I've recently decked out a used GBA with a backlit screen and new paint job so I could enjoy my old games on the go again as well as a few bargain bin finds (Metroid Fusion, Final Fantasy Tactics). Hearing Drew talk about FF6 and Alex/Vinny bring up the Mega Man Battle Network games I've realized how much of the library I missed out on the first time around. What is everyone's best suggestions for Gameboy titles, even if it's just your personal favorite. So far on my hunting list is a copy of Fire Red and Advanced Wars.

Fire Pro Wrestling.

The Pokémon games are probably the best time killers I can think of on the GBA, but I'm also partial to the other turn-based games on the system as well -- the Final Fantasys, Fire Emblems, Onimusha Tactics, that Zone of the Enders game nobody talks about.

• Final Fantasy V and VI are pretty dope versions. (Dawn of Souls is also pretty good, but I prefer the iOS version these days)
• Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario 3 are pretty great
• Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is good (although FFTA 2 on DS is better)
• Metroid Zero Mission is my favourite 2d Metroid. Fusion is good too
• Castlevania Aria of Sorrow is the best one on GBA
• Pokemon Emerald was the last, and therefore best GBA version.
• The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap is criminally underrated.
• Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga is not underrated, it is simply great

That covers my personal tastes.

> Castlevania Aria of Sorrow is the best one on GBA

If you can get the "Double Pack" that's definitely worth it

Embrace the gimmick carts! Warioware Twisted has tons of fun microgames built around its accelerometer. Boktai has the sun sensor so you can weaken Mr. Kojima's vampires.

Tactics Ogre is a great tactics game on GBA, if you like FFTA you should enjoy this.

People have mentioned pretty much all of my favorite games already. There's not a bad choice in this thread!

Drill Dozer. Maybe the best GBA platformer , its one of the few non-Pokemon games made by Game Freak and it has a fun rumble pack built into the cartridge.

@candor: So where exactly did you get the backlit screen and all that? I've been looking to either buy one prebuilt or swap it out myself, but I can never seem to find sites with backlit glass screens in stock.

Anyone have any good leads?

Ninja Five-O, if you can find it.

Edit: That should have said if you can find it for less than HUNDREDS of dollars on Ebay. Holy crap I didn't realize it was that ridiculously rare.

Wario Land 4 is a great, if short, platformer. Astro Boy Omega Factor and Dragonball Advanced Adventure are great sidescrolling beat 'em ups/platformers. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is an awesome RPG. I only played Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones and loved it, but I heard the Fire Emblem that came out before it(No number or title, I think it's really 7??) is better.

Don't sleep on Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance. It gets a bad rap because of the music, but it's one of the best metroidvanias imo.

And get both the Advance Wars games.

Man, Shining Soul 2 was a great game!

Astroboy Omega Factor. It is dope.

Wow now that's a response and a half thanks guys! My library was mostly RPGs like Fire Emblem and Golden Sun and it's been a while since I've played good platformers so I'm glad to see those, especially the Castlevania titles since I've not played any and didn't know which was good. I forgot all about Boktai, man that game looked so cool, gonna have to look for a decent cart.

I do have a cart with an SD card for those really rare or just grossly overpriced titles. I'll probably have to use it to play Pokemon Fire Red as it seems those are either really expensive or fakes anyway.

I bought a banged up 101 GBA SP on ebay, just needed the screen so tried to save where I could (even then they ain't cheap). Rest of the parts I got from retromodding.com, don't mean to advertise but they were a big help, and do prebuilts too. Found an official Nintendo rechargeable battery pack for the GBA too so there's really no downside to this handheld now. Forgot to post a pic of the mod as well. It's an easy process but requires soldering, feel free to ask any questions.

@candor: That looks aweeeeesome. Crap I want to do this now. I'll let you know if I take the plunge. Also where did you get such a cool shell?

Ok for original titles

• Mother 3 just buy a repro cart because nintendo will never release it here
• Advance wars 1 and 2
• Wario Land 4
• Warioware regular and twisted both are great
• F Zero GP and Legend and if you can find it the Japanese only one is cool too
• all the Final Fantasy Remakes 6 especially
• River City Ransom remake
• Gradius Gaiden
• All the Castlevania games seriously they are all great
• Duke Nukem Advanced (seriously its a great fps and probably the best Duke game other than 3d)
• If your into them the Yu Gi Oh games are amazing time wasters

@jjweatherman: Was just a dirty Glacier shell; sanding, painting, and clear coat turned it into something special. If you want to try the same I recommend going with bright or fluorescent paint on the inside, the slight bluish tint of the plastic will darken it. Plain old Valspar or Rustoleum rattle cans work just fine and if you just paint the inside no worries about it getting scratched.

Yes, yes they are.

Played the heck out of Pokemon Ruby and Mario Kart when I was a wee lad. The port of the SNES Zelda is top notch too.

I'd include a lot of what's already been mentioned, but to add something new: the first two Mega Man Battle Network games are amaaaaazing.

Also, damn that GBA looks dope!

@braves01 said:

I was pondering its inclusion in my list, but I really don't like it, and not because of the music. It does the dual-castle thing that SotN does, but since you switch between them all the time, and they're both laid out basically the same, I got incredibly confused and turned around. Honestly, I much prefer the music over the game itself!

@candor: That looks pretty dope!

Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2. It's an incredible version of a ps1 game.

Jeff talking about it here, also some gameplay: http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/unprofessional-fridays-07172015/2300-10509/?t=10m21s and this: http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/unprofessional-fridays-10162015/2300-10779/?t=82m0s

Well, if we are going to necro a thread, I might as well pitch in my 2 cents.

My favourite GBA game that hasn't been mentioned yet has to be Mario Tennis: Power Tour. This version of the game is a full-fledged RPG only, instead of having a battle, you play tennis.

I remember the game gettiing a little grindy by the end, but the first twenty hours was some of my favourite GBA memories.