Battle Network Rockman EXE

More of an homage than a spin-off, EXE is the story of a 5th grader named Lan, who together with his PET (Personal Electronic Terminal) Rockman.EXE must stop the evil WWW organization from destroying the internet. Despite the hokey plot, where the game really shines is the combat. Two 3x3 grids connect horizontally to each other, one red, one blue. In the blue grid Megaman launches attacks using collectable "battle chips" while the enemy strikes back from the red. Most chips are standard attacks, though some will do things like crack panels or turn red grids blue. A surprising amount of depth for a kid's title and some very impressive isometric graphics, Battle Network ends up being quite a little RPG gem.

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Battle Network Rockman EXE 2

After the wild success of the original, which eventually spawned its own anime series, a sequel was inevitable. Once more yet another evil group threatens the net, and who better but Lan and Rockman to stop them? A bit harder this time around, since your HP is no longer replenished after each battle, and with of course more battle chips to collect, various new armor "styles" to earn, and the new ability to preset certain chips to begin each battle with. Simple yet addictive fun.

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Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

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Gunstar Super Heroes

The sequel to Gunstar Heroes from the supposedly sequel-averse Treasure sets the GBA on fire, with extensive use of rotation and scaling, giant bosses, crisp sound effects and stirring music, but is severely lacking in challenge, with some bosses hardly fighting back at all. It also switches between references to older games far too often: one part is an After Burner-like airborne battle followed by a stage that quotes the old Sega game Flicky. Those segments are too short and sometimes feel forced and random, resulting in a pretty broken flow. Still, enjoyable while it lasts and quite a technical feat.

-FrederikJurk

Kuru Kuru Kururin

In this extremely addictive puzzle game, you must help guide Kururin's slowly rotating stick-shaped craft through a series of mazes, being careful not to bump against walls and traps. Can you rescue all of Kururin's family members who are trapped in the mazes? Can you do it without losing a life? Can you beat the clock and get the fastest time? Plenty of extra challenges make an otherwise simple puzzler a greatly enjoyable experience.

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Kururin Paradise

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Made in Wario

Wario is low on cash and decides the video game industry is where it can be made. Try your hand at his eccentric twist on game design by engaging in a slew of fast-paced microgames: from the mundane to the bizarre, you'll find yourself picking noses, shooting down aliens and revisiting some Nintendo classics, all in the span of about five seconds or less apiece. Very addictive, with plenty of things to unlock, including a full version of Dr. Mario (now relabeled as Dr. Wario, with some changes to match). The only real complaint is that it can be beaten in a few hours. Still, what a few hours they are.

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Mawaru Made in Wario

"Yes, you really have to TURN the Game Boy." Reacting to rotation angle and speed, and adding a sensitive rumble feedback, the control scheme feels unusual yet spot-on, and the new microgames employ it in very creative and surprising ways. Ranging from just tipping the GBA a bit up to hectic 360-degree spins, playing this game is intense, retarded-looking fun. A bit more challenging than before and with a ton of mostly pointless but adorable unlockables, this is the most upright childish joy you will ever have with a GBA game.

-FrederikJurk

Metal Slug Advance

This game is a real relief after the overwhelming and sometimes cheap later entries in the series. Lives are replaced by a healthbar but credit-feeding isn't an option here, since a Game Over will send you right back to stage selection. It retains the trademark design elements, strips the tedious zombie stages and downright unfair enemy onslaught, adds a new item collection system for replayability, and pushes the hardware quite a bit.

-FrederikJurk

Ninja Five-O

Probably the definition of a GBA sleeper hit, this fun Bionic Commando-style platformer is an old school blast. Developed by Hudson Soft of all people, in Ninja Five-O you must use your ninja skills to take down a nondescript crime syndicate. However, you'll probably be too busy swinging around like a madman, launching shuriken and burying your katana in baddies to really notice the plot. Fans of Bionic Commando and Shinobi will appreciate this mash-up of those two classics.

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Ougon no Taiyou: Hirakareshi Fuuin

This by-the-numbers JRPG is a tired exercise in un-originality. Four generic adventurers set off on a forgettable fetch quest, with tedious dialogue and level grinding following all the while. Of note however is the Djinn system, which allows you to switch possession of the twenty-eight different Djinn to be found in the game between party characters, resulting in different skill sets depending on the set-up. The graphics are admittedly impressive, but that alone is not enough to make the experience worthwhile.

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Rhythm Tengoku

This game was made by the Made in Wario team and you will feel it every second you karate-punch rocks, pluck hair off pumpkins or jump on whales, all in rhythm to the upbeat Japanese pop music (with full vocals!) coming from your tiny GBA speaker. After completing small tasks one by one, you will repeat them all in a longer mix. Short tutorials and fixed patterns set this game apart from Made in Wario's hectic randomness, as you focus on the pure joy of reciting quirky and lighthearted pop songs by pushing buttons in accordance with the adorable mess on screen.

-FrederikJurk

Sega Rally

Summon Night: Craftsword Monogatari

An enjoyable dungeon romp through the eyes of a young "Craftlord", blacksmiths who specialize in crafting powerful weapons from materials found deep beneath the earth's surface. Accompanied by one of four Guardian Beasts you must fight your way through a variety of dungeons, crafting new and more powerful weapons as you go, all in an effort to become the greatest Craftlord of them all. Lots of re-playability, from trying to collect all of the weapon schematics or just playing the game through with a different guardian beast. A latecomer to the GBA library, but a welcome addition.

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Tetris Worlds

Hey, it's Tetris! You know, the classic puzzler that's appeared on virtually every platform with a display and buttons on it -- now for the GBA! This could have been an easy and respectable cash-in if it hadn't been entrusted to 3d6 Games, who turned the elegant puzzle legend into a horrifying mess. Gone is the score indicator as you now play for useless "levels" featuring ugly, irritating prerendered backgrounds of toxic waste forests and rotating alien heads, accentuated by generic farts that barely resemble music. And it doesn't even have a battery save. Avoid!

-FrederikJurk

The Pinball of the Dead

Z.O.E 2173 Testament

Despite an enjoyable storyline and innovative battle system, this tactical mech game is a bore. Once you discover that you can avoid every single attack by simply rotating the d-pad in a slow circle, there's no reason to keep playing. The only saving grace is the soundtrack, featuring several quite impressive tracks that shine despite the GBA's lacking audio hardware. In the end though it's hard to recommend this title, even to fans of the Z.O.E. series. It just isn't worth it.

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