Best GBA Games to Try in 2024

The Game Boy Advance (GBA) is, without question, a legend among handheld devices, released in 2001 to bring players into a whole wide range of engrossing games. Of course, where gaming technology is concerned, much has changed since the GBA was most definitely ruling the roost; still, it's a library that has aged quite gracefully. Even now, the experiences this brought to gamers remain very pleasurable. Whether you're replaying old favorites or experiencing these jewels for the first time, here are the top three GBA games to try in 2024, along with a couple of honorable mentions worth your time.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

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Release Date: 10 January 2005
Developer: Capcom, Flagship
Publisher: Nintendo

"The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap" is at once one of the very finest entries in the long-running Zelda franchise and a must-play for any GBA enthusiast, uniquely fusing classic Zelda gameplay with fresh innovative mechanics that set it apart from the rest of the series.

A central game mechanic is based upon the fact that Link can reduce to the size of a Minish, which are tiny race beings. This creates an interesting duality in perspective between normal and miniature sizes, adding more depth to the puzzles and exploration. The Minish Cap has plenty of complex dungeons, ingenious puzzles, and engaging combat, all presented in bright, colorful graphics that have withstood the test of time relatively well.

What really helps "The Minish Cap" shine is the charm. From memorable characters to the whimsical storyline to a nice soundtrack, the world feels very alive. The balance of the game's difficulty will make it available for newcomers with a challenge for veterans.

Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade

Release Date: November 3, 2003
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Publisher: Nintendo

To the strategy game-loving, "Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade" is one of the quintessential titles that opened the doors of Fire Emblem for many a Western player. Known simply as "Fire Emblem" in the West, this is the first of its franchise to be released outside of Japan and features a large following.

It's a tactical RPG with turn-based combat and permadeath, really allowing for a deeply engaging narrative. Players guide a team of characters with unique abilities across grid-based battlefields. The permadeath feature—that is, when someone dies, they're gone for good—means there is a huge strategy involved but at the same time makes every decision very important.

It is a full, character-driven story focusing on three varied protagonists: Lyn, Eliwood, and Hector. Writing and character development are superbly done. The relationships the characters develop affect their performance on the battlefield. With strategic depth, a great plot, and well-designed mechanics, "Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade" shows its strength in GBA.

Metroid Fusion

Release Date: November 18, 2002
Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Publisher: Nintendo

"Metroid Fusion" is one more crown jewel in the GBA library and a self-contained masterpiece inside the Metroid series itself. Picking up where "Super Metroid" left off, it shows the further adventures of the famous intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran, bringing in many new elements to innovate upon the experience.

"Metroid Fusion" is known for atmospheric design, combining exploration, platforming, and fighting in a way few games can. This linearity of its narrative, compared to the earlier ones in the series, creates a notion of tension and urgency perfectly when Samus has to battle the X Parasite and the menacing SA-X, a clone and deadly duplicate of herself.

It features nice graphics and sound design: very detailed environments, and haunting music that sometimes heightens the feeling of isolation or danger. Although this is a linear game, "Metroid Fusion" still allows some degree of exploration, with items and power-ups hidden well in the very complicated map of the game.

Tight, responsive gameplay insists on precision platforming and combat. "Metroid Fusion" crams in just about everything that works about the Metroid series while introducing enough new elements to make it stand out among the family.

Honorable Mentions

While the above titles represent the cream of the crop, several other GBA games are well worth playing:

"Advance Wars" (2001): It's a real strategic gem, featuring very deep and turn-based combat with an accessible learning curve, coupled with addictive gameplay.

"Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow" (2003): Often quoted as one of the best Castlevania titles, it offers an engrossing storyline, with smooth combat and an interesting Soul ability system that allows players to collect and make use of some powers enemies have when they are defeated.

Conclusion

With the GBA library—the best handheld console of all time, perhaps—quality gaming is not a problem. Most games from this library are timeless and stand today to give rich gaming experiences in the year 2024. These titles, such as "The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap," "Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade," and "Metroid Fusion," would be truly important plays for those revisiting these games and to those who want to play them for the very first time. And don't forget to dig into the honorable mentions below for more handheld gaming goodness. Even though it's a console over two decades old, some of the best games of the GBA are as engrossing as ever.

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The article was originally written by Mathew Mathenia