The Game Boy Advance was Nintendo's 32-bit handheld console that hit shelves in 2001. During its seven-year run, which lasted all the way to 2008, the console managed to sell over 81.5 million copies. Its major titles also sold crazy amounts, and that's what we're here to look at today.
While most of the best-selling games created for the Game Boy Advance were created as part of the Mario and Pokémon series, other titles revitalized Pac-Man and similar arcade favorites. We're here to look at the top 10 games to find out how many units they sold and what made each of them so great.
Are you ready to level up? Here are the Game Boy Advance titles that outran the rest.
10 Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island hit the SNES in 1995. In 2002, it was repackaged as Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3 and sent to the Game Boy Advance. This version sold over 2.8 million copies.
The game had players controlling Yoshi through 48 levels all while carrying Baby Mario on his back. It introduced the dinosaur’s ability to transform enemies into eggs and flutter jump.
The redone version of the game contained minor changes, including modifications to Yoshi’s voice and a visible area reduction to fit the portable device’s smaller screen.
The Game Boy Advance version was later sent to the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U via the Virtual Console platforms.
9 Pac-Man Collection
Pac-Man’s four best games were repackaged into a single cartridge and sent to the Game Boy Advance in 2001 and 2002. The Packman Collection ultimately sold over 2.9 million copies.
The arcade-style games were enjoyable, though the collection was criticized for taking out select backing tracks and sound effects. The game also lacked a save feature, meaning the high-scores players achieved were quickly erased.
Despite this, Pac-Man Collection was re-released on the Wii U Virtual Console in 2014. This time around, players best scores were kept in the system.
8 Namco Museum
Namco Museum is an arcade game compilation series that appeared on several systems including the Game Boy Advance. Identical to the version released for the N64, Namco Museum for the Gameboy Advance featured classic games including Dig Dug, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Galaxian, and Pole Position.
Like the Pac-Man Collection, though, players didn’t have the option to save their high scores. Also similarly, when this game was re-released on the Wii U via Virtual Console, players were able to keep their best efforts recorded. The Game Boy Advance version of this game sold over 5.4 million copies.
7 Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3 was given a second facelift, re-releasing for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. It once again saw Mario and Luigi adventuring through the eight kingdoms of Mushroom World in an attempt to defeat the Koopa Kids and Bowser, though this version also included new voices for Mario and Luigi as well as a multiplayer mode based on the Mario Bros. arcade game.
The game received high praises, with many finding it to be just as challenging and exciting as the original. It sold over 5.4 million copies on the Game Boy Advance.
6 Super Mario Advance
Super Mario Bros. 2 was first released for the NES in 1998. It was later enhanced, added to the original Super Mario Bros., and re-released as part of Super Mario All-Stars. This version was given yet another makeover in 2001 and sent to the Game Boy Advance.
While the 2D side-scrolling game once again had Mario and friends navigating through the dream world of Subcon, it featured larger sprites, digital voice acting, an altered health meter, updated backgrounds, new enemies, and the addition of the Yoshi Challenge.
The game was snatched up quickly thanks to its incredible legacy and fresh improvements, ultimately selling over 5.5 million copies on the Game Boy Advance.
5 Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
Super Mario World was a 1990 SNES game that saw Mario embark on a journey to save Princess Toadstool and Dinosaur Land from Bowser and the Koopalings. This was the first Mario game to feature Yoshi and quickly became one of the highest-regarded titles in the Mario series. Because of this, it was ported to the Game Boy Advance in the early 2000s.
The new version featured an equal number of levels that were made slightly easier. It also supported four-player play through the Game Link Cable accessory.
Critics loved this new version for containing the classic feel of the original, and its sales reached over 5.6 million.
4 Mario Kart: Super Circuit
The third installment in the Mario Kart series raced to the Game Boy Advance in 2001 and ultimately sold over 5.9 million copies. While players were restricted to the same eight racers from previous installments including Peach, Yoshi, Toad, Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Donkey Kong, and Wario, these characters were assigned a weight class for the first time in the series. Additionally, gamers were treated to a slew of new courses.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit was praised for expanding upon the already fun features of the previous installment. It was later re-released on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U via Virtual Console.
3 Pokémon Emerald
Pokémon Emerald, which is an enhanced version of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, managed to sell over 7 million copies after its release. The game had players traveling across the Hoenn region as they attempted to conquer eight Pokémon gyms and defeat a set of criminal organizations that tried to harness the power of Pokémon for their own agendas.
While many critics found the game to be too similar to Ruby and Sapphire, they praised the title’s high quality. Critics further cited it as a good game to introduce new players to thePokémon series.
2 Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
FireRed and LeafGreen is an enhanced remake of the 1996 Pokémon Red and Blue released for the Game Boy. While many Pokémon games after this title have been redesigned for newer systems, this was the first game in the series to do so.
Players controlled their characters from an overhead perspective and engaged in turn-based combat as they explored new regions and captured Pokémon to use in battle. While some believed the game did not contain enough improvements, others were still satisfied to see the new challenges and compelling gameplay.
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen ultimately sold over 12 million copies.
1 Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
The best-selling Game Boy Advance Game of all time — Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire — put out over 16.2 million copies. While the gameplay wasn’t unique to the series, with players once again attempting to take down a criminal organization whilst capturing Pokémon, the new double battles and the 135 new Pokémon attracted players to the series.
The game received high praise for its improved gameplay and graphics. As aforementioned, it was later re-released as Pokémon Emerald. It once again got a new life as Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, which were released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2014.