GBA's Hidden Gems

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The Game Boy Advance has one of the strongest portable libraries of all time. Among them, however, are some games that very few talk about, despite their incredible legacies. Join us as we take a look at some of the best GBA games that haven't received their due.
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[@pixelbomb97]

Dragonball: Advanced Adventure was and is one if my favorite GBA games. It covers the original Dragonball series up to the King Piccolo saga and plays like a beat em up during levels and a fighting game during bosses.

[@GoldStorm07]

Extra Mode makes Advanced Adventure what it is, once you beat the game with Goku and Krillin you can unlock every enemy in the game as a playable character. I have so much fun destroying everything as King Piccolo and there are some surprisingly strong minor characters like Tambourine and General Blue.

[@YustinJ420]

Dragon Ball Z Buu's Fury is a great action RPG if you're a fan of the series

[@GoldStorm07]

@@YustinJ420 I think its predecessor game Legacy of Goku 2 is a bit better since it has actual completion goals with the golden capsules and the character trophies, the latter of which leads to an alternate ending. Plus it has the charged melee attacks missing in Buu's Fury making combat more interesting.

[@YustinJ420]

@@GoldStorm07 Yeah they're both good. I didn't get too far in 2 because the combat was too difficult for me. Buu's Fury is more of a hidden gem internationally because it was never released in Japan or Europe.

[@gluttonousmaximus9048]

The platforming and combat of that game is fucking sublime

[@OneOneTwo112]

Astro Boy: Omega Factor looks insane. A Treasure game hueing closer to Mega Man?! Couldn't ask for any more than that!

[@micmikhail]

Definitely play it if you get the chance! It deserves its spot on this list for sure!

[@tomlawlor4345]

omega factor is such a banger. treasure are so talented at putting inventive boss fights together

[@lizard81288]

I played it just for the story. It was so good. It's a game only story too, since at the time there was an Astro boy anime airing at the same time.

[@dcashley303]

It's pretty good and addictive but a little shallow. There's a ton of enemy recycling where they just 2x, 3x or 4x the size and you have to play through stages multiple times to see everything. Still, like I said around 20 years ago it's pretty good.

[@stevesteve0521]

Giving that mega man was inspired by the Astro boy anime it makes perfect sense, great game

[@lthc_hiryu]

"Mario Kart Super Circuit was trash" Me, who's gotten 3 star ranks in every cup in the game: ok

[@Nel_Annette]

I was so tempted to just stop watching the video when I heard that lol

[@DoubleMicah2020]

Mario Kart Super Circuit is in my top four Mario Kart games, accompanying Double Dash, Wii, and 64

[@Romidamn]

Oh, you mentioned my boy Sabre Wolf! I remember my parents getting it for me and I didn't want to play it because the box art was so lousy. Ultimately, it ended up being one of the most beloved games of my childhood.

[@kingstarscream320]

Box art shouldn’t matter when you see the Rare logo in the bottom corner.

[@adeadphish7931]

Underrated gem I will die on the hill of: Sigma Star Saga. It is a 2D Shmup RPG with a colorful cast. Funny enough, it was a WayForwad game. Their next original title after the original Shantae on Game Boy Color and it seems like it was completely lost to time

[@vincenzomottola7778]

Remember that WayForward also made Xtreme Sports on Game Boy Color, and like Shantae and Sigma Star Saga, it has that distinct Matt Bozon charm. I wish Shantae 2: Risky Revolution on GBA hadn't been cancelled as it looked quite promising and looked more charming and fun than most modern Shantae games, including Risky's Revenge. But at least, Sigma Star Saga is a really great game, and I think it even has some elements from Shantae.

[@DP3com]

Speaking of Treasure, although its a remake, Gunstar Super Heroes is worth an honorable mention. I got very lucky and found it at the bottom of a clearance shelf for $10 in an F.Y.E. around the end of the GBA's life on the market. Worth every penny and then some.

[@jimmyzeke13]

Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis is one I've always wanted to play, but it's super expensive to buy used and hasn't been rereleased in any way to my knowledge. The same team developed Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, which I'm a huge fan of.

