is quite typical of Japanese box arts, but it’s a decent effort.
Which region got the best Resident Evil: Code Veronica X box art? (1,693 votes)
North America39%
Europe36%
Japan24%
Thank you for voting! We’ll see you next week for another edition of Box Art Brawl!
During Digimon Con 2026 this weekend, Bandai Namco announced it would be releasing a new large-scale expansion DLC for Digimon Story: Time Stranger.
It’s scheduled to arrive at some point in 2027, but no details have been revealed just yet. Here’s the official announcement from the Digimon Game social media account:
“Digimon Story: Time Stranger Major DLC Production Confirmed! Scheduled for Release in 2027. Thanks to the support of all of you who have been cheering on this game, we have decided to produce a major DLC for Digimon Story: Time Stranger! It is scheduled for release in 2027. What kind of content will it be…? Stay tuned for more updates.”
This monster-taming RPG is due out on the Switch and Switch 2 this July. Similar to what Bandai Namco offered with Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! ZERO, there’ll be a free Switch 2 upgrade available for the Switch version.
You can find out more about this upcoming release in our previous coverage here on Nintendo Life:
Will you be getting this game when it’s released on the Switch and Switch 2? Let us know in the comments.
Nintendo has continued to improve Switch game compatibility on the Switch 2 and it’s reportedly rolled out a new batch of fixes.
This latest round of backward compatibility fixes apparently includes heavy-hitters such as Kirby, Final Fantasy and DOOM (which got a fix last month). Here’s the full list via Nintendo Everything.
And to add to this, Nintendo has listed a few games that work but encounter issues when they’re played:
This follows the Switch 2 and Switch 22.0.0 update earlier this week, which added “handheld boost mode” on the Switch 2. You can find out more about the latest update in our previous posts:
How are you finding these games after the latest update? What other games would you like to see made compatible for Switch 2? Let us know in the comments.
This is part of a new free “Spring Seasonal Update” and it’s “coming soon” to the Switch 2 version of the game.
“Two Point experts discovered a crack in the fabric of the Digiverse and have only gone and unveiled a whole entire scheme. On the other side of this crack is the Angryverse, and Bad Piggies have gone and stumbled directly into a rift between both worlds. They’re now launching missions across the County to infiltrate top museums! Only your best Digital Experts can address this new threat, and they must venture forth into a new world to discover how best to combat this new guild of thieves.”
And here’s what you can expect from the spring update, along with a look. You can check out the patch notes on the official Two Point website.
“Flowers are budding all across Two Point County, enough to make sure every bunny has an absolutely cracking day! Make sure not be late for this very important date, as we spring into an ear-resistible bonnet of Spring surprises. Whether it’s items ready for blossoming, a couple of dozen eggs, or bright new customisations, we’ve got the update that’s sure to ruffle some feathers.”
If you haven’t already played Two Point Museum on the Switch 2, we thought it was a great time. Read or watch our review below:
Mojang aired its first major Minecraft Live broadcast of the year this weekend, and once again, it was packed with multiple announcements and reveals. If you didn’t catch it live, here’s the rundown:
Updated Baby Mobs
The upcoming game drop Tiny Takeover will change the look of “almost” every baby mob in the game, giving each baby a distinct look from its adult counterpart. Even the baby version of the villager gets a new look!
Minecraft World
Mojang has teamed up with Merlin Entertainments to create Minecraft World. This will open in London’s Chessington World of Adventures next year in 2027. There’ll even be the “first ever” Minecraft rollercoaster!
“Minecraft World will be packed with attractions and things to do. We’re planning the first ever Minecraft rollercoaster, the world’s biggest Minecraft shop, tasty Minecraft-themed food, opportunities to meet the mobs, and lots more. This is a truly epic collaboration between Mojang Studios and Merlin Entertainments, but we also recruited creators to help with some of the trickier challenges. We’ll share more on Minecraft World soon.”
Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue an existing “real world” Minecraft experience where you mine resources, explore biomes and more will also be coming soon to Herning, Singapore, Mexico City, and Chicago.
An entirely new experience in a “real forest” is also on the way. Minecraft Experience: Moonlight Trail – a new outdoor nighttime adventure opening soon in Buenos Aires, and will come to more cities in the future.
Sulfur Caves
As part of the game drop Chaos Cubed, the new biome Sulfur Caves has been revealed.
“They might look warm and inviting but beware; this isn’t the best place for a relaxing dip. Those pools are downright noxious and cause a strange dizzying-style effect if you get too close! We’re also introducing two new block sets – cinnabar and sulfur.”
Sulfur Cube
Alongside this new biome is the reveal of the new mob known as the sulfur cube.
Though the new biome will be great to explore, our new mob, the sulfur cube, must be a highlight. Unlike any other mob in the game, it can absorb blocks! And its attributes change depending on what it’s consumed.
Give it some wood and it might start acting a bit like a cubic “ball” type-thing. Let it consume ice and it will slide around, more like a chunky, oversized hockey puck. Develop your sulfur cube skills and you can pull off some amazing shots but like most things in Minecraft, things don’t always go exactly to plan! The sulfur cube can absorb loads of different block types, providing infinite potential for experimentation.
This mob allows for even more creativity in your builds and refined chaos in your mini-games.
