The best GBA games of all time

By Gabe Gurwin and Jesse Lennox Updated August 13, 2024

Believe it or not, there was a time when the Game Boy Advance was handheld gaming system to buy. The best Game Boy Color games kept the system going, but it was long overdue for a real upgrade in power. With the GBA, we could now play games on the same level as the best SNES games on the go.

The best GBA titles boasted familiar gameplay and thoughtful level design, rendering them more than a nostalgic cash grab. Don’t believe us? Take a look at our list of the best video games of all time and see how many GBA games made the list. Or, go ahead and check out this definitive list of the best games for our favorite handheld.

was a game that revitalized the previous formula used by the best Kirby games. The game was released in 2004, towards the end of the GBA’s production. Most importantly, this game doesn’t use the traditional level-based system. Instead, players can freely explore the world and ultimately discover their path to victory.  You can travel from one world to another through a labyrinth, a similar structure to the different worlds of games. While still has the cute, colorful characters that can help Kirby play the game, the storyline is pretty intricate and involved.25.