[@vitorkk328]

Well, you know, that there are... alternative ways to play it. Even on original hardware. I've got a super cheap EZ Flash Omega that gets the job done

[@exPDXbear85]

I snagged a miyoo mini just for this reason hehe 😉

[@EnigmaBarry]

"Hamtaro Ham-Ham Heartbreak" and it's GBC predecessor "Hamtaro Ham-Hams Unite" are amazing. Nintendo put a lot of heart and effort into these games. They made a solid adventure title with great side content. You normally wouldn't expect this from a licensed game. The fact that Shigeru Miyamoto worked on Heartbreak really says how much love they had for the IP. Also that second Mother 3 fake out was gold. Hopefully Nintendo gives us Virtual Boy Online! I can see the Nintendo Labo VR kits now.

[@nonnoumby]

Also if you like Ham Ham Heartbreak you need to try the sequel, Rainbow Rescue, which only came out in Japan and Europe (so there is already an English version around) and Ham Ham Games, a sport themed minigame collection that is also very fun. Such fantastic games that hopefully will see a re-release someday on NSO.

[@LillLizzert]

I've spent way too much time on Game & Watch Gallery Advance. Some of those minigames have aged better then others, but it's super addictive. Plus the game select idle cutscenes were such a nice novelty for me back then.

[@mesacboy7939]

Great first solo video Steve! Love the more chill and relaxed vibe of the whole thing, plus learned a lot too! I'm definitely gonna have to check some of these games out now

[@lambiepie6436]

Man I feel like I missed out on SOOO much for this system. I had one late in its cycle and as a Mario kid, I mainly only got the Mario advance games and DKC remakes. Such a great console.

[@matthewmincey8822]

wow this console had a TON of hidden gems. Makes me feel like my childhood with the console feel insignificant. Time to bust out the emulator and fan translations. Great video steve keep up the good work!

[@DarkIceKrabby]

Just a note, the Hello Fresh ad with Derrick is a good deal louder than Steve's audio for the video. I had to turn up the video to be able to hear Steve clearly, but then was somewhat blasted in the ears when the ad's audio came in. Not majorly so, but just something for you guys, and whoever is editing these videos to know for the future

[@MunkiZee]

My guess is that they were shot by totally different production teams

[@dxqx3794]

Here's some more hidden gems to check out: - Mazes of Fate - Back to Stone - Drome Racers - Steel Empire - Gensou Suikoden Card Stories - Hamtaro - Ham-Ham Games - Denki Blocks - Guru Logic Champ And my favorite Rare game of all time, It's Mr. Pants.

[@ItsATMDrums]

More solo/shorter content I’m here for it! Much love and awesome to see this

[@KaleZ5272]

Fantastic video! So many videos about “hidden gems” are filled with obvious cult classics, but this is a truly curated list filled with what seem to be bangers. I’ve only ever even heard of one of these. Great presentation style and some great gags, too!

[@219SilverChoc]

3:09 I remember how the DS port of Rayman Raving Rabbids was a platformer too, It had a very compressed version of 'Girls just wanna have fun' on the soundtrack if I remember correctly?

[@mimahakurei4430]

The Boktai series is a severely underrated game series-- sure, people heard about it because of its sunlight mechanic, but back when these games were released, gamers seemed to really hate going outside so a lot of people passed this series up. It's a shame, because Boktai 1, 2, and the Japan-exclusive 3 are some of the most finely crafted gaming experiences on the GBA. The stories, music, graphics, and gameplay are all amazing. The characters and locations are memorable, and to this day, remain some of my favorites in ANY video game. I doubt they'll wind up on NSO because of both the Solar Sensor mechanic AND the potential licensing issues (A Konami game made by the late KojiPro), so playing a patched ROM is an acceptable way to experience the Boktai games in this day and age. If you CAN find a working physical copy, though, it's well worth it. Nothing can top the feeling of genuinely sweating during a boss battle, and then going back indoors to cool off afterwards.

[@Howwy191]

The solar sensor wouldn't be an issue since the switch does infact have a photodiode built into it, primally its used to adjust the screen brightness automatically depending on background light, but it could be used to give boktai its original mechanics in emulation if the rights could be sorted to allow it.

