Best GBA Pokemon Games (2024)

Pokemon seems like one of those franchises that has always existed. Part of that comes from the fact it debuted on the Game Boy, Nintendo's first handheld system; however, Red and Blue arrived very late into that console's life cycle. They debuted in 1996 in Japan, and they did not make their way to North America until 1998. In fact, they became available in Western countries roughly two months before Nintendo launched the Game Boy Color. By the time the Game Boy Advance was released, Pokemon had been around for less than three years, at least when it comes to games in North America.

While arguably at the height of its global popularity, the brand was still very young in 2001, and a poor run of projects could have significantly derailed its momentum. Fortunately, the GBA Pokemon games are rightfully considered to be among the franchise's crowning achievements. Even if not every release is an all-time masterpiece, all five games are enjoyable in their own right. The mainline entries expanded on the GB and GBC originals, while one of the spin-offs ventured into new territory for the franchise.

Updated on August 31, 2024 by Mark Sammut: The best GBA Pokemon games are still among the franchise's crowning achievements, even if they can feel outdated in a few key areas. This article has been expanded to include a new intro, along with subheadings highlighting each game's strengths.

5 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team

A Great First Effort To Combine Mystery Dungeon & Pokemon. While The Gameplay Is A Bit Rudimentary And Difficult To Revisit Nowadays, The Story Is Pretty Good And Charming.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team

Roguelike

Systems

Released

September 18, 2006

Developer(s)

Spike Chunsoft

How Long To Beat

20 Hours

Pros

• Charming Visuals
• Fairly Difficult
• Bouncy & Jovial Soundtrack

Cons

• Repetitive Gameplay
• Dungeons Are Very Samey
• No Reason To Pick This Over The Sequels

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team was one of the first Pokemon Mystery Dungeon titles to have been released. The game was released alongside its counterpart, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team. However, Blue Rescue Team is only available on the Nintendo DS while Red Rescue Team is solely playable on Game Boy Advance.

The Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series is extremely well-liked by fans, explaining its drastic critic-versus-user ranking. It was the first time players could play as a Pokemon, having answered questions to determine exactly which creature they're most like. The story and characters that the game builds up, along with its unique dungeon-crawler mechanics make for an easily enjoyed and replayable experience that both young and old players will love.

However, the main story is extremely short compared to future installments of the series, and its gameplay can get extremely challenging in the post-game due to the level gap that players are left at once the main story ends. The central gameplay of taking on rescue missions and saving certain creatures from treacherous and daunting dungeons is charming and fun. It can get repetitive though, especially when players find themselves going through missions to obtain extra items and grind for levels. Dungeons are also randomized, which means runs are often based on the luck of the draw rather than strategy.

4 Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire

Pokemon Pinball Is Way More Fun Than It Sounds, And The Game Implements Quite A Few Mechanics That Echo The Mainline Entries. It Is Not Just Pinball Using Pokemon-Themed Machines.

Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire

Arcade

Systems

Released

August 25, 2003

Developer

Jupiter

How Long To Beat

20 Hours

Pros

• 200+ Pokemon
• Timeless Gameplay (Obviously, It Is Pinball)
• Neat Franchise-Inspired Touches
• Quite Lengthy Due To Sheer Number Of Pokemon To Collect

Cons

• Gets Old After Awhile
• Hard To Find Nowadays (Physical)

Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire is the second Pokemon Pinball game, the first being released for the Game Boy Color in 1999. Many players enjoyed the first game for its laid-back nature, granting them the ability to step out of the stressful battles and strategizing they would find in the mainstream games and just play some pinball. The mechanics of Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire are enjoyable and easy to learn, with players catching new Pokemon by honing their pinball skills to complete challenges and capture them.

That said, the gameplay is largely identical, perhaps even easier, to that of the first Pokemon Pinball, with the inclusion of even more monsters to capture making the game more time-consuming rather than challenging. However, some fans might enjoy this aspect since the franchise is all about catching Pokemon, and the higher count of options adds a bit more variety.

3 Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen

Revamping Two Classics That Somewhat Needed It, FireRed And LeafGreen Effectively Rendered The Game Boy Masterpieces Obsolete. These Versions Are Great And Have Spawned So Many Fan Roms.

