5 Game Boy Advance Games That Are 10/10 Masterpieces

Published Aug 22, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT Carrie is a Senior Writer at ScreenRant who previously managed Geek to Geek Media and wrote for SwitchRPG. She is particularly knowledgeable when it comes to WoW, Diablo, and cozy games. She has a passion for supporting the indies and always enjoys sharing her passions with others through her writing. Nintendo's Game Boy Advance was a popular handheld gaming system when it was released in 2001, and a lot of that success goes to its incredible selection of titles offered for it. The console itself had a much more powerful processor and better graphics than previous Game Boy handhelds, and offered backward compatibility for Game Boy Color games, which added even more to its appeal. Let's face it, a console is really only as good as its games. As for the Game Boy Advance (GBA), this was certainly a positive. GBA offered numerous fun platformers, puzzle games, and even some of the best RPGs of the era. Many of these games are still available for you to play if you have a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription, or if you still have your familiar little Game Boy Advance system, of course. The Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap It's hard to imagine a Zelda game not being on a list of the best games for a Nintendo console, and in the case of the GBA, the game that stands out is The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. This 20-year-old adventure is still one of the best-looking titles ever made, and that beautiful pixel art is paired nicely with a creative and engaging story. The plot of the game focuses heavily on the Picori, a tiny species who truly deserve their own spin-off game based on their lore and adorableness. Players get to utilize a special ability to shrink down to Picori size, helping him to stop the evil Vaati, save Princess Zelda, and save the world. From the talking bird-like hat, Ezlo, to the adorable Picori, the characters are memorable and charming. The shrinking mechanic allows for unique puzzle designs, and the entire game is truly a masterpiece worthy of the high review scores it has continued to earn over the years. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga was among the first examples of a Super Mario title branching into the realm of RPG. Yet, it stays true to the characters of these plumber brothers, offering a lot of humor alongside an interesting story and deep gameplay. While the series may not have become as big as other Super Mario spin-offs, it does continue to do well. The most recent title, 2024's Mario & Luigi: Brothership, is still one of my favorite games of the last few years. In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Nintendo broke new ground by having players control both Mario and Luigi simultaneously to perform elaborate battle maneuvers that were not only exciting to pull off, but just plain fun to watch. Golden Sun These earlier generations of video games were some of the best for launching incredible JRPG titles. From Final Fantasy to Dragon Quest, there were so many possibilities for players to get engrossed in a stunning story. On the Game Boy Advance, both Golden Sun and its sequel, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, had that genre mastered in a way that laid the foundation for many games to come. Golden Sun's unique story and length of gameplay allowed it to really tell a narrative that had depth and emotion, and that journey carried from one game to the next. These story-first titles were innovative and stretched the capacity of the console. The game's Psynergy gave it a wonderful method of adding strategy, offering players choices that typically were not possible on a handheld system. Advance Wars As far as turn-based tactics games go, Advance Wars is still one of the most referenced titles, even leading to the Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp remake of the first two titles for the Nintendo Switch. Although Advance Wars was a bit of a sleeper hit when it first launched in 2001, it received critical acclaim and created a very devoted fanbase. The tactical strategy title simplified some of the mechanics of the genre and added an in-depth tutorial to its memorable design to not only win over its players, but create a foundation for tactics games to come. It did so well that, just two years later in 2003, the sequel, Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising, was also released for GBA systems. Metroid Fusion Metroid Fusion was one of two Metroid titles for GBA, and its 2002 release was highly anticipated. Samus' adventure in Metroid Fusion is still regarded as one of the best Metroid adventures, holding a Metacritic score of 92, not to mention one of the best Game Boy Advance games ever. Metroid Fusion changed up a little from the classic Metroid formula, increasing the focus on a linear approach to the story, which left some critics saying that the game felt a bit like it was on rails, although it did quicken the progression of the game quite a bit. Ultimately, the incredible gameplay, level design, and captivating secrets won the hearts of nearly all who tried it, earning it its place as one of the best Game Boy Advance titles of all time. Brand Nintendo Original Release Date June 11, 2001 Original MSRP (USD) $99.99 Hardware Versions Nintendo Game Boy Advance Weight 4.9 oz