Even among the best GameBoy Advance games, there are hidden treasures that never got the attention they deserved.
From action-packed platformers to creative experiments that pushed the limits of handheld gaming, this underrated GBA games list brings back some of the best forgotten titles worth replaying today.
Sonic Advance
Sonic Advance is one of those underrated GBA games that feels like a true successor to the Genesis classics. It captures the rush and momentum perfectly while giving Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy their own playstyles.
Pick Sonic, and you’re blazing through Neo Green Hill Zone in seconds, momentum carrying you through loops before you’ve even thought about it. Amy can’t curl into a spindash, so the same corridor that Sonic burns through in three seconds requires you to actually stop, read the room, and find the right moment to swing the Piko Piko Hammer.
Knuckles ignores the ground entirely, gliding over gaps and scaling walls to find routes the other three never see. Tails just… flies past most of the hard parts. That’s four playthroughs of the same game that feel genuinely different from each other.
Fun FactDimps built this to commemorate Sonic’s tenth anniversary, and they went back to the Genesis formula deliberately. The result was something Electronic Gaming Monthly called the best-looking 2D Sonic game at the time.
One thing I should warn you about is the cheap deaths. Cosmic Angel Zone will punish you for going fast, which feels like a betrayal of the entire concept, and the underwater boss in Ice Mountain overstays its welcome badly. Yet none of that stopped me from coming back repeatedly and ranking it as one of the best licensed GBA games worth replaying today.
Drill Dozer
You play as Jill, piloting her powerful drilling mech that can tunnel through walls, break enemies, and discover hidden rooms. It’s playful and inventive in ways most underrated GBA games never were, with puzzle elements and boss fights that use the drill in clever, unpredictable ways.
The cartridge for Drill Dozer is slightly bigger than every other GBA game on the shelf. That’s because Game Freak, yes, the Pokémon people, built a rumble motor directly into it. Press the R shoulder button, and the drill spins clockwise. Press L and it reverses. When you drill into something, the cartridge physically vibrates in your hands. In 2006, on a handheld at that, this was genuinely remarkable!
Collectibles are tough to find, and the optional levels demand real skill, giving the game more replay value than many of the best Game Boy Advance games.
It’s often compared to Treasure’s work because of its chaotic energy, but it still has its own charm. Between the music, colorful sprites, and the hilarious final boss sequence, it’s easy to see why players still call this one of the most underrated GBA games ever made.
Racing Gears Advance
Racing Gears Advance feels like it belongs in every talk about the best licensed GBA games, but it rarely gets mentioned. This top-down racer combines fast arcade handling with RPG-like progression and total war!
Racing Gears Advance opens with you choosing between a Dodge Super-8 Hemi, a Lotus Typhoon, and an H2 Hummer, each driven by a wacky licensed character with their own special ability. One driver makes nearby racers spin out on contact. Another gets a speed boost every time they take a hit. Guess which one was my pick?
Combat adds another layer, with rockets, oil slicks, and other weapons turning races into tactical brawls. Before each race, you spend your earnings on oil slicks, smoke screens, land mines, and nitro boost. It feels balanced and tough without ever feeling unfair, a requirement to get on my underrated GBA games list.
The visuals are crisp, the soundtrack keeps the energy high, and the handling feels spot-on. It is the kind of game that never got a sequel but still gets praised today for its smooth controls and replay value. Among racing fans, it’s a cult favorite and easily one of the most underrated GBA games ever made.
Lest We ForgetA sequel for Nintendo DS was announced and then quietly cancelled. Nobody, including me, who played Racing Gears Advance has forgotten it. Also, if you’re wondering, I picked the driver ability for better speed, thanks for asking :’).
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
This one might raise eyebrows, but the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon game for GBA deserves a spot for effort alone. It’s rough, awkward, and brutally difficult, yet somehow fascinating to me and probably you if you enjoy souls-likes.
The combat feels clunky, and the camera never quite behaves, but there’s something fun about watching a handheld try to capture the movie’s elegant swordplay and atmosphere.
Enemies are relentless, and sometimes the controls feel like they’re testing your patience. Still, the animations and compressed af music fit the GBA surprisingly well. You can feel that the developers tried to bring the martial arts spirit of the film to life.
It earns its place on my underrated GBA games list not because it’s great, but because it tried something few licensed games ever attempt, and remarkably, almost pulled it off!
Astro Boy: Omega Factor
Astro Boy: Omega Factor deserves to be remembered among the best Game Boy Advance games of all time. It starts as a simple beat ’em up, but soon unfolds into a layered action story about identity and sacrifice. The combat is tight, fast, and full of energy, with projectile attacks, combos, and screen-filling special moves that feel incredibly satisfying.
The Omega Factor system makes every encounter matter. Each new character you meet adds to Astro’s abilities, making progression feel personal and meaningful. Combine that with Treasure’s signature bullet-heavy boss fights, and you get one of the most polished and rewarding underrated GBA games ever made.
Fun factThe game is stuffed with cameo characters pulled from decades of Osamu Tezuka’s other manga and anime, well beyond just Astro Boy. I didn’t clock most of them myself until I went looking afterward.
It’s short but unforgettable, and the second playthrough reveals new paths and endings that tie everything together beautifully. If you love games that mix storytelling and action, this is easily one of the best licensed GBA games you can find.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is one of the smartest underrated GBA games you can play today. It mixes strategy, fantasy, and role-playing into something surprisingly deep for its time. Building your own clan and mastering over 30 job classes makes every battle feel different, even hours in.
