The Official "What DS / GBA games should I get?" thread

[daroga]

In an effort to help people and to not have them ask this question over and over again we've started this one-stop place to find out what's the best-of-the-best for the GBA and DS platforms. Hopefully we can just get this one thread stickied and direct people here, much like the fantastic 360 FAQ in that forum.

I won't claim to be an expert in anything, but I'll get the list started and have others chime in with additions / subtractions / changes. I'll list games in alphabetical order. Maybe someone can help and classify them according to genre? I'll keep the OP updated as needed.

Nintendo DS:
Action / Adventure:

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin*
Metroid Prime Hunters*
Adventure:
Hotel Dusk
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice for All
Trace MemoryMusic:
Daigasso! Band Brothers (Import)
Electroplankton
Elite Beat Agents (Same gameplay as Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan)
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan (Import, same gameplay as Elite Beat Agents)Pinball:
Metroid Prime PinballPlatformer:
Kirby Canvas Curse
Kirby Squeak Squad
Mega Man ZX
New Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario 64 DS
Super Princess Peach
Sonic Rush
Yoshi's Island DS
Puzzle:

Brain Age
Meteos
Polarium
Tetris DS*
Zoo Keeper
Racing:
Mario Kart DS*RPG:

Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Simulation:

Animal Crossing: Wild World*
Nintendogs
Trauma Center: Under the Knife
Strategy:

Advance Wars: Dual Strike* denotes online multiplayer


Game Boy Advance:
Action:

Astro Boy: Omega Factor
Gunstar Super Heroes
Medal of Honor: Inflitrator
Wario Ware Inc.
Wario Ware Twisted
Action / Adventure:

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Metroid Fusion
Metroid Zero Mission
Compilation:

Activison Anthology
Game & Watch Gallery 4
Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Advanced
Namco Museum
Fighting:

Super Street Fighter II: Turbo Revival
Street Fighter Alpha 3
King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood
Platformer:

Drill Dozer
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland
Sonic Advance series
Super Mario Advance seriesPuzzle:

Chu Chu Rocket
Dr. Mario / Puzzle Leage
Mario vs. Donkey KongRacing:

Mario Kart Super Circuit
Racing Gears Advance
RPG:

Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls
Final Fantasy Advance Series
Golden Sun
Golden Sun: The Lost Age
Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Pokemon LeafGreen Version
Pokemon FireRed VersionSports:
Mario Golf: Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Power TourStrategy:

Advance Wars
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising
Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced
Fire Emblem
Fire Emblem : The Sacred Stones
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis

[nyprimus4]

*Adventure
-Action
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Gunstar Super Heroes
-Shooting
Astro Boy: Omega Factor

*RPGs
-Role Playing
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Golden Sun
Golden Sun : The Lost Age
Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town
Pokemon LeafGreen Version
Pokemon FireRed Version
Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls
Final Fantasy IV
-Turn Based Stratagey
Fire Emblem
Fire Emblem : The Sacred Stones
Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced
Advanced Wars 1
Advanced Wars 2
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis

*Racing
Racing Gears Advance
Mario Kart Super Circuit

*Platformers
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
Metal Slug Advance
Donkey Kong Country 2
Donkey Kong Country 3
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

*Fighters
Super Street Fighter II: Turbo Revival
Street Fighter Alpha 3
King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood

*Puzzles
WarioWare Inc.: Mega MicroGame$
WarioWare: Twisted!
Dr. Mario / Puzzle League

[WildWop]

Advance Wars Dual Strike is a criminal omission...

I'd also add Medal of Honor: Inflitrator to the GBA Action list.

[wubb]

Great first stop is to simply go to gamerankings.com and do an advanced search showing the top 50 DS games.

[Wlogan31]

Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)
Golden Sun (GBA)

[daroga]

updated OP

[Kawnhr]

Metroid: Zero Mission is a pretty damn awesome game, I suggest adding that to the GBA list.

Also; Mario vs Donkey Kong is a solid action/puzzle game.

[WildWop]

updated OP

Still no MOH:Infiltrator on the list, eh? OP prerogative?

If you haven't played it yet, I suggest you track it down. It becomes a MUST if you enjoyed old isometric shooters like Ikari Warriors or Commando...

[dcfox]

Animal Crossing isn't an adventure game. If anything it belongs in the Sims category.For racing, Urban Asphalt and Snowboard Kids are pretty good. For puzzles, I'd take down Polarium. I didn't like that game at all. I'd also add Zoo Keeper and Brain Age.

On the GBA side, add Sea Trader to strategy.

[quercus]

Thanks OP for creating this. Last week I got a DS and now I'm on the hunt for games. I'm hoping there are some really good and really cheap GBA games out there.

[daroga]

Thanks OP for creating this. Last week I got a DS and now I'm on the hunt for games. I'm hoping there are some really good and really cheap GBA games out there.
No problem. Glad it could be of some help. I'll keep tweaking it as needed and as I have time.

[Weedy649]

for GBA i think you should just put castlevania double pack with AoS and HoD

Dont forget to add castlevania circle of the moon, its a great game and tougher than the newer ones

[wubb]

I'll stick this for the time being, see how it goes. Personally I really don't mind this question being raised in new threads, but a central list doesn't hurt. I still think checking gamerankings is the best first step.