Minecraft Dungeons II
To go out with a bang, Minecraft Dungeons II got announced for the Switch and Switch 2. It’s out in fall2026!
If you want to find out more about this latest broadcast, check out the full recap video at the top of this round up. Mojang has also shared a Deep Dig aftershow, showcasing the new content on the way to Minecraft.
What was your highlight of the show? Let us know in the comments.
At the first Minecraft Live event of the year, Mojang has officially announced Minecraft Dungeons II will be coming to Switch 2, Switch and multiple other platforms in “fall of 2026”.
This is an “entirely new action RPG” and like the previous game, it will be packed with “high-stakes combat and epic amounts of loot”. According to the team, you’ll visit never-before-seen locations, battle new foes and do your best to “save a world in crisis”…either alone, or with up to three friends.
“A hero’s work is never done! Disorder is brewing, and the world stands before a threat unlike any other. A new danger is growing in power, ready to descend upon the land and unleash mayhem.
“Return to the world of Minecraft Dungeons in an all new action RPG adventure, brimming with high stakes encounters, thrilling challenges, and never before seen locations, as you set out to save a world in crisis. Will you and your allies prevail against the forces of evil and save the day once more?”
More details about this title will be shared in the coming months, and you can wishlist the title and sign up for email notifications right now on the official Minecraft website.
I don’t think anyone was that surprised when Nintendo recently brought its My Mario line of children’s toys to Western markets. Mario’s huge in most corners of the world, and if the big N wants to instil brand awareness and loyalty at a young age, this is the way to do it.
Nintendo UK kindly sent over a selection of the range for us to take a look at, but the one that we’re sure most of you are fired up for is the big set of wooden blocks. This set of 30 wooden effigies of Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, and various Mushroom Kingdom-related paraphernalia will cost you a princely sum of £113.99 in the UK, Frankly? It’s not worth it.
That’s not to say the blocks are cheap or rubbish in any way, far from it. Every block is really quite beautifully made, with a pleasant and reassuringly woody scent to them, and (probably more importantly) well-smoothed and refined edges, so there’s little to no risk of cuts or splinters. They’re honestly lovely to hold in the hand, as well, and just feel like a quality product.
Image: Alex Olney
What they don’t feel like is four quid’s worth per piece.
If this were some short-run, hand-made toy set you found in a quaint little shop in an alleyway in a Cotswold town, we’d understand the price entirely. If anything, we’d think it was a bit of a bargain.
But it isn’t, it’s a mass-produced box of blocks designed for children to slap together and make delightful little dioramas with, which they can do with the aid of the box it comes in acting as a platform or a little display (which is an undeniably nice touch).
I personally wonder if the price has anything to do with the fact that the information on the box suggests that they’ve been imported from Japan, and possibly even manufactured there.
As mentioned above, the blocks are quality — I don’t think many people would deny that — and if they are indeed manufactured in and imported from Japan, that goes a long way to explain the price tag. And as many a parent/guardian out there can attest, the cost of beautiful wooden toys from your local boutique baby store knows no bounds. Sure, you can pick up cheap blocks in Lidl for a fraction of the price, but the pricing here isn’t as obscene as non-parents might think, given the quality.
All that said, at the end of the day, it’s a box of wooden blocks with Mario characters (beautifully) printed on them, and that’s hard to justify for the price.
You can buy a smaller set that comes with Mario, a Power Mushroom, and a Question Block, but at £20.99, the value is even poorer. Very young children may be satisfied with just three, but what’s a slightly older child going to do with so few blocks unless they already have something else off-brand to supplement them? Still, as a taster that goes into the toybox with everything else, the cheaper set is ultimately more attractive.
The character blocks do work as amiibo as well, but honestly, I’m not sure that adds much in the way of tangible value – certainly not to a baby or toddler. That value-add is meant for the folks, folks.
The other items in the range mostly boil down to soft rattles, a Mario plush, and a comforter, which are far better value for money. This is probably down to being manufactured by a German company (Simba) for the most part, but they do also feel much more ‘standard’ when compared to the wooden block set directly.
Still, if I had to buy something Mario-related for a young child, I’d definitely be reaching for the cheaper products rather than splurging over 100 smackers on the sort of thing that I’d probably want to keep displayed in my office, where little hands and teeth couldn’t ruin them.
Thanks to Nintendo and MSL for sending these over. The My Mario line is available from various retailers, with the Wood Blocks sets exclusive to My Nintendo Store in the UK and Nintendo’s own retail stores in San Francisco and New York at the time of writing.
Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
21st March 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the Game Boy Advance’s Japanese launch. In honour of this little 32-bit system, we’re republishing our list of the GBA’s best.
And if you’re looking to celebrate, remember that there’s a 28-game strong library of GBA games on NSO if you’re an Expansion Pack subscriber. Enjoy!
The Game Boy Advance — or GBA — was Nintendo’s first true successor to the original Game Boy line, and would be the company’s final handheld family to carry the Game Boy branding.
And when it comes to whittling down a list of the very best GBA games, what a library there is to choose from! Still, we think this article represents the essential guide to the best games this pocket wonder has to offer.
Whether you want to catch up on some old classics you’ve got stashed away in a cupboard somewhere, or just fancy a stroll down memory lane, here’s our pick of the top GBA games you need to know about.
