Summary
Nintendo’s systems usually have a neat selection of great platformer games. This is mostly due to the fact that some of the company’s best franchises are platformers, such asSuper Mario,Donkey Kong Country,Yoshi, and more. Third-party games also play a role, as publishers know that many Nintendo fans are also platforming fans.
TheGame Boy Advanceis no exception. This system is home to a great platforming library, and many titles are still worth playing today. Some come from Nintendo’s established IPs, but there are also great offerings from other series, as well as some outsiders.
9Wario Land 4
Wario Land 4was the last game in theWario Landseries for a long time, until the release ofWario Land: Shake It!on Wii,and it’s probably the best entry in the franchise to this very date. The game takes advantage of the GBA’s 32-bit hardware to deliver some of the best visuals the series has ever seen, and every stage is vibrant with life and color.Wario Land 4also returned to linear stages, as opposed to the branching paths ofWario Land 2andWario Land 3.
However, the game introduced a divisive gimmick: at the end of each level, a timer must be activated, and players need to reach the start of the stage before time runs out, otherwise they will fail in their mission. Not every player will like this mechanic, but the time limit is fairly generous, so it won’t pose much of a threat. Wario fans would truly be missing out by not playing this entry in the franchise, and all platformer fans should give it a try.
8Klonoa: Empire Of Dreams
Despite the series being closely associated with the PlayStation brand at the time,Klonoa: Empire of Dreamsis an entry that is exclusive to the GBA. Instead of trying to replicate the series' typical 2.5D game style, which would’ve been impossible given the hardware, the game provides a more traditional side-scrolling experience, where players need to traverse levels from start to end while collecting three stars within each level to progress.
While the game is fairly easy and a bit on the short side,it still manages to bring back the series' whimsical feelingand every level feels vibrant and joyful in a classicKlonoastyle. Fans of the series should try to hunt down a copy of the game, but hopefully, it will join the Nintendo Switch Online program at some point.
7Mario Vs. Donkey Kong
Mario vs. Donkey Kongis a spiritual successor toDonkey Kong, specifically the Game Boy version of the game, which greatly expanded on the original concept. In this game, Mario must rescue mini-Marios, which are being held captive by Donkey Kong. To do this, he will need to find the key to a door in every stage, after a set of which he will be given the chance to free some of the mini-Marios.
The game is more of a puzzle platformerrather than a pure platformer, but there’s still a great emphasis on Mario’s platforming abilities. Players need to perfect their moveset to complete every level, and some of the later stages (as well as the extra stages, unlocked after beating the main game) are actually quite difficult to beat. It’s a nice addition to this peculiar subseries, and it’s probably the best one even decades after its release.
6Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
Kirby & the Amazing Mirroris the only originalKirbygame released on GBA, and it’s a pretty unique entry in the franchise. Instead of playing like a traditional side-scrolling platformer, the game is more of a Metroidvania-style platformer, where players need to explore a huge map (at least for the hardware), going back and forth between different areas to unlock new routes and locations.
Not only that, but the game can be fully played in co-op mode, along with three other players, and everyone is free to move independently of the others. These features make the gamesomething completely different from any other entry in the franchise, as this formula would never be replicated in the following years.
5Sonic Advance Series
While Sonic was struggling to find its footing on home consoles in the early 00s, he was having the time of his life on handheld thanks to Dimps and theSonic Advanceseries. The series is composed of three games:Sonic Advance,Sonic Advance 2, andSonic Advance 3. Each of them plays much like the original Sonic games, meaning that these are traditional side-scrolling platformers entirely based on speed.
These games arerightfully considered among the best in the series, and everySonicfan should give them a go. Fans usually consider eitherSonic Advance 2orSonic Advance 3to be the best offering in the trilogy, but all three games are worth playing in the end.
4Super Mario Advance Series
While there are no originalSuper Mariogames to be found on GBA, the system is home to a great collection ofSuper Marioclassics, which come in the form of theSuper Mario Advanceseries. This series is composed of four games:Super Mario Advance(which is a remake ofSuper Mario Bros. 2),Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2,Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3, andSuper Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3.
There’s little to say about the original games:these are some of the best of all time, simple as that. However, these remakes also provide some new content, which makes them worth playing even for veterans who’ve already played through other versions of said games.
Much as for Mario, Donkey Kong didn’t get a new platformer release on GBA, but the wholeDonkey Kong Countrytrilogy was ported on the system throughout its lifetime.Donkey Kong Country,Donkey Kong Country 2, andDonkey Kong Country 3are among the best games in the series, and they’re still visually impressive for the hardware. At the time of release, it was simply incredible to have these experiences to play on the go.
Nowadays, the value of this porting is mostly lost to time, as there are far better ways to experience these games. However, fans of the system will still find some great, traditional platforming action here, and there’s no doubt that they’re among the best platformers released on GBA.
2Crash Bandicoot XS & Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced
After nearly becoming PlayStation’s mascot,Crash Bandicootturned multi-platform in the early 00s. Thanks to this, GBA was graced with some exclusive titles from the series, which take the 2D gameplay style seen in the bonus stages of the original trilogy and turn it into complete games.Crash Bandicoot XSandCrash Bandicoot 2: N-Trancedare both great side-scrolling platformers that successfully replicate the feeling of aCrashgame on handheld.
Everything the main series has is here and accounted for: there are crystals to be found in each level, gems to collect after breaking every box in a stage, colored gems hidden in a few levels, and even relics,which can prove to be quite the challenge. Both games are worth playing, butCrash Bandicoot 2: N-Trancedis probably the one that sticks out the most, thanks to a greater level variety.
1Spyro 2: Season Of Flame
Spyrofollowed the same path taken byCrash Bandicoot, as it went from being a PlayStation-exclusive franchise to a multi-platform one in the early 00s. This allowed for some GBA-exclusive games to come to life. The first one,Spyro: Season of Iceis arguably not very good. The game tries replicating Spyro’s traditional gameplay style by using an isometric view, and while the core gameplay is functional, the game is plagued by too many flaws to be rightfully considered one of the best platformers on the system.
However, its sequel is an entirely different matter.Spyro 2: Season of Flameshares the same core gameplay as its predecessor, but everything is more polished. Stages are better laid out and designed, there’s a map that allows players to constantly know where they are, there are dozens of enjoyable side-missions, and the game also features the return of Ripto and his gang instead of the anonymous antagonist found inSeason of Ice. This is a must-play for every Spyro fan, and it’s much better thanwhat the series was offering on home consoles at the time.
