Game Boy Advance Hidden Gems & Underrated Games

The Game Boy Advance is one of Nintendo’s most beloved handheld systems. First-party games like Metroid: Zero Mission and Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire endeared the Game Boy Advance to those who played them, but plenty of other great, overlooked games and hidden gems came to the console.

Following the stopgap Game Boy successor that was the Game Boy Color, the GBA was the true next step in Nintendo’s line of handhelds. The 32-bit system marked a huge advancement on the 8-bit original, and its 2D-focused hardware promised SNES-like games on the go. It delivered many of these (including several SNES ports), but some developers also figured out how to harness the Game Boy Advance to produce 3D games – whether in true polygonal 3D, simulated 3D with sprites, or pre-rendered backgrounds with 3D models.

These innovations resulted in some impressive graphics for such a humble system, and a few of the games in the list below employed these 3D methods. More than that, though, the following Game Boy Advance games prove the sheer variety of experiences available on a handheld primarily known for 2D Pokémon and Fire Emblem games.

GBA Hidden Gems: Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance

A downsized port of the console Dungeons & Dragons RPG, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance‘s isometric viewpoint may invoke classic CRPGs like Baldur’s Gate 2 and the original Fallout, but it’s more action-focused and Diablo-like than its predecessors. Using a real-time version of the D&D 3rd Edition rule set, players navigate dungeons, collect loot, and defeat enemies with hack-and-slash combat. The GBA version of Dark Alliance lacks the co-op of its console brethren, but it is otherwise a fairly direct translation of the well-received 2001 RPG.

GBA Hidden Gems: Max Payne

Porting an already isometric console game to an isometric GBA game may have seemed like a no-brainer, but doing the same for third-person shooter Max Payne was a risky move. Möbius Entertainment, which would later become Rockstar Leeds, successfully did so, porting the original’s iconic slow-motion dive-shooting to the 32-bit hardware with polygonal character models. Max Payne GBA retains the console game’s story and locations (albeit with some omitted levels), as well as voice-overs for the comic book-style cutscenes.

GBA Hidden Gems: Rebelstar: Tactical Command

Behind Rebelstar: Tactical Command‘s terrible cover art is a solid tactics game from the creator of the original X-COM. Between Advance Wars, Fire Emblem, and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, the GBA had no shortage of solid tactical RPGs, but fans of the genre looking for something with a different setting should check out the sci-fi Tactical Command. It distinguishes itself from those other games in its gameplay, too, utilizing a close-up, cover-based system more like X-COM (complete with an “overwatch” ability) than the zoomed-out battles of Fire Emblem or the face-to-face skirmishes of Final Fantasy.

GBA Hidden Gems: The Sims 2

While The Sims 2‘s title implies it’s a straight-up port of the PC and console life simulation game, the GBA version takes things to some very weird places. The adventure begins in Strangetown, where chapters themed as episodes of a reality TV show (which the town’s citizens aren’t aware of) send players on a variety of goofy missions. They’ll have to deal with an alien invasion, confront the king of a rat infestation, and even shrink down to battle bugs. Mini games in the form of commercial breaks break up the pace, adding further wackiness to the experience. Like the rest of The Sims games on GBA, The Sims 2 is dragged down by grinding and tedium, but patient players will find much to like.

GBA Hidden Gems: Tony Hawk’s Underground

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 is the highest-rated Game Boy Advance game, other than the GBA A Link to the Past port, according to Metacritic. As a launch title for the system, it surprised critics and fans with its impressive translation of the franchise to an isometric perspective, garnering widespread acclaim. Unfortunately, THPS 2‘s early success meant the rest of the series’ GBA titles live in its shadow. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 has perhaps the most fluid and enjoyable gameplay of the GBA entries (though almost all of them are truly fun), but Tony Hawk’s Underground is more fully featured. Its RPG-style progression will keep players busy unlocking new skills and areas for hours, and the light story helps form a stronger connection to players’ customized skaters, making it easier to get invested.

The Game Boy Advance released in North America on June 11, 2001.

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Camden Jones
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Camden Jones is one of Screen Rant’s gaming features editors. He loves video games, but he’s even more interested in the people who make and play them.

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