[@mimahakurei4430]

@@Howwy191 Ooooh, I didn't know that! They could rework it to work with that, yeah! Though... the OG solar sensor detected UV-- it wasn't meant to work with anything other than actual sunlight (or a blacklight if you were clever), so I'm not sure how that would effect the gameplay balance. If you spent too long in strong sunlight, the game would detect this and make your in-game weapon overheat, forcing you to take a break in the shade for a while; this was to keep kids from getting sunburned.

[@bromeliad9683]

I was glad to see Rayman 3 (gba). Though I do want to mention, it did include some elements of the console version of Rayman 3 such as the Hoodlum enemies. Also, Sabrewulf was a deep cut.

[@hewhoentertains4859]

Rayman 3 on GBA was awesome, grew up with it, remember playing that game before i got Rayman 2, and was super confused when the music was the same as Rayman 3 gba (Rayman 2 Music obviously better though). There are 3 more Rayman games on GBA. Rayman Advance( Rayman 1 port) Rayman Hoodlum’s revenge and Raving rabbids. Rabbids GBA is supposedly good but i haven’t played that one. Also fun fact: Rayman 3 GBA was the last game to ever be released on Wii U Virtual Console.

[@hbcreates8355]

DK:king of swing is one of my favorite GBA games. It's got interesting controls, mainly focusing on the l and r buttons and I think its quite underrated. I wish it got proper recognition and a sequel. ( yes I know there's one for the ds but it's not the same as the original lol)

[@Theron37]

I have to mention Medabots. Love that game on the GBA.

[@StevenUlyssesPerhero]

It would be so nice if more of those games came out internationally. It would also be nice if the remake of the first game (the one we got was a remake of Medabots 2) had been good, instead of bombing so hard that the publisher put the series on ice for nine years and gave it to a different developer when they brought it back. But at least, for now, we've got a fan translation team working on the GameBoy games...

[@westhescrub]

Shaman king: Master of spirits is a really fun action platformer that feels a bit like ninja gaiden and has slight metroidvania elements to unlock collectibles. I have never watched shaman king, but had so much fun with the game. It also has a sequel, but i haven't played it yet but have heard good things.

[@keylove5917]

Yes! I love this game!!!

[@CJPV1701]

The GBA game I was most surprised by how good it was was Revenge of the Sith. A cool beat em up for regular levels, and a Punch Out style one on one pattern recognition system for bosses. I love that game.

[@dgc1570]

YES, PLEASE! PUT THE HAMTARO GAMES ON NSO!

[@GMThEMaN]

Here's two recommendations: Spider Man Mysterio's Menace, and Bruce Lee Return of the Legend. Both games made by Vicarious Visions and great games imo. Especially Bruce Lee Return of the Legend, It's a side-scroller beat-em-up with some stealth levels, puzzles, melee weapons, great soundtrack and great story. And it also has a Director's Cut difficulty, that gives a plot twist. A great GBA game imo.

[@maxspecs]

Car Battler Joe is a surprisingly deep rpg that asks what if Medabots were high speed tanks with cannons and saw blades.

[@danielturner1891]

Astro boy was excellent! Though for some reason my clearest memory of the game is about balance a candle on the back of a character’s head or heck.

[@gluttonousmaximus9048]

For the 1% of you who haven't forgotten that Gradius exists, there's Gradius Advance/Galaxies/Generation (one game) on the GBA. The soundfont isn't so hot, but the composition slaps, and the game has a rather manageable difficulty option (bullet-less easy and insane hard)

[@kaynewoolley9104]

GBA rivals the ds in its quality of underappreciated gems. You mentioned klonoa, there were actually 3 games, 2 platformers and an rpg. There was also 3 f zero games on the GBA. As for some gems you missed, summon knight sword craft story 1 and 2. Both amazing action rpgs in the vein of the tales of series. Ninja five O, an action platformer in the style of ninja garden or shinobi but with it's own spin. Another series is legacy of goku 2 and buus fury. Even though it is the dbz liesence these action rpg games dont get talked about enough and for my money, are the best dbz games out there.