Building on the good foundation put down in the previous entry, this middle game in the Sonic Advance trilogy upped the difficulty to a level that put some players off, but Sonic Advance 2 retained the elements that made the first game such a good translation of the 2D Sonic formula to the GBA platform: great music, lovely visuals, clever level design, and — above all — that proper Sonic ‘feel’.
You haven’t got to go fast, but it’s highly encouraged.
A 2003 remake of Seiken Densetsu (what we knew on the Game Boy as Final Fantasy Adventure or Mystic Quest in the West), this was largely the work of Brownie Brown (of Mother 3, Magical Starsign, Fantasy Life fame) and strips out any remnants of FF for a 16-bit overhaul that gave you the option to play as the hero or the heroine, each with different abilities.
Naturally, if time has taught us anything about video games, it’s that there’s no such thing as too many remakes; this one got a second reworking, Adventures of Mana, for PS Vita in 2016.
It’s a shame Ninja Five-O (or Ninja Cop as it was known in Europe) didn’t receive wider distribution; minor gripes aside, it’s a fantastic side-scrolling action game from Hudson Soft, with a well-balanced difficulty curve and excellent level design. The unique blend of frantic rope swinging and clever combat still feels fresh today.
If you’re a fan of 16-bit action games or you’re just looking for something cool to add to your GBA collection, Ninja Cop comes highly recommended. If you can afford the eye-watering prices it reaches on the secondhand market these days, of course.
Veteran developer Camelot proved it still belonged on Centre Court with this one.
With a comprehensive story mode, tight and entertaining tennis gameplay mechanics and a surprising amount of depth, Mario Tennis: Power Tour (or Mario Power Tennis as it’s known in Europe) is a winning return for the plumber and his pals.
It’s pretty dialogue-heavy, but there’s a deep, rewarding experience to be found underneath all the waffle, with the story mode serving up a satisfying sense of progression from the very beginning to this Game-Set-Match.
In the decades since the shocking first appearance of Sega’s mascot on a Nintendo handheld, not every team that’s worked on a 2D Sonic game has nailed the delicate sense of inertia and tight physics that characterise the original 16-bit titles.
Sonic Advance is one such example that just gets it. Developer Dimps retains the classic feel and course design that made the originals special while adding fresh elements that prevent it from feeling like a re-tread of old ideas.
Vibrant visuals, charming animation, excellent audio; add multiplayer into the mix — as well as the Tiny Chao Garden that linked to the GameCube — and Sonic Advance is a platforming treat up there with hedgehog’s finest.
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire is an enjoyable entry-level pinball game designed to appeal to as broad an audience as possible.
Its colourful, charming visuals look great, and the vast number of Pokémon available to catch and evolve means that if you’re looking for a long-term dip-in, dip-out sort of game, you’ll have plenty to keep you occupied.
It can become a bit tedious if played extensively, though, so it’s much better to enjoy it in short bursts. One of the more unusual GBA Pokemon games, but definitely one for the collection.
The Game Boy Advance was blessed with an enviable and near-endless parade of platformers over its lifespan, and Klonoa: Empire of Dreams stands among the very best of them.
With thoroughly satisfying mechanics and more charm in the opening stages than many games manage by their closing credits, it’s an absolute joy to revisit. If you enjoyed Klonoa’s big screen adventures, you’ll love Empire of Dreams and its distinct, pocket-sized personality.
And if you’ve never had the pleasure of taking a trip with Namco’s fuzzy Dream Traveller, this is a wonderful place to start.
Camelot nailed the mixture of RPG and straight-up golf action in the Game Boy Color entry, and it works this time around, too — so well, in fact, that there’s not much need to rely on the stable of Mario characters to flesh out the experience, although we’re always happy to join the plumber on the fairway, or for the various minigame modes available.
Throw in multiplayer options and Advance Tour is still worth firing up when tee time comes around.
While the Metroid-esque gameplay is a refreshing change of pace for the Kirby series and works well in some parts, it also fails in others. The Metroid games have backtracking as well, yes, but it’s not nearly as frequent and annoying as it is in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror.
The multiplayer features are optional, but the game was arguably designed around the multiple Kirby aspect and it’s at its best with other people.
The first of the GBA’s Super Mario platformer ports (and the one that kicked off the most convoluted naming convention in gaming history), Super Mario Advance brought Super Mario Bros. 2 to the GBA in the 16-bit style of Super Mario All-Stars.
With the ability to choose between four characters carrying over from the original, it gained a point system in addition to its facelift, as well as several collectibles to find throughout each stage.
Overall, it’s still one of the best ways to revisit the game, and you also get the remake of original Mario Bros. bundled in — that little multiplayer bonus would feature on multiple other entries in this GBA port series going forward.
Diminishing returns? Pah! — there’s no such thing as too much Mega Man!
Mega Man Zero 2 made some drastic changes to the first game’s formula to make it more enjoyable, and Mega Man Zero 3 finetunes things a little more, but stops short of major changes; a classic example of not messing with something that works.
If you enjoyed the previous titles, you will absolutely get a kick out of this one as well, and all the collectibles should keep you entertained. Again!