[daroga]

Thanks Wubb. I'll try to keep it up to date as people have suggestions, but maybe, like the Friend Codes, a CAG Wiki page with user game suggestions would work better.

[michaema]

Just found this thread (thanks geigerm) great job, unfortunately i didnt see it and started another. Oh well thanks OP ill watch this thread and see how it pans out.

[urzishra14]

Tekken Advance for the GBA was a great game.. i'd argue that Bomberman Tournament and Super Dodgeball need to be added those are amazing games (with it being exactly super bomberman and all)

[Xevious]

For the GBA, I like to add Duke Nukem Advance. A controversal choice in a sense because the GBA was not really made for first person shooters but I found myself enjoying that game.

[naes]

Add Yoshi's Island DS for platform.

[snotnose_colossal]

Baldur's Gate for the GBA

[Kawnhr]

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin.

[ma]

All the GBA/DS Castlevania games are outrageously good. You should add Circle of the Moon to the list, as it is better than Harmony of Dissonancs (not that HoD isn't great). CotM got nicked in reviews for having dark graphics that were hard to see on the unlit screen of the original GBA, but on the brilliant screen of the DS Lite it is a beautiful thing to behold.

[zatos]

Final Fantasy V Advance... :D

[daroga]

updated!

[Ranger Rick]

Question - Brain Age or Big Brain Academy?

[Ranger Rick]

Also is Wario Ware Touched worth paying MSRP for? Is it really that rare?

[quercus]

Hi,

Giving this thread a big bump, 'cause I'm still wondering about GBA games to get.

Do folks have more suggestions on GBA games?

I got a DS last fall and figured I could scoop up a bunch of older, cheaper, good GBA games. But it hasn't happened.

I look at Gamerankings.com, my go-to for reviews, but there are so many GBA games it gets pretty overwhelming.

And it seems a lot of the games I look at are on the DS too, or the next installment is on the DS (for example, I'm getting Mario Kart DS so I'll probably pass on a Mario Kart Super Circuit - unless it's different game play or a really different, unique experience from the DS version).

Are there some other good racing games for GBA, aside from the two mentioned?

Or other suggestions in general?

Or franchises where it's worth it to get the GBA installment as well as the DS installment?

I'm still a Nintendo noob, so I really appreciate all the advice here,

Thanks!

[Kawnhr]

The GBA and the DS really aren't the systems for racers, though I didn enjoy F-Zero GP Legend (GBA) and Mario Kart DS (DS).

Also, I definitely reccomend getting the GBA versions of Castevania alongside the DS ones. Each Castlevania seems to diferentiate itself by the special gameplay mechanic, and they're all just really good. At the very least, get Aria of Sorrow- definitelty one of the best Castlevanias.

[keithp]

Hotel Dusk under DS Adventure category?

[Kawnhr]

The lack of Breath of Fire II is a crime! Easily one of the best SNES and GBA RPGs!

[hootie]

Hotel Dusk under DS Adventure category?


Add it daroga, now.

:)

[chodax]

pheonix wright

[Sakurina]

Just a fix for the original post: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin has online multiplayer.

[bluenatas09]

I'd have to say if you have a interest in racing games, and don't mind the graphics being anything beyond simple, you'd do yourself a favor by importing Dotstream for the GBA.

It's fun and the style goes a long way.

[daroga]

did some cleaning up to the list

[Kawnhr]

Some GBA games that should be added;

Racing: F-Zero GP Legend
RPG: Breath of Fire, Breath of Fire II
Strategy: Riviera: The Promised Land, Yggdra Union

[quercus]

Dotstream sure looks interesting. It's only $14.90 at Yes-Asia. Do you need to know any Japanese to play it? From the look of it, I'm guessing no.

[bruin]

Dotstream sure looks interesting. It's only $14.90 at Yes-Asia. Do you need to know any Japanese to play it? From the look of it, I'm guessing no.
No, all the menus and everything are in English. Same with all the Bit Generations games.

[smalien1]

What are the best games for picking up and playing for really short periods of time? 10 minutes like.

[DJPUN]

warioware touched if you can find it

brain age

big brain academy

[ECW_fan]

I am glad you guy had this thread. I just pick a DS up after the hands on with the Wii did not go as well as I was hoping. It's pink, but my wife loves it too. So we are good. Now I just need to get some online games.

[Brad Bishop]

I quickly scanned the thread and didn't see these so I'll add:

Classics (GBA):
Super Mario Bros. (NES)
Donkey Kong (NES)
Metroid (NES)
Atari Anniversary (Asteroids, Tempest, Battlezone, Centipede)
Arcade Advance (Konami Arcade Advance - includes Frogger among others - coming out on DS soon but sans Frogger)
Pac Man Collection (Pac Man and various versions)
Namco Collection (Ms. Pac Man, Galaga, Galaxian, Pole Position)
Namco Museum (Pac Man, Ms. Pac Man, Galaga, Rally-X - I like the other two carts better for screen layout, though)

It seems like there's one or two others but I can't think of them off the top of my head. I thought all of these were really good hand-held versions of the Arcade (or, NES) games.

Good stuff for a 'I just want to play a game for 5-10 minutes'

Oh, in other categories.

Shooter:
Nanostray - I like it - seems to be forgotten, though.

[taz98spin]

Cool post! I decided to buy GBA games too & this post helped lots!
Thanks!