Pokemon LeafGreen and FireRed

RPG

Systems

Released

September 7, 2004

Developer(s)

Game Freak

How Long To Beat

30 Hours

Pros

• Remakes Done Right
• Timeless Art Style
• Expands On Gen 1 Well, Beyond Just Graphical Improvements
• Best Iteration Of Pokemon's Most Famous Region

See Also

All Pokémon games ranked from easy to impossible

Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen were remakes of the original three games, The two Game Boy Advance releases were Game Freak's first attempt at a remake of any one of the Pokemon games. That said, the reception of Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen was rather positive, and they are arguably still the gold standard for remakes in the franchise.

The story from the original games stays mostly the same, with the advancements of these games mostly focusing on graphical updates and the option to play as a female protagonist (which was a feature that was notably absent from the original games).

All that said, for players looking to relive the Generation I experience with updated graphics and smoothed-out, easier mechanics, Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen are the perfect experience. However, for those looking for a revamped take on the original story and monsters that many came to know and love, these games don't really add much more story or immersive depth than what was originally implemented.

2 Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire

A Triumphant Evolution Of Gold, Silver, And Crystal That Represented Pokemon At Its Absolute Best In The Early 2000s.

Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire

RPG

Systems

Released

March 19, 2003

Developer(s)

Game Freak

How Long To Beat

35 Hours

Pros

• Considerable Leap Forward Over Gen 2
• One Of The Better Stories In The Franchise
• Awesome Soundtrack

Cons

• Feel Slightly Obsolete In This Day And Age

Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire are the best Pokemon games for the Game Boy Advance. They were the series' first games released for the portable system, and subsequently have become the most communally coveted and beloved. Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire have remained some of the most loved games in the franchise, sparking their remakes, , to be released for the Nintendo 3DS.

The two games are graphically enhanced compared to the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, and include a variety of new creatures, items, and characters all set in an entirely new region called "Hoenn." Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire also were the first games to introduce the double battle mechanic, which has become a staple in competitive battling ever since its debut. However, a few critics here and there found that the cut-and-paste formula being used to create Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire was getting a bit overused, with the same mechanics and basic storylines being used for Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, and Crystal. This didn't stop players from enjoying them though, as evidenced by their high user scores and the success of the games' 2014 remakes.

The only thing going against Ruby & Sapphire nowadays is that they can feel a bit obsolete due to the existence of the remakes and Pokemon Emerald, all of which are arguably superior. However, that should not take anything away from these two GBA classics, as they were played a significant role in establishing Generation III as an all-time great era for Pokemon.

1 Pokemon Emerald

Builds Beautifully On The Original Games, Delivering A More Complete And Robust Experience That Holds Up Very Well. Emerald Is Still Among The Best Pokemon Games Ever.

Pokemon Emerald

RPG

Systems

Released

May 1, 2005

Developer(s)

Game Freak

How Long To Beat

31 Hours

Pros

• Perfects Ruby & Sapphire
• Great Post-Game Content
• Just An All-Around Fantastic JRPG
• Visuals Have Aged Really Well

Cons

• Physical Copies Are Very Difficult To Find

Pokemon Emerald garnered a more mixed reception than the other mainline titles for the Game Boy Advance. Despite the love it received from the community, critics were not as fond of the third installment of the previously released games, Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire. Pokemon Emerald is virtually the same as the previous Generation III games, with the same story and characters as Ruby & Sapphire. That said, there are small differences littered throughout the game that those who have played all three versions will notice.

Pokemon Emerald introduced slightly animated sprites, graphical enhancements, different clothing for the two protagonists, more double battles, and the ability to catch a wider variety of creatures than what was available in Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire. That and the inclusion of the Battle Frontier, which quickly became a fan favorite and was sorely missed in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Even if it was not as well received as its predecessors, Emerald is arguably the best game to pick up in this day and age, offering the most complete experience out of all the Gen III main entries. The campaign is long, relatively challenging, and features one of the most beloved rivals in the franchise's history (May). That said, good luck finding a physical copy for a decent price in this day and age.