Are the best games on the GBA?

[The Mole]

I have just been playing Crash Bandicoot 2 and Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga and looked over at my GBA collection and noticed that their is some great games

Advance Wars 1+2
Golden Sun 1+2
Superstar Saga
Zelda LTTP + 4 Swords
Metroid Zero Fusion/Zero Mission
Wario Ware
Mario Kart: Super Circut
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

When looking over at my PS2, Gamecube, and Xbox games i see a bunch of promising games that did not deliver. Yeah each of the "Home Consoles" has the odd good game but when you look at all the games above you would easy get 20 hours play out of them and most have major replay value.

People wrote the GBA off as a bunch of SNES ports but if you look beyond that i think we have the best console (games wise) on the market today.

What do you all think to that?

[Razz]

SNES clones. With the exception of a few.

So no.

[Corrupt Rose]

Warning: Cop out answer ahead.

---

It entirely comes down to personal preference. From what you've listed, less than half of them have ever grabbed my attention, perhaps due to a terrible feeling of deja vu. The 'SNES clone' accusation is levelled quite regularly... regularly enough for it to have some kind of basis in fact.

I personally wouldn't even try to decide which console has the 'best' games on it, because really, whenever I try, I inevitably come up with a bunch of titles on another platform, and a spanner is well and truly jammed in the works.

Crikey.

So no. The GBA doesn't have the best games.

[Magnakai]

Actually, I think that it does.
*can't be bothered to say why*

[recipher]

I say XBox. Halo and RS3 and PGR2 and Splinter Cell are great. Mind you, I've got a few good games on the GameCube too. I love Metroid Prime and VJ and F-Zero and Wind Waker. Oops, I'm forgetting my PS2, I've spent many long hours enjoying Prince of Persia and Pro Evo and GTA and MGS2. Ok, that last one was a lie. Hold on. I remember the heady days of the Dreamcast. I still love to play Soul Calibur and HotD 2 and Power Stone is one of the funnest games ever. So add that to the list. So, if I'm adding the DC, I'd better not forget the N64. Not so many in total, but certainly some of the finest titles. Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time and Goldeneye would certainly make my top 10 all time list.

Ok, now I'm uncertain. What was the question?

[superkully]

The eternal "which one is best" argument starts again.

For me, the GBA has been the most loved console of this generation. Since leaving Uni. I get very little time to sit down and play (especially with the bird watching Hollyoaks ffs) and the GBA has always been at hand to sate me during a crapping session, train journey or while the missus is reading in bed.

[JibberX]

Yeah yeah GBA is the don, I'll tell you why, are you listening, didn't think so. I was, a couple of weekends a go, contemplating what game to get to entertain me...and I am not short of disposible income here, I have a multitude, a plethora, a gaming orgy of consoles and PC and footballs and you know what I bought. Well you don't but I am gonna tell you. I bought Mario & Luigi Supersaga. Now I wasn't entirely convinced that the Mario jive was still happening, but somehow, very cleverly, very intricatealililiyly these fellas have made one hell of a game.

Sometimes you sit at the start of a game thinking, "ahhh man I really can't be arsed, I am gonna have to remember stuff, and all that crap, tutorials smutorials" But M&L was golden from the start, and still is. At no point do you go "crap I need to go up not down I am stuck" at no point do you have to "Wiggle the camera to see whats going on". Basically Ladies and Gentlemen and scrotes, Its 2d, 2 dimensional, there is no Z axis in the GBA world, I don't have to wonder whats hiding behind a rafter beyond that lens flare next to the phong shaded doodad, nooooo, I can just get on and play the game, both on the big and little screen.

It jus so happens that the only format that 2d is still rockin' on is the GBA.

[Darwock]

No, but it's got the best games for playing on the toilet.

[Ady]

SNES clones. With the exception of a few.

So no.

Yeah, that's why only two games in the above list are based on SNES titles.

[Oh! My Car!]

...and noticed that their is some great games

I believe you mean "there are"

[dataDave]

GBA has been my system of choice since 2001, not including retro wares.

And that's avoiding the SNES ports.

F-Zero = Best sequel ever.

[bowser123]

I have all the machines, SP, Panasonic Q, PS2 and XBox, plus all the 'top' games IMO, for each format.
My humble SP by far sees the most use.
Even the console game I'm mostly playing at the moment, Cube Zelda Four Swords+, is reliant on a GBA to get the best from it.

From the original list I'd also say these were omitted and are fantastic:
Pokemon Sapphire
Pokemon Pinball
Fire Emblem
Hamtaro
Tactics Ogre
Harvest Moon
Klonoa
Denki Blocks
Kuru Kuru
Astro Boy
Super SF2
Bubble Bobble

The only thing that is missing is an original Mario game, hopefully one will be along soon. Whilst it's hard to determine what's 'best', like I say my SP sees the most action.

[Prine]

no ****ing way. just no

[Tetsuo]

The GBA is slowly turning into my favourite machine ever.

It's got the lot: home to addictive, pick up/life consuming gaming on the go, innovation, classic gaming, plays every GameBoy game under the sun, what more could anyone need? Apart from a backlit standard GBA ft:

It's got more quality game-for-game on it than quite a few past and present (ahem) consoles. I don't know where I'd be without mine. The GBA probably represents the last bastion of solid-gold fun-over-bull**** gaming right now. And for that, I salute it. Roll on PSP?

And the "just SNES ports" comments, 3 years into the GBA's lifespan? Some of you need to give that one a rest, eh? It's getting INCREDIBLY tired and nonsensical.

Oh, and Made in Wario was easily game of 2003.

[bowser123]

And the "just SNES ports" comments, 3 years into the GBA's lifespan? Some of you need to give that one a rest, eh? It's getting INCREDIBLY tired and nonsensical.

Totally agree there.
Just to prove this I'll copy and paste the lists both me and The Mole made and highlight if it had a SNES release of the same game:

Advance Wars 1+2 (Yes and No)*
Golden Sun 1+2 (No)
Superstar Saga (No)
Zelda LTTP + 4 Swords (Yes)
Metroid Zero Fusion/Zero Mission (No)
Wario Ware (No)
Mario Kart: Super Circut (No)
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (No)
Pokemon Sapphire (No)
Pokemon Pinball (No)
Fire Emblem (Yes and No)*
Hamtaro (No)
Tactics Ogre (No)
Harvest Moon (No)
Klonoa (No)
Denki Blocks (No)
Kuru Kuru (No)
Astro Boy (No)
Super SF2 (Yes)
Bubble Bobble (No)

* Games like Advance Wars and Fire Emblem both apparently had SNES releases. However, as both are Japan only and text heavy, I think it's fair to see it is a new game for the vast majority, even importers like us lot. So both are original titles in my eyes.
Not so many carbon copies are there?