The Game Boy Advance was the first true sequel console to the Game Boy, released in 2001. The original system had low lighting, but thanks to the GBA SP, players could actually see what they were doing. The handheld has dozens of games that are still on hold, and most of them are available to play on the Switch and Switch 2 consoles for Nintendo Online membership.
10 Incredible Nintendo Games Turning 10 Years Old in 2026
Take a trip down memory lane with these unforgettable Nintendo games that will be 10 years old in 2026.
golden sun, Metroid Fusionand many others. For every good game that holds up well, some others just haven't aged well. These games aren't entirely bad, but thanks to advances in technology or sequels, there are things about them that make them feel unplayable on GBA hardware today.
9 Match the games to the grid.
get started
Boktai: The sun is in your hands
Impossible in many ways
Boktai: The sun is in your hands One of the best GBA games ever made, but actually playing it was a hassle. As a vampire hunter, players will traverse the world map and then find the dungeons where the vampire lords live.
Defeating them and defending the monsters required players to go outside and literally absorb sunlight to power their solar guns in the game. Looking for cartridges Boktai: The sun is in your handsWith a working GBA system, that seems impossible right now, although the game itself, without sunlight, could still be fun.
Duke Nukem advance
First-person shooters have come a long way on the handheld
-
Developer: Torus Games
-
Publisher: Take-Two Interactive
-
Platform: GBA
-
Released: 8/13/02
Duke Nukem advance 2002 was an impressive game on the GBA because there weren't many first-person shooters on the system. Duke NukemAs a franchise, it was still relatively hot, so getting a game in the series on the GBA was a big deal. It wasn't hello of the GBA, but it looked and played well for what it was.
That said, it's far less impressive now that first-shooters on handhelds have come a long way that even some games on the DS hold up well in terms of visuals and gameplay, while Duke Nukem advance is short.
Grand Theft Auto Advance
Top-down GTA is dead
more impressive than Duke Nukem advance was Grand Theft Auto AdvanceAn exclusive Rockstar-approved Grand Theft Auto An entry forgotten by many fans. It used a classic top-down style to tell its story, and even though it was on the GBA, it wasn't a kid-friendly experience.
Players could commit all kinds of crimes, from shooting civilians to stealing cars, and that classic wanted meter was still around. In the context of the franchise, the top-down entries are all forgettable, incl Grand Theft Auto AdvanceBut it's still important to remember the stepping stones that led to the top Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Which started as a DS exclusive and is still great.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Like the golden sun
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban The third was the conversion Harry Potter film, but unlike the puzzle platformers on the main consoles, this game was very different. The combat and traversal systems were very similar golden sunComplete by using magic to solve puzzles in the dungeon.
10 N64 Video Game Masterpieces Best Stories, Ranked
These great N64 games endure years later because their narratives are both compelling and silly.
Most impressive were the battles which were well animated at the time. This GBA adaptation is the best yet Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban The movie is still ranked as the best there is Harry Potter Game overall, but the bar is set so low that comparing it to an actual GBA RPG would be ridiculous.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Like racing tanks
Mario Kart: Super Circuit There was a throwback to the original game on the SNES, but visually, it looked great. There were more characters and courses, plus the steering was slightly better than the SNES game.
That said, going back to it now after going through so many other portable entries makes the game look an awful lot like an SNES game. Not only is it a fun game to control, but the graphics hold up acceptably, if the name has any positives then the content itself is good.
Max Payne
A good pared-down experience
Max Payne Another Rockstar-published game on the GBA that was amazing to see. It's a somewhat faithful adaptation of the original game, complete with narration, though they're now in static speech bubbles. The game doesn't hold back on the violence and content in all its pixelated top-down glory, from gunkata moves to popping pills like there was no tomorrow.
It wasn't as fun as the PS2 version, but it was a good action game on the GBA in 2003 that isn't as hard a hit as it is today, because the more “realistic” graphics just don't look good anymore.
Mega Man Battle Network
Dealing with random enemies
Mega Man Battle Network The first was a true RPG Mega Man The franchise gained, and for a generation, with sequels, it was all. At the core, this original game still looks absolutely stunning, with sprite work on overworld maps and battle animations.
What doesn't hold is the gameplay style in the dungeon, as it uses random enemies, and they are very frequent. These battles are fun, but they become monotonous when every few steps start another and artfully prolong the experience.
Pokemon Ruby / Sapphire
A series that has evolved a lot
Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire
Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire Those were the two games that made up the third generation Pokemon games, and it was at this point that the fandom began to split, even later. Looking back now, the game has some great music, some great Pokemon, and some great visuals.
10 Nintendo DS Games That Are 10/10 Masterpieces, Ranked
The Nintendo DS was a revolutionary piece of new technology when it came out, and it has no shortage of incredible games.
However, the Pokemon Games have evolved so much that it's a chore to get back into many of these games now. Finding Pokemon in tall grass, the pace of battles, how Pokemon level up, traversal methods, and more are all dated mechanics that make modern games feel like they're practically a hundred years in the future.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
Better stealth games
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
- issued
-
November 18, 2002
- ESRB
-
t
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Like another game Max Payne which tried to make its GBA adaptation more realistic with its human characters. They are large on-screen presences that looked like many GBA visuals at the time.
While Prakash wasn't as impressive as the original Xbox game, it was still a fun 2D stealth game, one of the very few on the GBA. Stealth fans are built Tom Clancy's Splinter CellAnd while this GBA adaptation is far from disgusting today, it's simply not a game that anyone should play without context.
Super Robot Taisen: The Original Generation 2
A slow-paced strategy game
Super Robot Taisen: The Original Generation 2
- issued
-
February 3, 2005
The Super Robot Taisenor Super Robot WarsThe series debuted on the Game Boy in Japan in 1991 and featured tactical battles against mechs in a crossover anime experience. While most of the games remain exclusive to Japan, the GBA has received two games for the first time in North America. Although there are fewer spinoffs: Super Robot Taisen: The Original Generation and its sequel.
The second game holds up a bit better as it was a bit more ambitious, but none of these games can hold a candle to the main entries that strategy fans were missing, thanks to the lack of impressive visuals and classic anime representation. If RPG mech fans really want to experience a good entry on the GBA, they should check it out Super Robot Taisen J, which has an English patch.
Say hello to the next 10 Big Switch 2 games
Nintendo Switch 2 owners can expect their library of games to grow significantly in the coming future.