Mario vs. Donkey Kong kicked off an entire series that pitted the plumber and the ape against each other for old times’ sake.
Originally, it was planned as a sequel to the excellent Game Boy version of Donkey Kong, and this is the only game in the series that gives you direct control of Mario rather than his Lemming-like Minis. You still guide the Mini-Mazzas here and there, but for the most part you control the plumber in a lovely little platform puzzler which really carries the spirit of the original Donkey Kong with it.
It’s a good ‘un, and there’s good reason Nintendo saw fit to bring it back nearly 20 years later with a Switch remake.
What’s better than some friends? More friends, of course!
Silly title aside, Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town may be very quaint by modern standards, but it has the same charm as its predecessor with just a bit of icing added on the cake. Those who have already played the original FoMT wouldn’t be missing much by passing on this version, although this one does enable you to play as a female and take on a new set of potential mates.
For those who have yet to play or own either title, however, More Friends of Mineral Town has the edge with more suitors and the ability to increase funds quicker by flogging them to travelling merchant Won. When all’s been tilled and it’s time to bring the chickens home to roost, it’s hard to go wrong with either of the classic Harvest Moon experiences – this one just has a tad more.
This port package of the first Final Fantasy and its first sequel came courtesy of Tose and improved the look of the 8-bit originals, added a handful of new dungeons and various other tweaks and modifications that makes them more approachable than the originals these days.
Handhelds are arguably the perfect environment for JRPGs; you’re able to play them in those spare minutes throughout the day or settle down as you would a home console version — the fact is that portability gives you some flexibility in a genre that can be mighty inflexible.
Gunstar Super Heroes (or Gunstar Future Heroes in Europe) is a sequel that lives up to the prestige of the name it awkwardly sandwiches a ‘Super’ in the middle of.
The gameplay and controls of Treasure’s classic 1993 Mega Drive game are altered to work better on the portable, but the result is every bit as compelling, even if it’s on the short side and doesn’t feature co-op play. As run-and-gun games go, Gunstar Heroes is up there with the very best. This sequel is also very good – one might even say super.
Or future if you’re European and want to be awkward.
While these developers are mainly famous for putting out games infested with Pocket Monsters, Drill Dozer shows that Game Freak is no one-trick Ponyta.
The story in this breezy drill-based action platformer will keep you entertained for the duration, as will fine music, decent use of the cartridge’s in-built rumble function, and effective sound effects that complement the gameplay nicely.
It’s a game that can be cleared quickly, but tracking down all the hidden treasure and clearing the additional levels adds to its longevity and gives you an excuse to return to this fun little GBA title. All-driller, no filler.
The third game in Wario’s microgame series, WarioWare Twisted! never found its way to Europe, but its gyro sensor added a new element to the manic formula, established two games prior and made it one of the highlights of Wario’s back catalogue.
Thanks to that sensor in the cart, it’s not a game you’ll want to plug into the Game Boy Player on your GameCube, but the basic bite-sized gameplay holds up just as well today as it did in the mid-2000s. Let’s Twist(ed) again.
This Treasure-developed take on Osamu Tezuka’s classic character was a real looker in the GBA’s library — fitting given the prestige of the property and the adoration of manga and anime fans around the world.
As opposed to Treasure’s usual output, Astro Boy: The Omega Factor is more platforming beat ’em up than run-and-gunner (with a few shmup-style stages thrown in for good measure). It successfully blends traditional manga-style presentation of the characters in dialogue portraits with more rounded 3D-esque sprites and backgrounds for the action.
It’s a real winner; a licensed game that lives up to the source material.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team may have lacked some of the DS version’s useful features, but we enjoyed how these games bridged the GBA/DS hardware divide in an interesting way. Missions tend to play similarly to one another, but a variety of locations and Pokémon (friendly and otherwise) help dull the sense of sameness in this Chunsoft dungeon crawler.
As with many games in this genre, the repetitive nature can still drag things down at times, although an interesting plot development usually grabs your attention. It has its faults, but Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team is still an enjoyable game — and one that’s easier to find these days on Switch in the form of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX.
Final Fantasy V Advance on GBA is the version of the game that put the Super Famicom title on the map for many. The port touched up the visuals and added a sprinkling of new content and features to make it arguably the best version to play.
Beyond that, this is easily the best version of the classic job system, and the lighthearted story makes this a fun Final Fantasy romp. If you don’t fancy the Pixel Remaster, the GBA version is no slouch at all.
Final Fantasy IV Advance is one of the many, many rereleases of Final Fantasy IV on the SNES, but that doesn’t mean you should skip it over.
New dungeons, weapons, and challenges make this an extremely fleshed-out version of an already beloved title in the series. You also have more party options at the end of the game rather than relying on the late-game faithful five.
There might be better versions of this game available on other consoles, but Final Fantasy IV Advance is still a wonderful way to experience a classic.
Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town might be available on Switch (carrying the Story of Seasons branding in the West nowadays), but the GBA version is still a good pick-up for cultivating types who enjoy that core Harvest Moon portable gameplay with 16-bit style visuals.
Additional fun and secrets outside land-working are present, but the game isn’t overwhelmed with the twists or gimmicks we’ve seen introduced in more recent entries to ‘keep things fresh’.