The Law system can frustrate, but it also adds unpredictability to battles. Sometimes it benefits you, sometimes it ruins your plan. Still, it gives missions a layer of tension that keeps you alert. The story feels lighthearted at first but hides a strong message about escapism and growing up, one that sticks long after the credits roll.
It’s easy to get lost experimenting with team builds or chasing rare loot. Players still discuss its moral themes and gameplay years later, proof that it deserves more recognition among the best Game Boy Advance games ever made.
Ninja Five O
Ninja Five O combines stealth, action, and acrobatics into one short yet unforgettable handheld experience. The game itself is a stealth-platformer starring ninja cop Joe Osugi, armed with a sword, shuriken, and a grappling hook (the Kaginawa) that lets you swing between ceiling anchor points.
Enemies hit hard, but that’s what makes every victory satisfying. You can swing from ceilings, charge energy attacks, or stay hidden and strike at the right moment. Every level feels like a puzzle waiting to be mastered. Its rarity makes it even more desirable, as original copies now sell for hundreds online.
Despite its age, the controls are sharp, and the level design remains top-tier. I personally sat with it for a good four hours, and it never overstayed its welcome.
A reminder for myselfI bought my copy years before anyone was paying attention to it, for maybe fifteen dollars at a used shop. I still have the receipt taped inside the case as a reminder to never again scoff at grabbing something on a whim.
Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars
Broken Sword brings the charm of point-and-click adventure to a handheld system. It’s slower and quieter than most of the best Game Boy Advance games, but the story pulls you in fast. You play as George Stobbart, an American tourist thrown into a conspiracy involving Templars, assassins, and ancient secrets.
It’s packed with clever puzzles and witty writing that still hold up today. The GBA version may not have voice acting, but the text and visuals carry enough weight to make up for it. The artwork looks like an illustrated novel, giving it a timeless quality that fits handheld gaming perfectly.
While newer players might find the pace slow, fans of mysteries will love it. It’s proof that storytelling-heavy titles can shine on handheld systems, and it deserves more praise among underrated GBA games.
TMNT
TMNT for GBA is a complete surprise, unlike its console counterparts, this version focuses entirely on classic beat ’em up gameplay. You control all four turtles, each with distinct strengths, stats, and special attacks. The spritework is stunning, easily among the best in late-era GameBoy Advance games, and every fight feels fast and fluid.
Boss battles stand out for requiring patience instead of brute force. You wait for openings, strike, then retreat before getting overwhelmed. Enemies are smart enough to flank or corner you, which keeps the combat tense and satisfying. It’s a simple setup, but one that shows how fun old-school combat can still be.
The problem is, it launched late enough in the system’s life, in 2003, alongside the show, by which point Nintendo had already shown its hand on the DS. This meant almost nobody was still buying new GBA cartridges to notice this quirky release that plays on the console’s strengths.
Which Character Will You Pick?I picked Raphael every run purely because sais looked cooler than a bo staff to ten-year-old me, no real strategy beyond that. Still my default pick on this revisit!
Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand
Boktai is one of the most inventive and underrated GBA games ever made. Designed by Hideo Kojima, it uses real sunlight to power your weapon. The cartridge had a built-in solar sensor, so playing outdoors actually affected the game. It’s a wild idea that literally made you go out and touch grass, thanks, Kojima!
Fighting vampires using sunlight felt like real innovation for its time. You could charge your Gun Del Sol by standing in light or finding shaded areas to recover.
The rest of the game is a vampire-hunting stealth-action title with the atmosphere and pacing of an old-school survival horror game shrunk down to handheld scale, complete with tedious coffin-dragging sections that even fans of the game admit haven’t aged well. No underrated GBA games list I can make feels complete without it.
Tucked away in the Delusion Forest are journal entries written by an amnesiac wanderer who’s never named and it’s Solid Snake. On loan from Kojima’s other franchise, dropping cryptic notes on how to escape the labyrinth. He shows up in the flesh in the sequel.
Dust Off That Game Boy Advance NOW!
These ten games might not have sold millions of copies, but they left an undeniable mark on players who found them. Each one shows how experimental and bold the GBA library really was.
If you want to rediscover some of the best Game Boy Advance games that never got their due, this list is the perfect place to start. If you’re after more mainstream entries, I bought Pokemon Fire Red on the Nintendo Switch and you can check out what I think of this re-re-release.
You can easily find used copies on eBay or just “legally” source these ROMs the way everyone else does. I won’t tell if you won’t!
Underrated GBA Games FAQs
Q. What makes a game underrated on Game Boy Advance?
A. A game becomes underrated when it offers depth, creativity, or technical brilliance that goes unnoticed by most players. Titles like Drill Dozer, Racing Gears Advance, and Boktai: The Sun Is in Your Hand became cult favorites because they took risks and pushed what handheld gaming could do.
Q. Can I still play these underrated GBA games today?
A. Yes, most of these underrated GBA games can still be played using original cartridges or digital re-releases on modern hardware. Games like Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Sonic Advance occasionally appear in collections or reissues, making them easier to find than rarities like Ninja Five O.
Q. Which underrated GBA game should I start with?
A. If you’re new to the underrated GBA games list, start with Sonic Advance or Astro Boy Omega Factor for fast-paced fun. Strategy fans should begin with Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, while players who enjoy creative design should try Drill Dozer or Boktai. Each game offers something distinct from the best Game Boy Advance games everyone already knows.
Q. Why are so many underrated GBA games experimental?
A. The GBA era encouraged developers to experiment. That’s why games like Boktai had solar sensors and Drill Dozer used a rumble cartridge. These bold design choices make the underrated GBA games list stand out from typical titles and show how creative developers were even with limited hardware.
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