Must-have GBA games

nullstar · Post by **nullstar** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:25 pm

jp wrote:A big list

I've played most of what you mentioned JP, but in several cases felt that some sequels outshone the earlier GBA games by a wide margin. (Metroid Zero Mission blows Fusion away -- and I can only recommend Castlevania in the following order: AoS, CoTM, HoD...if you're willing to put up with a lot on that last one).

How do Klonoa 2 and Kirby/Mirror compare with the earlier GBA games? I found Klonoa rather slow and uneventful -- lots of moving boxes about but not a great deal of action. After hearing so much good stuff about the Klonoa series over the years, I was disappointed by what Empire of Winds delivered. Should I have picked up the series elsewhere? As for Kirby: loved it on the NES, but I'm pretty certain I would have one-lifed Nightmare in Dreamland had the tryptophan not kicked in that afternoon. Does Mirror offer any challenge or is it another `enjoy the ride for a couple hours'?)

PS - Chalk up another vote for: Astro Boy, Ninja Five-O (Bionic Commando meets Shinobi!), Wario Ware and Mario v DK.

Valgar · Post by **Valgar** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 3:05 pm

The only 3 I like, are actually pick up and play, and developed around the idea of a handheld...

Hajime No Ippo: The Fighting
Kururin Paradise
Astro Boy

Way too many worthless ports or RPG's (why on a handheld?).

Wario Ware is good but I don't like it.

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 6:47 pm

nullstar wrote:
jp wrote:A big list
I've played most of what you mentioned JP, but in several cases felt that some sequels outshone the earlier GBA games by a wide margin. (Metroid Zero Mission blows Fusion away -- and I can only recommend Castlevania in the following order: AoS, CoTM, HoD...if you're willing to put up with a lot on that last one).

How do Klonoa 2 and Kirby/Mirror compare with the earlier GBA games? I found Klonoa rather slow and uneventful -- lots of moving boxes about but not a great deal of action. After hearing so much good stuff about the Klonoa series over the years, I was disappointed by what Empire of Winds delivered. Should I have picked up the series elsewhere? As for Kirby: loved it on the NES, but I'm pretty certain I would have one-lifed Nightmare in Dreamland had the tryptophan not kicked in that afternoon. Does Mirror offer any challenge or is it another `enjoy the ride for a couple hours'?)

PS - Chalk up another vote for: Astro Boy, Ninja Five-O (Bionic Commando meets Shinobi!), Wario Ware and Mario v DK.

Kirby and the Amazing Mirror is one of the best Kirbys in a long time IMO. I like the non-linear structure quite a bit and there is a pleasant surprise at the end of the game. The new items like Smash are very cool too. The game is actually very challenging too.

FatCobra · Post by **FatCobra** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 1:14 am

BrianC wrote:Kirby and the Amazing Mirror is one of the best Kirbys in a long time IMO. I like the non-linear structure quite a bit and there is a pleasant surprise at the end of the game. The new items like Smash are very cool too. The game is actually very challenging too.

I was thinking of picking that game up. I love Kirby and Metroid-style games, and this one combines both and adds a little Four Swords for flavor (although I heard the AI Kirbys are stupid).

SNES ports for the GBA is another issue I want to point out. It is really worth it to plink down $30 for a watered down verison of a great SNES game, even though it is portable?

Andi · Post by **Andi** » Tue Apr 05, 2005 1:41 am

FatCobra wrote:SNES ports for the GBA is another issue I want to point out. It is really worth it to plink down $30 for a watered down verison of a great SNES game, even though it is portable?

Watered down? Usually they add some new stuff in the port (Super Ghouls and Ghosts had a save system and an arrange mode with some new levels). Plus, if you don't own the original cartridge, why should you care whether it came out on the SNES already?

If it makes you feel like you are getting a better deal, pretend that it didn't come out already and you are actually getting a brand new game.

jp · Post by jp » Tue Apr 05, 2005 3:26 am

nullstar wrote:
jp wrote:A big list
I've played most of what you mentioned JP, but in several cases felt that some sequels outshone the earlier GBA games by a wide margin. (Metroid Zero Mission blows Fusion away -- and I can only recommend Castlevania in the following order: AoS, CoTM, HoD...if you're willing to put up with a lot on that last one).