This remains a great jumping in point for anyone new to the series — it’s undeniably lacking in some areas by modern standards, but it’s still got charm to spare.
This Quest-developed tactical RPG was published by Nintendo in Japan and Atlus in the West and serves as a prequel to SNES and N64 entries in the Ogre series.
The Game Boy Advance is certainly blessed in the tactics department, with tough competition from genre titans such as the Final Fantasy and Fire Emblem series, but Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis stands proud alongside those games as one of the finest turn-based games on the system. Shame it never came to Europe, but thankfully the GBA wasn’t region-locked.
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land is a worthy remake of the pink puffball’s first home console adventure. While what it offers is a tad basic compared to more modern Kirby titles, it’s still very playable, and there are little creative moments where the game shines.
As with practically every other game featuring the Kirbster, its delightful, colourful visuals make it a supremely charming experience, and one which will be most appreciated by players looking for only a very light challenge.
Following the non-canon exploits of Circle of the Moon, series producer Koji Igarashi took control of the next Game Boy Advance entry, bringing on board Symphony of the Night artist Ayami Kojima to handle the character design.
Putting you in the role of Juste Belmont, who looks a lot like Alucard, the developers learned their lesson from Circle of the Moon and punched up the contrast and colour values, making Harmony of Dissonance a much brighter entry for the GBA’s dim little screen. Of course, this means playing it on a modern backlit display supercharges all those hues, but it remains a pleasing visual change from the murkiness of its predecessor and the pervading darkness of the series in general.
While its immediate successor refined things further, Harmony of Dissonance is still a fantastic game that can be found on Switch in the Castlevania Advance Collection, so there’s no excuse for missing out on CHOD, as nobody abbreviates it.
Wario Land 4 is a testament to quality over quantity, with the clever nonlinear level structures that lend themselves to multiple playthroughs and further exploration to unlock all the extras.
It’s a platformer for platforming veterans, full of impeccable level design and a quirky audiovisual presentation that would go on to set the precedent for the WarioWare series.
If you’re a fan of platformers — which will probably be the majority of you if you’re Nintendo aficionados — Wario Land 4 is an absolute must-play.
Coming a couple of years after the original GBA entry in Intelligent Systems’ Wars series, Advance Wars 2 might not have shaken things up a whole lot, but it offered a slew of nice additions, as well as a fun new campaign to work your way through.
Certain COs were tweaked to be less overpowered (Max, anyone?) making this a more balanced game than its predecessor. It’s arguably more of the same, but when the first course was so delicious, who wouldn’t want a second helping?
Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire ushered in the third generation of Pocket Monsters and moved the series on from the stalwart 8-bit Game Boy hardware onto the more capable, wider platform of the Advance.
The removal of the night-day cycle irked some of the Poké-faithful, but Gen III brought with it a host of new features, including 2 vs. 2 battles and the natures mechanic that gave Poké Trainers a whole new stat-filled rabbit hole to go down. The widescreen presentation of the GBA improved the look of the battle screens, and the entire Hoenn region looked incredibly lush compared to 8-bit Kanto and Johto.
The microgames on offer in WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! may be simple affairs, but the frantic, fast–paced and challenging experience that results from knitting them together in quick succession is incredibly addictive, and Wario’s patented brand of mania is well suited to a handheld.
It isn’t the longest game, and beyond the single-player mode there isn’t much else to do, but it’s stuffed full of magical, creative moments, not to mention an abundance of that classic Nintendo nostalgia and charm.
With its deep exploration-based gameplay and gorgeous art style, Yoshi’s Island is still a joy to play all these years later — it’s a platformer with considerable depth and challenge.
Exploring is made fun thanks to Yoshi’s egg-based abilities and collecting everything will require a gargantuan effort, but it’s never less than immensely entertaining (provided you can put up with Baby Mario’s whining).
The smaller canvas of the handheld screen inevitably reduces the impact of the SNES original’s incredible pastel-shaded world, but this remains one of Nintendo’s 2D platforming finest efforts.
If you’ve never played it before (or have a hankering to go through it all again), the GBA version is a fine one.
The eighth instalment to be made, The Sacred Stones was only the second to get an international release. It stars royal twins Eirika and Ephraim in a story that sees them separate to protect their homeland of Magvel from invading forces.
While it didn’t add much to the established formula, it’s an exceptionally solid and enjoyable entry and a fittingly impressive swansong for the series on GBA.
It was included as part of the 3DS’ Ambassador Program for early adopters before its price cut, giving owners of that handheld an opportunity to catch up if they missed it on GBA back in 2005 and prepare for the franchise’s ‘awakening’ on that system.
Is Final Fantasy Tactics Advance the FFT sequel fans wanted? Probably not. But don’t let that dissuade you, as this is one of the best GBA RPGs that you can play.
Levelling up your clan, finding the best weapons and trying to out-think the enemy leads to endlessly enjoyable battling with enough variables in location, laws and opponent abilities to prevent things becoming too repetitive. Even when battles get easy with an OP clan, they remain entertaining.
It can be tricky to find what you are looking for amongst the many menu screens, but once you know where to look Final Fantasy Tactics Advance will divert and delight you for a long ol’ time.
