The Game Boy Advance is now twenty years old. It launched in Japan on March 21, 2001. In these twenty years, there are still games Western fans have not been able to play, if they've even heard of them at all. If there's one thing history has taught gamers though, it’s that it’s never too late to bring over a good game.
A recent example includes Trials of Mana, which took over 20 years to head to the West from the Super Nintendo to the Switch. Will these GBA games also make their way home on Switch, or perhaps the Switch Pro anytime soon? It’s hard to say, but it’s time they got their day in the sun once more, in this momentous year for the handheld.
10 Mother 3
This is the ultimate, most famous Japanese RPG game that Nintendo fans have been sore over since it launched in 2006. It really is that good of a game, which many know through articles like these and or playing it for themselves via the fan patch.
It might even be better than its predecessor, EarthBound. Getting this game to the West seems like a "when" and not "if" scenario. Unfortunately, being patient can be hard, especially after an already long 15 -year wait.
9 Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade
This game released in 2002 and was the prequel to the first game North America ever received. It too features Roy as one of the main stars. It’s weird, then, that the West got the sequel and not this game from Japan.
Fortunately, fans can play it now via a fan patch, but it still would be nice to see it actually release officially in English. The first game did get translated last year after over two decades, so there is always hope for this too.
8 Tomato Adventure
This was released in 2002 and was made by AlphaDream. It was the game they put out right before Nintendo contracted them to start a new Mario RPG series, Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, which released in 2003.
Those that play this can see a lot of DNA from that series in Tomato Adventure from the button-timed turn-based battles to the humor and character designs. Unfortunately, there is no fan translation yet and the company is now defunct, so who knows if this will ever get an official release?
7 Granbo
Capcom made this game, which is like Pokemon crossed with Mega Man. It was released in 2001 — in December actually, making it one of the last GBA releases in its launch year.
Players begin by choosing a robot pet before adventuring out onto a world map, much like a more traditional RPG akin to Final Fantasy. Robot creatures can be caught to join the team eventually, but only after the first dungeon.
6 Monster Guardians
This was actually one of the launch games for the system in Japan. It was made by Konami and is sort of like an RTS, or tactical RPG.
Players create a summoner who can control monsters via commands, but for the most part, battles play out by themselves. There is no fan patch for this as of yet either, and based on Konami’s recent track record, it’s doubtful this will come out in the West.
5 Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children Messiah Riser
This was a 2004 RTS RPG set in the Devil Children line of spinoff games. The main GBA games did come out in the West, but this did not for whatever reason. There isn't even an English patch for it.
That’s actually okay, though, because the game is entirely linear, meaning that one can skip through the Japanese dialogue in order to get to the battles fairly easily.
4 Bouken-ou Beet Busters Road
Beet the Vandel Buster was a manga that started in 2002. Despite being technically continued since then, it has been on multiple hiatuses with only 15 volumes complete.
It is interesting to note that the writer, Riku Sanjo, also did the manga Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai, which is getting a game this year. Manga facts aside, this is an RPG with a battle system much like the Tales series. Unfortunately, there is no fan patch for this Japanese game.
3 Black Matrix Zero
This 2002 tactical RPG is actually a prequel. The original game, Black/Matrix, was released first on the Sega Saturn in 1998. It is like any other tactical RPG, except with an angelic theme.
Also of note is the fact that the experience is divided up after battle like a currency. It does have a fan patch, but it pretty much only translates menus.
2 Croket: Great Toki No Boukensha
This game is also based on a manga. Croket started in 2001 and ran up until 2006.
This GBA game is a tactical RPG with a twist. When a conflict is initiated, it turns into a 2D fighter. This means opponents can die in a single match, making battles go by quicker. There is no fan patch for this Japanese game yet.
1 GeGeGe No Kitaro: Kiki Ippatsu Yokai Retto
GeGeGe no Kitaro is an even older manga series that ran from 1960 to 1969. Why, then, make a GBA Metroidvania RPG in 2003?
While the manga is super old, like an OG Inuyasha in tone, it had received numerous anime adaptations, keeping it in the zeitgeist, the most recent of which started in 2018. There is no fan patch for this game yet.