How do Klonoa 2 and Kirby/Mirror compare with the earlier GBA games? I found Klonoa rather slow and uneventful -- lots of moving boxes about but not a great deal of action. After hearing so much good stuff about the Klonoa series over the years, I was disappointed by what Empire of Winds delivered. Should I have picked up the series elsewhere? As for Kirby: loved it on the NES, but I'm pretty certain I would have one-lifed Nightmare in Dreamland had the tryptophan not kicked in that afternoon. Does Mirror offer any challenge or is it another `enjoy the ride for a couple hours'?)

PS - Chalk up another vote for: Astro Boy, Ninja Five-O (Bionic Commando meets Shinobi!), Wario Ware and Mario v DK.

I was simply asked for a list, so I provided a list. IMO all the games are at least worth checking out since I had a fun time with them.

FatCobra · Post by **FatCobra** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 3:59 pm

I really don't see the point of Warioware. It's just a bunch of microgames lumped together. I know it's crazy fun, but it's not something I would own. I guess I like my games big and sasititfying.

Davey · Post by **Davey** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 4:33 pm

FatCobra wrote:I really don't see the point of Warioware. It's just a bunch of microgames lumped together. I know it's crazy fun, but it's not something I would own. I guess I like my games big and sasititfying.

To me, it's the epitome of a good handheld game: simple, fun, easy to pick up and play in short bursts. I think consoles and PCs are much better suited for epic gaming.

More redundant approval for:
- Wario Ware
- Astro Boy

Avoid:
- Puyo Pop (it's way too easy, even on "Hard", and I have trouble distinguishing colors on the small, dim screen)
- Pocky and Rocky with Becky (the SNES version is at least 1,000x better)

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 4:45 pm

Can't believe nobody mentioned Mr. Driller Ace.

Sega Arcade Gallery is another must have...outrun, space harrier, afterburner, super hang on on one cartridge.

Davey · Post by **Davey** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 4:52 pm

Neon wrote:Can't believe nobody mentioned Mr. Driller Ace.

Portability aside, does Ace have any advantages over Drill Land? It sounds really similar.

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 6:04 pm

Haven't played Drill Land, don't own a Gamecube. But Ace is the shit.

Bosuonparedo · Post by **Bosuonparedo** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 9:04 pm

I actually have trouble with Puyo Pop's difficulty on Hard, towards the very end of the last (long) course. And I still never figured out how to get the 20th card.

Also, WarioWare Inc. is seriously uber-ultra-super-duper-extremely kickass. Or something. (It's the only GBA game I've played more or less regularly since it came out.)

Mario & Luigi is good, if only for the hilarious "comeback" cutscene at the very end.

Minish Cap was good, but easy. It's the first Zelda game I've ever beaten with 0 deaths the first time through. It could have been much longer, too. If you actually have a GBA and not a DS, I suggest you try to find Oracle of Ages/Seasons for GBC -- they easily share the title for Best Handheld Zelda. And the original Four Swords on LttP is awesome if you can find partners.

If you can find it, I also recommend Chu Chu Rocket. Full multiplayer with 1 cartridge, plus 2600 puzzles to solve. I've had it for quite a bit now and I still have 363 left to go -- it's not exactly a walk in the park! (Incidentally, I think that Chu Chu Rocket most definitely ought to be released on the DS, 'cos it's got that 4-button layout and wireless support. And with the two screens, there could be extra-large arenas with 6- or 8-player support, which would be the shit to end all the other shits.)

Also, am I the only one who thought that Amazing Mirror wasn't all that amazing? I had 100% within about two days of starting. Sure, some of the new abilities are cool, but it just feels too similar to NiDL to me. Kind of like, "Hey, how can we alter this little bit of NiDL code so no one will notice it's almost exactly the same thing?" The Super Star-type boss rush mode is pretty cool, though.

Zhon · Post by **Zhon** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 6:59 am

If you think of Klonoa GBA as a cerebral game, rather than a twitch platformer, you'll enjoy it way more - I know I did.