[@JarylGaren]

man, I was fucking *obsessed* with the MegaMan Battle Network/Zero, Castlevania and Golden Sun games back in the day. Sure, these are some of the more obvious picks, but to me, whenever I think about what Mega Man is for me, my mind always kinda goes to Battle Network and Zero first, because I played the hell out of them. Also, I think Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age were some of the very first "traditional" JRPGs for my brother and I, since the first JRPGs we played period were the Pokemon games

[@reginlief1]

You and I have identical starts to our JRPG journeys.

[@lizard81288]

Summon Knight: Swordcraft Story, was a favorite of mine. I was able to get all of my friends to play it too. I believe it has a sequel too. The DS versions play completely different however.

[@AlanNess]

Oh wow Astro Boy I only played it because my cousin had it and he let me try it for a short while. I remembered it played really well and the game is really cool

[@YustinJ420]

Pokemon Pinball Ruby and Sapphire is one of my favourite games ever. It has really good mechanics and is extremely fun to play

[@garyhernandez84]

I highly recommend Dragon Ball Advanced Adventure. Probably one of my favorite licensed game in the gba library.

[@jonnyeh]

My everdrive is on its way, can't wait to try all these games on my Analogue Pocket!

[@Bigfellabigfella]

I loved advanced guardian hero’s as a kid, I’m so glad it’s getting recognition.

[@ZappBranniglenn]

One of the few GBA games I grew up with was the port of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend it over other versions of that incredible game, the GBA conversion plays surprisingly well, even from the isometric angle where you can't really see that far ahead of you. There's also Spyro 2 Season of Fire. It corrects all the crucial issues I had with the previous one. Also, I heartily recommend the GBA remaster of Mother 1 that was bundled with Earthbound in Japan. It's the same game, but with a much needed 'easy mode' where they increased experience gain from battles and changed nothing else. It becomes much more playable this way, and I've got good memories with a fan translation back in the day.

[@YustinJ420]

A game no one talks about because it was only released in Japan and Spain is Crayon Shin-chan Adventure in Cineland. Really great platformer with lots of bizarre characters and stages and your abilities change depending on which costume you wear.

[@Axecon1]

A bit mainstream but people don't know that there was a Kingdom Hearts game on GBA - Chain of Memories (it was in fact the second game ever released in the series and the second chronologically)! Fun game!

[@horizonbrave1533]

I think DS slightly edged out Advance in terms of depth and quality... but damn the GBA has some really deep seated nostalgia for me

[@dr.wolfstar1765]

Anyone else want a GBA classic system instead of it being on NSO?

[@computersxd]

grab a miyoo mini and make it yourself ;)

[@eggroll20xd6]

Great list of games and I've only heard of a few of them! As deep as the list of quality GBA games goes, hopefully we get to experience them. I admit one obscure series is the Super Robot Taisen set if games that were on GBA. While the US did get the two OG series games, there were some quality ones left in Japan due to licensing issues.

[@user-nr2cs2rq7h]

Thanks so much for spotlighting these Steve:) Great job!

[@saminallcaps6982]

I don't know if this is your first scripted video Steve, or if it's just the first one I saw, but it's brilliantly put together - looking forward to seeing more!

[@nelson-haha89]

This really makes me want to hook up my raspberry pi again since that's the only platform I have to play these games on. Really cool to see a lot of titles I had not heard of.

[@Scrubber89]

1:20 careful with that knife Derrick!!

[@NekkoBlue]

The original Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories on GBA is a game I vastly prefer over the PS2 remake in terms of gameplay, and all of the sprite work captures the look of the series very well in my opinion. It's a shame most newcomers of the series never touched this game but maybe, just maybe, they'll release it on NSO for fans to check out.

[@Silph_Co]

So happy you talked about Klonoa and Astro Boy. Those were some of my favorite GBA games as a kid

[@tombystander]

Harvest moon friends of mineral town. Genuinely had a booklet of reciepes printed out as a teenager in a binder I used for the game as well as heart event times for the love interest

[@brunojenso261]

'Mario Kart Super Circuit was trash' WOW!. I know it's not many people;'s favourite MK, but I could barely continue watching after that statement. MKSC is one of the BEST MKs for those willing to give it a chance. I've 3 Star'd everything, and the finesse you can achieve with the controls is astounding. The controls of later games were over simplified as bit too much. Only people who are not very good at racers would say such a thing. The game is astounding. I love it's art direction too.