The first Advance Wars is a turn-based tactical classic. It might not have the huge amount of COs and new units that its sequels would bring, but as a result it feels more balanced and approachable; it generally feels very fair, even if you lose.
And in those rare instances that it risks infuriating you, the immensely charming graphics and top notch music keep a smile on your face. We love a bit of Fire Emblem, but we’ve had our fingers crossed for years that Advance Wars will return some day. Keep ’em crossed.
The latter gained the most interest back in 2001, largely because it was the first Castlevania to emulate the ‘Metroidvania’ approach that Symphony of the Night had popularised in 1997, although it’s worth noting that the development team was different, with Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe in charge instead of Konami’s Tokyo studio.
Despite some dark visuals (which were frustratingly hard to see on the unilluminated display of the original Game Boy Advance) and some simplified mechanics, Circle of the Moon is a decent attempt at taking the Metroidvania concept into the portable realm.
While it pales in comparison to Symphony of the Night and some of its later Metroidvania successors, it’s still an entertaining romp, and can be played on modern systems as part of the Castlevania Advance Collection.
The Blazing Blade (or just plain old Fire Emblem if you prefer) follows Roy’s old man Eliwood and served as a thoroughly decent introduction to the series for us Westerners, the majority of whom had been wondering about the series after seeing Roy and Marth as fighters in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Following Circle of the Moon and Harmony of Dissonance — both of which fell short of hitting the same highs of Symphony of the Night — Koji Igarashi and his team returned to the Game Boy Advance with Aria of Sorrow, a game which many fans consider to be the second best ‘Igavania’ in the franchise.
The action takes place in 2035, but the setting is still resolutely gothic, with little in the way of modern or futuristic elements. Aria of Sorrow’s ‘Soul System’ offers an incredible amount of replayability, and the sheer number of items, weapons and pieces of gear to collect is staggering – even more so when you consider this is a portable release.
While it never quite beats Symphony of the Night in terms of scale, it’s a match in many other ways and is a must-play for all fans of the series, and the Metroidvania genre.
Aria of Sorrow is included on the Castlevania Advance Collection, which is good because the Game Boy Advance original is prohibitively expensive these days.
Mother 3 began life as a Nintendo 64 title before eventually transferring to the Game Boy Advance.
In the West, it’s become something of a cult — a near-mythical Japan-only release that fans of Earthbound have been desperate to play in an official capacity since 2006. That fervent fanbase has taken matters into its own hands with (excellent) unofficial translations, but beyond the Lucas Smash Bros. amiibo and the arrival of the game for Japanese Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, there’s been no indication we’ll get a localised version soon.
Or has there? We’ve seen games like Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light for Famicom come to the West, albeit as a limited-time release. Then there was the Wii U release of the original NES Mother, renamed Earthbound Beginnings, and more recently the Western debut of the Famicom Disk System’s Famicom Detective Club duo boasting a brand new localisation.
If we had to put money on it, we’d say that we will see this given an official English release at some point. Goodness knows there’s an appetite for it! In the meantime, brush up on your Japanese and you can play it easy enough.
The GBA rework is a faithful rendition of the timeless original where it counts most, and the parts where it strays can either be seen as handy little improvements or minor inferiorities — it truly comes down to personal taste.
If forced to choose, the original has the edge for us due to its more consistent sound quality, two-player capabilities, and larger screen real estate. However, if you’ve already played the SNES original a ton and want to take on something a little bit different — or finally feel up to nabbing all those pesky Dragon Coins — then the GBA option remains a stellar choice. Everyone’s a winner.
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were Game Boy Advance remakes of the classic games that started it all, Pokémon Red & Blue. Yes, the Game Boy originals were known as Red and Green in Japan, because reasons.
Now available on Switch, did Pokémon really ever get better than this? That’s up for debate, but vastly updated visuals, the ability to connect to various other Pokémon games to collect over 350 of the critters, and an enhanced user interface were just some of the upgrades offered in this 32-bit revamp.
For players intimately familiar with the Kanto games, this was the first opportunity (of many to come, of course) to indulge in some nostalgia and catch the original 151 all over again. Who could possibly resist? Watch out, Metapod. Or should we call you… Metapoo? Ah, the comedy! Happy days.
This wonderful version of Link to the Past gave a new generation the chance to catch up with a classic a decade after its SNES debut.
Minor tweaks came along in its transition to the handheld’s smaller screen. Link was a lot noisier on GBA thanks to the added voice samples, though fan opinion is divided.
An addition that was universally welcomed, however, was the bundled Four Swords multiplayer quest. Assuming you had friends with GBAs and copies of the game, up to four players could link up for a multiplayer-only Zelda adventure to take on the evil mage Vaati.
Yes, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords is quite the package. Whether this or the SNES classic can be classed as the ‘definitive’ version is up for debate — we personally love the screen real estate of the TV version — but the GBA port is an excellent way to experience Link’s greatest 2D adventure.
This game made navigating this series’ obtuse naming conventions absolutely worth it, even if you played Super Mario Bros. 3 on NES (which of course you did).
Assuming you had the requisite kit to access the e-Reader levels — many of which were never released in North America — Super Mario Advance 4 contained a bevy of fresh Nintendo-designed levels to play through, making it an essential purchase for the Mario connoisseur (and the Wii U Virtual Console release and the Nintendo Switch Online version actually include all 38 levels without the need to have the e-Reader, the cards, and a second GBA to scan them with).