The Tops:
Advance Wars 1/2 (I S-ranked Hard campaign - hehe)
Zelda Minish (sweet, but short - just like all recent Nintendo games - sigh)
Fire Emblem
Car Battler Joe (pretty fun, actually)
Metroid Fusion/Zero (I like both)
Mega Man Battle Network 2/3 (4 is a big fetchquest)
Mario & Luigi
Boulder Dash Ex (extra fun to beat the score quotas on every level)
Klonoa 1/2
Golden Sun/Lost Age (where's the damn conclusion to the trilogy?)
Denki Blocks
Ninja 5-0 (a hidden gem - truly overlooked)
Wario Ware
Wade Hixton's Counter Punch
Mario vs DK (absolutely fabulous)

Other pretty good:
Racing Gears Advance
Karnaaj Rally
Game and Watch 4 (nostalgia)
Kuru Kuru Kururin

Looking forward to:
Mario Tennis (I loved the GBC one)
Sigma Star Saga (hopefully will be good - not sure though)
Rebelstar Saga (from the makers of X-Com!!!)

Wishlist:
Metal Gear Solid game in vein of MGS GBC
Golden Sun Book 3 (the ending of Lost Age hints SO LOUDLY that Alex will be the main character of the next one)

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 7:26 am

Neon wrote:Can't believe nobody mentioned Mr. Driller Ace.

Sega Arcade Gallery is another must have...outrun, space harrier, afterburner, super hang on on one cartridge.

I like SEGA Arcade Gallery too. Namco's GBA support was annoying. They waited years to release Kolona 2 in the US and Mr. Driller 2 is planned to come to the US very soon. I heard Mr. Driller 2 GBA is good, but there is no good reason why Namco shouldn't release Mr. Driller Ace instead. Considing how long the game has stayed outside the US, Mr. Driller 2 US better have some good extras with it. Well, the 19.99 price tag isn't too bad. I wish Ace was easier to find. I love the GBC Mr. Driller, even if it is missing Time Attack.

I do agree that Puyo Pop is too easy, but I still found it fun and the puyos are well sized and easy to tell apart IMO. Puyo Puyo Fever GBA is better and has a four player mode, but it's a bit unbalanced compared to other Puyo Puyo games (though still a ton of fun and much harder than Puyo Pop). However, it is an excellent port of the console games with an awesome feature that the console versions lack and full fleged single cartridge multiplayer. IMO, the GB/GBC Puyo Puyo games are better than the GBA ones (with the exception of Puyo Puyo 1 for the B/W GB. That game is slooow), but they don't have single cartrdige multi (actually, Pocket Puyo Puyo Tsu has Super Game Boy single cartridge multi, but I don't know if that counts).

CL@$$!C · Post by **CL@$$!C** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 10:14 am

I own

Fire Emblem
Astro Boy: Omega Factor
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Metroid Fusion
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

All very good games, enjoyed them all a lot. However, Astro Boy stands above the rest, as i can say it's probly teh best hand held game i've ever played. I don't know how many people go for high scores on Astro boy besides me, but i'm at 8,000,000 or so.

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 2:23 am

Davey wrote:
Neon wrote:Can't believe nobody mentioned Mr. Driller Ace.
Portability aside, does Ace have any advantages over Drill Land? It sounds really similar.

Ace has a racing mode that can be played with just one player and the dristone mode has some differences like a virtual pet thing being attached to it (oddly enough, how you do in the dristone mode affects the virtual pet). The dristone mode also has shops and random battles, though the one in Drill Land might have those too. Also, the regular mode has big blocks and white blocks that aren't in Mr. Driller 2. The stages are more varied too. I'm not sure if that is the same in Drill Land or not. I'll find out when I play it, though if the newest Freeloader doesn't save, I might just go ahead and mod my Cube.

Icecap Veiwin · Post by **Icecap Veiwin** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 4:26 am

Get Advance Wars 2 for sure.

If you want a good platforming experience, be sure to get Metroid Fusion or Metroid Zero Mission.

YOU MUST GET MEGAMAN BATTLE NETWORK 3. Get your friends to buy it too so you can have some competition.

DantesInferno · Post by **DantesInferno** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 4:49 am

Super Robot Wars D and SRW Original Generation 1+2

PFG 9000 · Post by **PFG 9000** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 11:52 am

I'd like to toss my 2 cents the way of Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Gradius Galaxies. Though the GBA has so many must-haves, a list like Jp's is almost more appropriate.

superhitachi4 · Post by **superhitachi4** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 6:40 pm

Metal Slug Advance. Anyone who bad mouths it can go to hell. Just kidding. But seriously, go to hell.

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 9:44 pm

superhitachi4 wrote:Metal Slug Advance. Anyone who bad mouths it can go to hell. Just kidding. But seriously, go to hell.

That comment is priceless!