A WIP list of best GBA games. There are some great games that didn't make this list SIMPLY because I haven't played them yet.
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This was my first game for the system. SMA is a port/improvement of the original Super Mario Bros 2 from the NES, in which I played sometimes at my uncle's house. I wasn't always the biggest fan of SMB2, but being forced to play it as my only game gave me a bigger appreciation to it and unlike most earlier SMB games, I actually completed it. I'm a bit surprised this game is such an anomaly in the Mario gameverse, outside of this game, Nintendo hasn't taken steps to remake, sequel, or reference SMB2 outside of selling it over and over again on various digital stores.
Circle of the Moon catapulted my love for the series and the Metroidvania genre. While I've played bits of the classic Castlevanias and some of Castlevania 64, it was this game I had the most time with and grew to love. CotM challenged me, entertained me, and inspired me. Animations were stiff compared to future titles, but this was a launch game. The dark colors didn't serve the unlit screen of the original GBA well, but I was more than happy to put up with it to immerse myself in the world. For some, gameplay felt stiff, but I grew accustomed to it, especially after you gained the ability to run. It felt more grounded and like a next step evolution of the previous games, compared to newer ones where could dash like made. I loved the DSS card system that gave you two rows of cards you could mix and match for different spells and weapons - I thought it was great and was sad to see it never make a return or be seen in similar fashion in other games. I remember talking to my high school friend about this game, in which he told me about Symphony of the Night, in which I was somewhat aware of, but I had no idea how great it was.
This was the one I didn't buy for unknown reasons - I didn't have a job at the time, so I didn't have alot of disposable income and I remember the ratings being less than great. Thankfully, the GBA era is where I picked up emulation and eventually I was able to play it. The soundtrack was kind of terrible and I didn't like the assault of bright colors it made to compensate for the GBA's unlit screen. The game wasn't bad at all though, and had a neat furniture collecting system. I was amazed how easy the game is - HoD is a push over in the Igavania world.
A solid improvement on the series that learned much from the previous games. Now you played as a reincarnation of Dracula that had a random chance to absorb the souls of enemies that would give you attacks, weapons, or buffs. AoS was less brutal than CoTM, but certainly more challenging than HoD. It utilized a nice, brightened colored palette that wasn't as jarring as HoD, but still retained some of the Gothic edge of classic games. The soundtrack didn't take a sacrifice like the last game, and sounded great as well. While CoTM remains my personal fav of the GBA games, AoS is often considered the best of the GBA 'vanias and that is hard to argue otherwise.
After playing the Castlevania games, Ninja Five-O seems simple in comparison, but yet it is surprisingly good. Story and Gameplay is pretty basic. You're a cop that is a ninja, rescuing hostages and eliminating thugs. You only had a basic two hit sword swipe, a projectile that upgraded up to 2 times with pickups, and an aerial "spiral sword" slash which was super satisfying to use. However, the game took some inspiration from Bionic Commando and gave the player a grappling hook for limited platforming. It wasn't he most intuitive hook to use, but it added some variety to an otherwise simple game. Ninja Five-O is a game alot of GBA owners have reverence for, and if you never played or heard of it, it is worth a play.
I was never a huge Megaman fan. While I liked them in theory, in practice, I sucked at them and really I never had the games or friends with the games when I was young, so I didn't really have access to the series until I played them via emulation. However, it was a license I was familiar with and with MMBN being a quasi-JRPG when I was a teen getting into RPGs, it was great way to experience the Megaman world. In retrospect, it does feel like a Pokemon rip-off with it's kiddy anime look and collection of chips, the near tactics style active RPG gameplay was very unique and fun to engage in.
Look, my love for Sonic as I grew older, but back when Sonic was going into 3D, you still had a solid, 2D scrolling Sonic worth playing.
My beloved Golden Sun. Man, I had such reverence for Golden Sun. I played it alot and some bastard stole it from my backpack in school. In retrospect, it wasn't smart to leave it sitting in my Mesh backpack, but I was a naive school child, and It only made me more bad about their mandatory requirement for everybody to have see through backpacks. Thanks you school admin, now we are all theft targets. Anyways, Golden Sun was a bright spot on the JRPG genre. Imagine the world and story telling of a Final Fantasy mixed with the monster collecting of Pokemon, which was huge at the time. Finding and equipping the different Djinn gave your characters powerful, cinematic sprite based spells which were a sight to behold on the small GBA screen, especially as somebody who hasn't played a ton of the Final Fantasy games at the time. I loved exploring the world, solving small puzzles, hunting djinni and strategizing combat. I disliked the largely pointless "Yes" and "No" choice system in dialogue, which gave the player a very false sense of choice since your choice didn't change any outcome. I didn't finish the game when I was young, but I eventually did so via emulation on my phone during downtime at work.
I hate that Wario games don't get as much reverence and nostalgia from the Nintendo fan community as much as other games. To be fair, Wario isn't the most lovable mascot, but the games are so great. One of my favorite memories of Wario Land 4 is when you get all the collectibles and the game puts up a timer to rush you back to the starting point/end while playing a great, frantic "escape the level" theme. What shocks me even more is the lack of remixes for the "Hurry Up" theme - I could only find about 2.
Take the gameplay of Super Mario Kart and the theme of Mario Kart 64 and you have the mix for a entry in the legendary series. Super Circuit may never be considered incredible, especially since so few people would have the means to play it multiplayer, but it is still a solid entry into the series.