Aside from the extra levels, this feels like playing the version of SMB3 from Super Mario All-Stars on a handheld. Whether you’re a NES purist or you prefer the updated look and feel of the SNES version, Super Mario Bros. 3 shines brightly in any form.
Golden Sun is a fine RPG, perfecting the classic formula whilst introducing unique mechanics of its own.
An intriguing setting, likeable characters, and gripping story are the bread-and-butter of any good RPG, and Camelot doesn’t disappoint on those fronts.
The first few hours are a slog, but stick with it and you’ll be rewarded with a rich, deep RPG that desperately deserves a modern-day instalment.
Even though Golden Sun: The Lost Age plays much like any standard RPG, it’s still one of the best GBA RPGs! Even with its lack of structure towards the beginning of the campaign, its accessible, engaging nature keeps you wanting to play and experiment.
The Lost Age is very much a ‘Part Two’ — a continuation of the first adventure — but builds, modestly, on almost everything from the original Golden Sun: a longer campaign, extended Djinn mechanics, greater challenge, clever puzzles, and minor graphical improvements.
Newcomers would do well to start with the first entry, as the game does take for granted that you know the basics, and the plotline will make little to no sense – at least initially. However, for those who’ve played and enjoyed the first instalment, this concluding chapter is a real no-brainer.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga‘s lengthy main adventure felt pretty unique back in 2003. It was only the third RPG-style Mario adventure, but developer AlphaDream’s Mario debut hit the jackpot right away with its addictive battle systems and dual-brother gameplay.
With plenty of side quests to seek out and minigames to replay for high-score chasers, Mario and Luigi’s amusing animations and “voice acting” played into the game’s great sense of humour and it hasn’t lost its ability to raise an ear-to-ear smile. Available on Switch if you’ve got an NSO Expansion Pack subscription, so check it out.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap carried on the trend of giving Link a talking piece of equipment to accompany him on his quest. This time around, it was the Minish Cap — a hat named Ezlo that could shrink Link to microscopic proportions so he can locate the Kinstone fragments and save the tiny Minish people, the Picori.
Another Flagship-developed entry after the company proved itself with the excellent Oracles pair, this was a traditional Zelda adventure that still looks and sounds wonderful, even if it didn’t do an awful lot to shake up the formula.
This GBA game introduced a few new items, though — Mole Mitts, Gust Jar, and Cane of Pacci — and allowed Link to learn new sword techniques, as well as gain the ability to fuse elements to his sword. All-in-all, a brilliant bite-sized adventure.
Pokémon Emerald is the upgraded version of Ruby and Sapphire, and — as you might expect — it was more evolution than revolution.
It included some new story elements in the Hoenn region, updated the locations where you could nab certain Pokémon, allowed you to catch a greater pool of Pokémon than in its predecessors and added the Battle Frontier — a competition island you can visit after beating the Elite Four to earn badges, buy items and get new moves to teach your ‘mon.
Perhaps a little lacking in ‘wow’ factor for Poké Fans who had been there from the beginning, Emerald is nevertheless one of those GBA Pokemon games that more than earns its place in this list.
Metroid Fusion, or “Metroid 4” as per its intro, bears more than a passing resemblance to its SNES brethren, and that’s perhaps its biggest fault.
While an excellent game in its own right, it didn’t do a huge amount to distinguish itself from other Metroids and felt much more linear than its expansive predecessor. It also launched at the same time as Metroid Prime on the GameCube, which pushed the franchise forward at a staggering pace.
Still, this remains an excellent 2D entry and that linearity arguably suited an early-2000s handheld Metroid. If you adored Metroid Dread, this GBA precursor is well worth a look.
If you missed out on Final Fantasy VI on the SNES (or if you’re from Europe) or PlayStation, then for a long time, Final Fantasy VI Advance was the only way to experience an all-time great.
Even for returning fans, this version of the game offered brand-new dungeons and summons for you to experience, and with the small sacrifice of music quality, you could play one of the best games of all time on the go, wherever you want.
Depending on if you want that extra content or not, the handheld debate between this and the Pixel Remaster remains, but you really can’t go wrong either way.
Metroid: Zero Mission is an excellent 2004 remake of the original Metroid, and a game that’s in the conversation for ‘best remake evs’ (if that conversation is being held with a teenager during the 2010s).
Zero Mission tells the story of the first entry, but with far snazzier visuals and Super Metroid-inspired gameplay. With save rooms and a bunch of new items, areas, and mini-bosses, this is the way to experience Samus’ first mission. Sorry, zero-st mission.
If it came down to a duel, there are Nintendo Life staffers who would actually take this over the SNES game. It’s that good.
Well done for making it all the way to the very end of our guide to the best Game Boy Advance games!
Before we go, let’s wrap up by answering some fairly common questions about the GBA.
The GBA was released worldwide in 2001, although the exact launch date depended on the territory. Japan was the first region to get the system:
According to Nintendo, 81.51 million GBAs were sold across the system’s lifetime.
This figure includes hardware variants such as the Game Boy Advance SP and the Game Boy Micro.
