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Edit: After creating the original topic I have since decided that I am going buy a GBA for sure. I edited the title to help focus the disscusion on what games are good choices for the GBA. Post favorites in any genre.

Original post:
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I'm considering buying a GBA but I'm a little skeptical if I should buy it since I have no need for the portability, I would not be using the multiplayer/connectivity features, and I already own many of the classic snes titles that they rereleased for the GBA. On the other hand, I can't find many rpgs for the cube and it seems that all the good rpgs are 2-d anyways.

Basically I want to ask everyone:
1)Is the system worth buying just for the titles (and not for the other aspects I mentioned above)?
2)If so, what games would you recommend? Preferably in the rpg or adventure genre, but feel free to mention any that you think are good.
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This post has been edited by 1stclass on 25th December 2003 10:03

Well, It's Christmas Eve, when OUR family opens gifts. And I got Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga. I've heard from a friend that it's pretty good. Maybe I'll have a more detailed review later, but as far as I have seen about this game so far, it's a pretty good GBA RPG.

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Wow. 1,000 posts.

I miss you all now that I'm in boarding school! ;_;

yes the GBA sp is worth it, especially for portability.
i find uses for the GBA sp even at home, like when i have just beat a final fantasy, and need to take a little break, i'll start playing golden sun again, or super mario world.

so i believe it is very useful

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"Have you ever seen a baby do that before?"

Well, I've been playing MLSSS for about an hour and a half now, and I'm still not sure what I think of it. It's a fun game, good graphix for a GBA, and it's funny in places (I love the way the bosses, when you beat 'em, explode humungously Ooh yea, that was great!), but it's not really your classic RPG, like any of the FF series. You can go through the ENTIRE game without getting hurt one freakin' time. It's very hard, but you can do it. It plays like a kid RPG, but not quite as much like Paper Mario. If you like easy RPGs, this one is probably worth it. There's a lot of puzzles in here, too.

Anyway, I have the same question as 1stclass,

Quote

what games would you recommend?

I like RPGs best, but others are good, as well.

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Wow. 1,000 posts.

I miss you all now that I'm in boarding school! ;_;

What exactly is different about "GBA sp" than GBA? I see on ninetendo's website they look different, but what else?

Gba SP's have backlit screens so you can play in the dark without an addon

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Does the regular GBA then not work in the dark very well or something? I'm mean so long as you don't need to read the buttons wouldn't the screen still be visibile like a television set in the dark or whatnot? Also, is that the only difference between the two?

edit: btw, thanks to everyone for the helpful input about the GBA! I've decided to buy one with my holiday gift money and I'm pretty excited. I edited the topic title to focus the discussion on what games are good picks for the GBA, so please post your top 5 favorite games. I want this thread to be helpfull for anyone, so feel free to post your favorite GBA games from any genre, not just rpgs.

This post has been edited by 1stclass on 25th December 2003 10:09

Possibly the strongest criticism of the original GBA was that the screen was far too dark to use, even in relatively light conditions, I believe. If you've ever emulated GBA games, especially ports of games from other systems, you may even notice that the colours on screen seem a lot brighter than on the original format, which is something that's largely done to mitigate the screen problems.

The SP's back light should be a tremendous help, then, if it works well. I don't have one, so I don't know if it does. Googling for buyers' opinions might help.

I haven't played many GBA games, but I'd recommend Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island even if you had the original SNES version. Not only is it one of the greatest 2D platformers of all time, but the GBA version even includes six completely new levels. At the time of its release, it was the only Super Mario Advance conversion to feature new stages, though the others contain new challenges and are great fun in their own right, and I don't know if Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3 (great title) might also contain new levels, because I haven't tried it.

Sword of Mana seems to be quite a popular RPG at the moment. It's a remake of Seiken Densetsu/Final Fantasy Adventure for the original GB, which began the SD series (Secret of Mana, Seiken Densetsu 3, Legend of Mana). It's quite different from FFA, apparently, quite obviously ripping bits out of the newer titles in the series for itself. I haven't got far in it, but it seems to work well.

Phantasy Star Collection might be worth a look. I haven't played it, so I can't recommend it from experience, but it contains the first three games in Sega's RPG series, though it looks like they haven't been updated since their original versions. I saw the first little bit of the original Phantasy Star from the collection, and it's like being in front of a Master System all over again, albeit a really small one.

And I'd have to point you at Mario Kart Super Circuit, of course. It doesn't feel right to have a (post-NES) Nintendo machine without Mario Kart.

Super Mario Advanced 4?: Super Mario World and Super Mario Advanced 5 : Super Mario Brothers 3 are great pickups.

Moderator Edit

That's Super Mario Advance 2 and 4, FYI. -Tiddles

I hear the Golden Sun games are good RPG's.

Definately grab Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Metroid Fusion.

GBA is great.

This post has been edited by Tiddles on 25th December 2003 19:52

I got a gift card from Wal-Mart and am going tomorrow (probably) to buy a game. I'm thinking about Golden Sun 1, Golden Sun 2, Sword of Mana, Final Fantasy Tactics, and the other Mario series. Is Final Fantasy Tactics worth it? Which is the best of the above titles (or series)?

