# The 45 Best Game Boy Advance Games of All Time

> Handheld heavyweights sit beside cult oddities and Japan-only imports here, with platformers, RPGs and tactics games all chasing the same crown.

*By YPB Team · Published October 25, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-45-best-game-boy-advance-games-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Metroid Fusion** — score 1000/1000
   Nintendo's 2002 Metroid sequel in which an infected Samus is hunted through a space station by her own parasitic double, SA-X.
2. **Rhythm Tengoku** — score 673/1000
   Nintendo's 2006 Japan-only rhythm game that started the Rhythm Heaven series.
3. **Wario Land 4** — score 612/1000
   Nintendo's 2001 platformer in which Wario raids a golden pyramid against the clock.
4. **The Minish Cap** — score 573/1000
   Capcom-developed 2004 Zelda adventure in which Link shrinks to the size of the tiny Minish people.
5. **Mother 3** — score 573/1000
   Shigesato Itoi's 2006 Japan-only RPG and EarthBound sequel, a cult favourite through its fan translation.
6. **Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen** — score 573/1000
   Game Freak's 2004 remakes of the original Kanto adventures with the new Sevii Islands.
7. **Klonoa: Empire of Dreams** — score 529/1000
   Namco's 2001 puzzle platformer in which Klonoa grabs and throws enemies to get through dream levels.
8. **Mario Kart: Super Circuit** — score 529/1000
   The 2001 launch-era Mario Kart that included every original SNES track.
9. **WarioWare, Inc.** — score 529/1000
   Nintendo's 2003 rapid-fire collection of five-second microgames, the start of the WarioWare series.
10. **Mario vs. Donkey Kong** — score 529/1000
   Nintendo's 2004 puzzle platformer and spiritual successor to Donkey Kong '94, which introduced the Mini-Mario toys.
11. **Astro Boy: Omega Factor** — score 529/1000
   Treasure's 2004 beat-'em-up starring Osamu Tezuka's robot boy, with a time-travelling story.
12. **Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team** — score 480/1000
   Chunsoft's 2005 roguelike in which the player is turned into a Pokémon and runs a rescue team.
13. **DBZ: The Legacy of Goku II** — score 480/1000
   Webfoot's 2002 action RPG that follows Dragon Ball Z from the Androids to the Cell Games.
14. **F-Zero: Maximum Velocity** — score 480/1000
   The 2001 launch-day F-Zero racer, with Mode 7 tracks set 25 years after the SNES original.
15. **Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land** — score 480/1000
   The 2002 enhanced remake of Kirby's Adventure, with a Meta Knight mode added.
16. **Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2** — score 480/1000
   Vicarious Visions' 2001 isometric port, praised as a technical showpiece for the handheld.
17. **A Link to the Past & Four Swords** — score 423/1000
   The 2002 port of the SNES Zelda classic bundled with the new four-player Four Swords adventure.
18. **Sonic Advance 2** — score 423/1000
   Dimps' 2002 high-speed Sonic sequel that introduced Cream the Rabbit.
19. **Gunstar Super Heroes** — score 423/1000
   Treasure's 2005 run-and-gun sequel to the Mega Drive cult classic Gunstar Heroes.
20. **Kirby & the Amazing Mirror** — score 423/1000
   HAL's 2004 Kirby game set in an open maze world, where four Kirbys can team up.
21. **Mega Man Zero 3** — score 423/1000
   Inti Creates' 2004 Mega Man Zero entry, often called the high point of the series.
22. **Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis** — score 423/1000
   Quest's 2001 side story to the Ogre Battle saga, a deep isometric tactics RPG.
23. **Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga** — score 423/1000
   AlphaDream's 2003 comedy RPG that sends both brothers to the Beanbean Kingdom, with timed button attacks.
24. **Final Fantasy Tactics Advance** — score 358/1000
   Square's 2003 tactical RPG set in the storybook land of Ivalice, governed by Judges and laws.
25. **Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories** — score 358/1000
   The 2004 card-based action RPG that links the first two Kingdom Hearts games.
26. **Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance** — score 358/1000
   Konami's 2002 Castlevania starring Juste Belmont across two mirrored versions of the castle.
27. **Super Mario Advance 4** — score 358/1000
   The 2003 port of Super Mario Bros. 3, with extra levels that came on e-Reader cards.
28. **Castlevania: Circle of the Moon** — score 358/1000
   The 2001 launch title that brought the Symphony of the Night formula to handhelds, with the DSS card system.
29. **Sonic Advance** — score 358/1000
   The 2001 2D Sonic game for the GBA and the first Sonic platformer on a Nintendo system.
30. **Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand** — score 282/1000
   Hideo Kojima's 2003 vampire-hunting game whose cartridge has a real solar sensor.
31. **Fire Emblem** — score 282/1000
   The 2003 tactics RPG starring Lyn, Eliwood and Hector, the first Fire Emblem released outside Japan.
32. **Riviera: The Promised Land** — score 282/1000
   Sting's 2002 RPG mixing visual-novel exploration with item-based battles.
33. **Golden Sun: The Lost Age** — score 282/1000
   Camelot's 2002 sequel that follows Felix's party and completes the Golden Sun story.
34. **Metroid: Zero Mission** — score 282/1000
   Nintendo's 2004 remake of the original Metroid with a new stealth section in Samus's Zero Suit.
35. **Advance Wars 2** — score 282/1000
   The 2003 Black Hole Rising sequel adding new commanders, units and CO Super Powers.
36. **Mega Man Zero** — score 282/1000
   Inti Creates' 2002 spin-off that revived Zero for a darker and harder action series.
37. **Drill Dozer** — score 192/1000
   Game Freak's 2005 platformer about Jill and her drill mech, sold on a rumble-equipped cartridge.
38. **Advance Wars** — score 192/1000
   Intelligent Systems' 2001 turn-based war game that brought the Wars series to the West.
39. **Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow** — score 192/1000
   2003 Konami action RPG set in 2035, where Soma Cruz absorbs enemy souls for his abilities.
40. **Golden Sun** — score 192/1000
   Camelot's 2001 RPG built around Psynergy puzzles and summoned Djinn, with some of the handheld's best visuals.
41. **Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3** — score 192/1000
   The 2002 port of Yoshi's Island, in which Yoshi escorts Baby Mario through crayon-drawn levels.
42. **Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones** — score 192/1000
   The 2004 Fire Emblem following twins Eirika and Ephraim, with a world map and optional grinding.
43. **Pokémon Emerald** — score 0/1000
   The 2004 definitive third-generation Pokémon game, adding the Battle Frontier to Hoenn.
44. **Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire** — score 0/1000
   The 2002 Pokémon pair that introduced the Hoenn region, abilities and double battles.
45. **Mega Man Battle Network 3** — score 0/1000
   The 2002 Blue and White entry, widely seen as the peak of Capcom's net-battling RPG series.

Tags: 2000s, games, nintendo, retro, game boy advance