According to Wikipedia‘s tally, 1538 games were made for GBA and got an official, licensed release in at least one territory between 2001 and 2008.
That’s a tough question, because each model has its pros and cons.
Opinion is unanimous on our team and in general that the screen on the original model was poor thanks to its lack of backlight, which essentially made it unplayable in the dark. And while the Game Boy Micro is a gorgeous piece of hardware, its minuscule dimensions mean it’s impractical to play for any length of time.
The SP upgrade added not only a light, but its clamshell design made it more pocket-friendly, plus the screen was protected from rogue house keys and loose change. On balance, the GBA SP is the best one in our books, especially if you can find the later (and pricier) AGS-101 model, which has a proper backlight, as opposed to the front light on the earlier SP.
That said, as much as we love the SP, the original’s horizontal layout is probably the most comfortable. If you’re not scared of hardware mods, it’s possible these days to add a backlit screen of your own, giving you the best of all worlds!
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers can play a selection of titles on Switch, inlcuding many of the best ones in our ranking above.
Here’s every GBA game playable on Switch at the time of writing (we’ll update this as and when new games are added):
If you think this article is missing a game (or that one of them should be ranked higher), you can have your say too! Just search for your own top GBA games in the box below and make sure you add your vote to each one.
Note: In order for games to become eligible, they need a minimum of 50 User Ratings in total.
I can’t pull myself away from Marathon—it’s just that addicting. My sleep schedule has been altered drastically, and I’m running on fumes at my day job because I’m staying up all night playing. I’ve logged roughly 40 hours into the game, and I feel as if I’m just now beginning to scratch the surface on how to play.
The biggest obstacle I had to understand was that winning a gunfight isn’t about raw aim and force like Halo—it’s about positioning. You can have top-tier weapons, but if you’re in a poor position you can be eliminated by someone using a basic kit. And while weapons matter, it’s the mods you attach to them that make them lethal. It can quickly turn average weapons into something superior.
Team play is just as critical. It’s not always beneficial to kill someone you have incapacitated. It’s often best to wait until the remaining squad attempts to perform a revive before you strike. On the flip side, being “eliminated” doesn’t always mean you’re out. I’ve had plenty of matches where I was taken down, but a teammate managed to disengage, wait for things to cool off, and come back to revive me. During those moments, spectating becomes a tool—you can call out sounds, movements, and threats from their perspective. In this game, survival comes first; looting comes second.
Speaking of survival, it’s entirely possible to not engage in any fights whatsoever. It’s okay to complete an objective and exfil. And if you want to stay alive longer then communication is essential. The majority of my victories were due to speaking to one another, using your shells’ abilities to complement each other, sticking together and using a good team composition, particularly in Hauler and Station.
I won’t lie, the game can be infuriating. It wasn’t until I got over the “gear fear” that I learned to accept the frustration and turn it into a positive. You’re never going to be completely empty in your backpack. You may have it be minimal, but never entirely useless. All it takes is one good match to change your entire future matches around. Sometimes, you have to go in with no expectations. I look at it similar to borrowing items instead of actually owning them. Or, like lottery tickets – you’re spending money hoping to win more, but you don’t necessarily expect a positive outcome. If you win, great; if you lose, oh well, you spent money knowing the risk.
Ultimately, the key is getting comfortable with discomfort. Once you do, you’ll find an experience packed with depth, rich lore, engaging team combat, beautifully designed maps, and a rewarding gameplay loop that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Whether Marathon thrives or fades in the next six months, I know I’ll be there for as long as it lasts.
Variety recently spoke to Nintendo of America’s vice president Reiko Ninomiya about the plans for New Horizons (and the series in general going forward), and while she appreciates the question, perhaps unsurprisingly, the team doesn’t have “anything to announce” right after the latest update.
“Looking ahead to the future of “Animal Crossing: New Horizons,” on a granular level, Ninomiya is “super excited because insects are gonna start coming out as the weather warms up,” and she’s a big fan of the Bug-Off event. But other than that, she’s remaining tight-lipped about larger updates to come and the potential for new “Animal Crossing” games, saying: “I totally appreciate that question, but we don’t have anything to announce.”
Even though this update somewhat refreshes the experience, you could argue the 2020 Switch entry is starting to show its age, especially after the recent release of the Switch 2’s new relaxing life-sim (and mega hit) Pokémon Pokopia.
In saying this, Nintendo says the update has delivered a positive outcome for New Horizons – with an increase in the number of people revisiting the title who had been “away for a while”. This type of content drop for older titles is also part of Nintendo’s plans to keep current Switch users engaged, according to Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa.
So, for now, it seems you’ll have to make do with Animal Crossing: New Horizon’s 3.0 update. Once again it comes loaded with the Resort Hotel, the return of Resetti, Slumber Island and even some licensed collaborations. Of course, if we hear any developments going forward, or get an update about a new game, we’ll let you know.
Would you like more updates for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, or are you ready for a new entry? Have you tried out the 3.0 update yet? Are you still playing it a few months later. Vote in our poll and let us know in the comments.
Have you tried out the Animal Crossing: New Horizons 3.0.0 Update yet? (511 votes)
Yes69%
No31%
Do you think it’s time for a new Animal Crossing game? (552 votes)