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Wow. 1,000 posts.

I miss you all now that I'm in boarding school! ;_;

Well im totaly in love with my gba and my new gba sp i got for xmas so ill throw my opinions at ya. FFTA is a good game,just dont expect much story-wise. Sword of Mana is an awesome game. Golden Sun 1(havnt picked up 2 yet) is a fun game.Mario 3(dno the name,havnt paid attention) is a hella fun game. Advance Wars and Fire Emblem are both pretty cool games. Id reccomend Harvest Moon - Friends of Mineral Town to anyone thats a fan of the series.

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OK, Top 5 GBA Picks? Easy.

1. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
2. Fire Emblem
3. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
4. Sonic Battle
5. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

Anyone with ownership of these five games will be a happy GBA owner.

1. Golden Sun Series - Lots of people say its one of the best RPG for GBA, i say its just one of the best RPGs

2. Metroid Fusion - Plays alot like Super metroid, which is a very good thing!

3. Breath of Fire series - Good old skool role playing

4. Tony Hawk series - Plays alot like its console older brother.

5. Legend of Zelda: Link to the past: Four swords - I haven't gotten a chance to try four swords yet, but the main game is just as fun as it was when it first came out.

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I love Fire Emblem. If you're a fan of FF Tactics, then you'll love this game. Also all of the castlevania and mario games.

My picks are (in no particular order):

Metroid Fusion
Sword of Mana
Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island
Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire
Legend of Zelda: ALttP

I hope to nab MA4: SMB3 and M&L: SS in the near future.

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"N'GHAAA!
This is heavier than I thought! It'll take me 5 more minutes to drop it!" ~ Ultros

I think GBA is worth getting.
the best recommanded games should be:

1.Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire
2. Wario land 4
3. Final Fantasy Tactics
4. the 3 spyro games (season of flame and ice. and attack o f the rhynocs)
5. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

1-CastleVania:Aria of Sorrow (I love this game to death,if your into castlevania at all check it out,it's my 2nd favorite next to SOTN)

2-CastleVania:Circle of the moon (not as good as AOS but I still enjoy it)

3-Breath of fire 2 (this was one of my favorite RPGs on Snes I'm glad they brought it back for GBA)

4-OgreBattle:Knight of Lodis (I love all OgreBattles, if your looking for a tactics game it's good-I think I prefer this over FFTA, only thing I really like better about FFTA is that you can mix job skills)

5-Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (although it's a lousy atempt of them making anouther FFT I can still get into building my characters, assassins and Double-cast summoners can make it boring though, and the storyline puts me to sleep-still if you want a tactics game it's not bad for GBA)

Advance Wars 1 and 2.

Advance Wars 2
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
CastleVania:Aria of Sorrow
Wario Ware
Golden Sun

...


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1. Golden Sun (1 & 2. They're basically one game spread over two cartridges)
2. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
3. Megaman Battle Network
4. Sword of Mana
5. Legend of Zelda, Link to the Past (Four Swords)

^.^



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Does anyone know wether the multiplayer zelda is any good? my bro has one, and to play multiplayer we need two. Is it worth it?


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Wow. 1,000 posts.

I miss you all now that I'm in boarding school! ;_;

my 5 favorite gba games would probably be:

metroid fusion
ff tactics advance
fire emblem
golden sun series
and sword of mana

in summary, RPG's rock on the gba dude

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The only five I have so far:

1. Superstar Saga- Anyone who liked Super Mario RPG will love this game. Absolutely hilarious. I want to replay it and write down all of fawful's dialogue. I've already started calling people "idiots of stupidity."

2. Mario Kart- Super Circuit- Awesome game. I wish the newer console Mario Karts could have 40 tracks like this one.

3. Tactics Advance- Although the story is moving slowly, and the judges and laws are annoying, I like the character building.

4. SMA3, Yoshi's Island- I haven't gotten to the added levels yet, but it's nice having such a great game to go. But I'll smack whoever decided the game needed MORE annoying sound effects, ruining what was really good music.

5. Sword of Mana- Haven't played more than 5 minutes yet,on account of the other games all being better so far, but I think when all is said and done this will be quite good, too.

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Aight, here's my top 5:

1. M&L, Superstar Saga: Very, very fun game
2. Sword of Mana: worthy of the Mana title
3. Link to the Past - the Four Swords: Almost exactaly like the original.
4. Super Mario Kart Advance: basically, 20 extra, cooler levels added onto the original Mario Cart, for SNES.
5. Golden Sun series: I've only heard about it, and I like it. Maybe I wouldn't like it, but so many people do...

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Wow. 1,000 posts.

I miss you all now that I'm in boarding school! ;_;

1 Golden Sun (the first one.havnt picked the 2nd yet)
2 FFTA - TONS of fun but the storys pretty boring
3 Sword of Mana - Hell of a fun game
4 Harvest Moon- i LOVE this game
5 BomberMan- Trendy little game. FUN!!

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~Lifes a bowl of punch, go ahead and spike it~  -311-
               "A Day Lived Is Another Battle Won"