The Game Boy Advance was a spectacular console, bringing a bigger quantity and quality to any handheld console before it. This console had full-sized RPGs, platformers, and remastered ports of famous games, and set the tone of what a portable device was capable of long before the technologically impressive Nintendo Switch.
No set of games did this more than the Mario series, which took advantage of everything the console was capable of. While most of them shine, a few games in particular stand out as the absolute best of the Mario series, and some that as the best of the Gameboy Advance altogether.
Updated January 26th, 2021 by Gene Cole: With the success of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, many Mario fans are especially nostalgic for some of Mario’s classic adventures. Tons of these were on the original Game Boy Advance that have never been remade or re-released on future consoles, and could be great inclusions in a future All-Stars compilation.
11 Yoshi Topsy-Turvy
Even though it involved a very unusual gyroscope cartridge, Yoshi Topsy-Turvy is somewhat ahead of its time. This gimmick led to a game that controls unlike anything on the Game Boy Advance, and ended up being a very satisfactory platformer with great replay value that was worth the gimmick that only our beloved Yoshi could be the face of.
Now that gyroscopes are a natural part of many consoles, including the Nintendo Switch, it’s easy to see how this game could get a future remake. It’s an underrated game that’s quite hard to play without the original attachment and console, giving it a huge need for return now that Nintendo fans likely have equivalent hardware.
10 Mario Party Advance
Mario Party games have been the fundamental party game throughout gaming history, but Mario Party Advance is an undoubtedly hidden addition to this famed series. Multiplayer was significantly difficult due to the need for a link cable and multiple games, but the game itself was a full Mario Party experience in the palm of your hand.
This game especially could do with another touch. The Mario Kart series found great success by remaking courses from old games with updated graphics and gameplay, and Mario Party could easily do something similar with its library of games. If this happens, it’d be a great chance for many more people to enjoy the minigames and boards of Mario Party Advance that hardly anyone got to experience with friends.
9 Wrecking Crew
The Game Boy Advance had a big tradition of releasing old games on the console, since it was fairly easy to make cartridges and many games were harder to get before Virtual Console came with the Nintendo Wii. These included some versions of various Mario games, but also several NES titles that younger fans likely never experienced.
One of these that wasn’t released in North America was Wrecking Crew, one of the original instances of Mario as we know him. This puzzling platformer was a surprisingly deep game for its time, and despite getting construction suits in games like Mario Odyssey that are reminiscent of this game, we’ve never had a higher definition version of this classic and complex title besides an incredible stage in the Super Smash Bros. series.
8 Mario Golf: Advance Tour
In a similar category as Mario Party Advance were a number of Mario sports games, which were built from the ground-up with newer mechanics that can work with the smaller buttons and graphical powers of the Game Boy Advance. This includes Mario Golf: Advance Tour, a surprisingly impressive entry that still has the massive maps of a normal golf course despite the aged hardware.
This game is incredibly impressive, and those who want to see what the Game Boy Advance was capable of should absolutely try this game just to experience it. This is a great golf experience for road trips and those unable to use their television, and just as fun as any other entry in this regal sport series.
7 Mario Tennis: Power Tour
The other great Mario sports game to come to the Game Boy Advance was Mario Tennis: Power Tour, a companion to the GameCube’s Mario Power Tennis. This game has an odd mix of visuals that works surprisingly well, including a Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga style overworld and tennis sprites that are exceptionally well-animated given how fast these games can be.
Much like Mario Party Advance, the gameplay and maps of this game could easily be given the same treatment as Mario Kart’s retro tracks. Nintendo’s already seen much success with Mario Tennis Aces on the Nintendo Switch, so more updates or a return to the experience of past games could absolutely include some of the aspects and gameplay of this solid tennis experience.
6 Mario Pinball Land
For a more original entry in the series, gamers don’t need to look further than Mario Pinball Land, one of the multiple pinball games that showed up on the Game Boy Advance. This game has pleasantly simple controls with a huge depth to its levels, and doesn’t play like any Mario game you’ve tried before.
With the new addition of shoulder buttons on this portable console, this style of game was a no-brainer, and this odd genre has a surprising amount of unique level mechanics and visual styles. It’s an underrated and easily forgotten game, but deserves to be recognized as one of the more fascinating games of the Game Boy Advance.
5 Mario Kart: Super Circuit
There are a few sports games featuring Mario on the Game Boy Advance, but their quality isn't typically quite high. Games like Mario Tennis: Power Tour and Mario Golf: Advance Tour aren’t unplayable, but because of the hardware limitations they can feel like diminished versions of games that work great on home consoles.
This is not true of Mario Kart: Super Circuit, which was a surprisingly huge leap for the Mario Kart series. It’s extremely similar to Mario Kart 64 in terms of visuals, but has more tracks and brighter colors to help it stand out. It also featured single cartridge multiplayer if others had a link cable but didn’t own the game themselves, meaning it was still wonderfully easy to play with friends.
4 WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!
It would be a crime not to mention one of the best Mario spinoffs, born right on the Game Boy Advance. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! isn’t the first instance of Wario appearing in a game by himself, but it’s the first entry in the WarioWare series that has stood the test of time.
This ridiculous compilation of of microgames pushed the hardware to its limit, each using its buttons in incredible and unique ways given that there are only really four buttons meant for gameplay besides the D-pad. This is the first in a huge series of games that make great use out of every piece of hardware, and it’s amazing to have started so strong on such a simple console.
3 Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
The best of the many NES and SNES remakes on the Nintendo Switch would have to be the classic Super Mario World. For the most part, this port is greatly similar to Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3, as it still has the same visual style as its original release with a few additional features and colors.
That said, there's still tons of room for this game to get a different visual style in a later rerelease. The visuals of this game hold up just as well today as they did when they first debuted, but there's absolutely room for more improvement off of this spectacular rerelease.
2 Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
After Paper Mario and Super Mario RPG showed how Mario could fit other genres, it’s no surprise that Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga was so incredible. Its combat system is similar to Paper Mario’s, but with far more active button commands as you fight and dodge attacks, making it far more action-packed than your average RPG.
This is one of the only games to use Mario and Luigi together like this, with Mario being linked to the A-button and Luigi to the B-button in combat and the overworld. It’s shockingly fun to play, features with beautiful sprite work, and contains some of the best music of any Mario game.
1 Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga might be a great RPG for people who don’t like RPGs, but that genre can still be somewhat disinteresting for many gamers. Puzzle games can often be far more approachable, and this is where Mario vs. Donkey Kong succeeds by being a great experience for both puzzle and platforming fans.
This game uses Mario’s platforming skills to solve puzzles, and is a great successor to the often forgotten Donkey Kong game from the original Game Boy. With amazing sound design, bright colors, and a huge list of mechanics that keep you on your toes. This is one of the best games for the Game Boy Advance as a whole, and is a magnificent Mario game overall.