[@sylvalue]

Hey, just as a suggestion for these kinds of videos could you give us the name of the game somewhere on screen while the gameplay footage is shown, theres a lot of screenspace that is being unused. Also, small transitions between games would help keep the flow better imo, when i wasn't actively looking at the screen it was hard to tell when you were just talking about a completely different game

[@Howwy191]

Excuse me super circuit is not anywhere near as bad as people make it out to be.

[@Just10Percent]

Great video, Steve! GBA is one of the few systems I continue collecting for.

[@lambiepie6436]

I know Derrick is working on that monster sized SMT vid, but man once Derrick and Steve start supplementing the weekly Jon vids every week, this channel will be GOATed (even though it already is in my eyes lol)

[@sxblck]

Derrick has a gorgeous porch.

[@Peringon]

I love GVG because everytime I watch a video, I'm left thinking "you know what? Videogames are really cool 💕"

[@Kritigri]

As someone who only ever used the GBA for Pokémon games, this video is highly illuminating! Wonderful stuff.

[@colin8802]

I still have Rayman 3 and Sabre Wulf! I wasn't sure if they were actually as good as I remember them, so it's good to know they still hold up!

[@tarosgameplay5757]

What's wrong with Super Circuit? Sure, it was a step back after N64 with it being back to the pseudo 3D, but it was basically a mechanically better Super Mario Kart.

[@kingstarscream320]

I’d say the Dreamcast Chu Chu is more accessible simply because it can be easily burned off like every game on the console.

[@ktom6757]

The Lord of the Rings games for GBA are really cool Diablo clone that follows the plot of the movies and are the games that set me on that style of games.

[@magdlr00]

Steve was this secretly your Did You Know Gaming audition?? Nah bit seriously great vid

[@GVG]

Someday senpai will notice me!

[@TheKnicks2012]

Ay Steve’s first solo video! Awesome. Keep it up boys!

[@Romidamn]

Yes, finally another video by Steve! I just love this guy

[@Aperson-62]

I spent the GBA's peak years playing only Pokemon and Crash Bandicoot including the aforementioned Huge Adventure/XS, by the time I expanded my experiences on the system with Minish Cap it was on it's way out and I subsequently got a lot of notable games like Metroid Zero Mission and my favorite game of all time: Final Fantasy VI, on the system. Then only played the Golden Sun games, Metroid Fusion, F-Zero GP Legend and Wario Land 4 via Wii U Virtual Console.

[@CinnamonOwO]

there's actually two Fzero games on GBA F-Zero Maximum Velocity F-Zero GP Legend GP Legend is based on the Anime

[@ben-tendo]

So happy to see Konami Krazy Racers on here and wished there had been a sequel to it on DS. Not to mention new Mystical Ninja content any time soon...

[@gluttonousmaximus9048]

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES based on the 2000s show! That side-scrolling beat-em-up is peak 2D combat

[@robertwilliamson2856]

Great list of obscure Game Boy Advance titles! I hadn't heard of most of them.

[@dgc1570]

Interesting, I didn't know that Rhythm Heaven had started out on the GBA

[@YustinJ420]

It also spawned sequels on the Wii and 3DS. Rhtythm Heaven on the 3DS actually has a lot of the GBA songs in it

[@dgc1570]

@@YustinJ420 those I knew about, it was the GBA version that I wasn't aware of

[@ThunderToast97]

Normally I would be leaving my obligatory "Astro Boy: Omega Factor is one of the best GBA games ever", but much to my surprise, it was actually mentioned for once. So, thank you for at least acknowledging this masterpiece of a game.

[@jaxpool155]

so happy to see sword of mana make your list! it's definitely one of my favorite gba games, and i love how it expands on the original final fantasy adventure/seiken densetsu story with the new girl's story!

[@Gigotis]

One of my favourites is Bomberman Max 2. That was so much fun!

[@JoelEblin]

I loved Sword of Mana as a kid. It got me into the Mana series.

[@rickster008]

The Boktai series created by kojima. Its a series that's so underrated. It was even mentioned in the megaman battlenetwork series

[@JD.78]

Although not exactly a hidden gem, i'm currently playing through Advance Wars. I use an Emulator on my Phone and the controls, gameplay and graphics are perfect on a Phone screen, and with the save anywhere mechanic i can play everywhere i go for 10 minutes or for an hour. Some hidden gems i do enjoy playing for the GBA are Black Belt Challenge, Blackthorne, CT Special Forces 2, Iridion 2, Lady Sia, Summon Knight - Swordcraft Story 2, and Wade Hixton's Counter Punch. Cool video, cheers.

[@datalphalion]

There was also a Tekken game on GBA. I can’t speak for its quality, but it was the first time Tekken appeared on something other than PlayStation.

[@MichaelHeide]

My favorite underrated GBA game has got to be Denki Blocks, a clever puzzler with a charming presentation, that gets really tough in later stages. Especially when you want to get all the secondary bonus goals. I loved it, and I would love a sequel on the Switch.

[@NukeOTron]

Robopon 2. It's the last gasp of air we got from Quintet in America, and it shows. It's better than the first, and it didn't need a gimmick cart.

[@gameplanetanimations]

Thank you for covering drill dozer! It is massive nostalgia for me.

[@cakeoflies6480]

This is the first time I have heard someone talking about my favourite GBA game as a hidden gem. I can die in peace now seeing that someone appreciates Hamtaro Ham-Ham Heartbrek \o/

[@iggnifyre6333]

Yo, where is the BEST Gameboy Advance cartridge.. .... the first two episodes of Sonic X

[@GageBoss]

Incredibly thrilled to see the Luigi's Mansion prints hung up back there, Steve!

[@ceasarflores9056]

Yay! Chu Chu Rocket! Glad someone actually remembers the GBA port not only do I still have the cartridge but was my first experience to this game (didn't know there was a Dreamcast version at the time) and I still love it!

[@vixxito]

Loving this form of content from you guys

[@markrung8051]

Mario Kart Super Circuit is awesome and beats the hand holding mechanics and gameplay of today.

[@TyGuy9001]

So, these are some good picks for sure. One that I never see get talked about is ESPN Final Round Golf for the GBA. It’s not the most involved golf game out there, but it was well made and has a really good soundtrack. It was also published by Konami.

[@gameandwinetime]

Gunstar Heroes Advanced. Even though it was a pseudo-remake, it has all that Treasure magic we know and love. If only it had link cable co-op… (Fun fact: Advance Guardian Heroes, on the other hand, DOES have link cable co-op!)

[@crysknife007]

SUPER CIRCUIT IS NOT TRASH

[@guguig9746]

Man, just that intro before the ad was great

[@thecoolerjessica6780]

I had no idea tomato adventure released on the Wii U virtual console-

[@LastFootnote]

Rebelstar Tactical Command

[@Jenkinsc37]

I would also recommend Super Robot Taisen: Original Generations 1 and 2 for the system. They are both part of the Super Robot Wars series, which is a tactical RPG series pretty similar in gameplay to Fire Emblem in which multiple mecha anime come together to fight evil in one big crossover extravaganza. Original Generations 1 and 2 are part of a sub-series in which all the original characters that Banpresto made over the years come together instead, meaning no anime characters which previously kept the series from reaching western shores due to copyright and licensing issues at the time. They were both localized by Atlus back in the day, but due to them releasing at the very end of the GBA's life-cycle and little to no recognition of the SRW brand in the west, the games didn't exactly sell well. They would be the last SRW games ever released outside of Japan until SRW 30 marked the mainline series' debut last year when it was released worldwide on Steam.

[@dcashley303]

That Rayman 3 looks awesome! Looks like a proper 2D follow up to the original.

[@HomieSeal]

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is still one of my favorite games of all time, it's amazing

[@Ichigo111293]

Always love it when Custom Robo gets a shout out

[@MooseKINGstudios]

Wow. Good list. I only knew out Rhythm Tengoku but all the others were new.

[@AlphaOblivion7]

This is great, I hadn't heard of some of these!

[@CountOrlok777]

Honestly my favorite was iridion 2. Best soundtrack I've ever heard with excellent space shooter gameplay. The only downside is it uses password save.