The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap tops our list for a number of reasons: Endless charm, brilliant overworld and dungeon design, smart puzzles and even smarter puzzle mechanics make it . The Minish Cap told the backstory of Vaati, the main antagonist and important figure in Four Swords. After Vaati petrified Princess Zelda, Link rescued a magic sentient hat with a bird head that, when worn, lets him shrink down to a microscopic size just like the Minish, the tiny creatures that have worked tirelessly to help remove darkness from the world. The hat, the game’s central quirk, made exploring Hyrule a much different experience than before. It opened up new places and offered new perspectives, illuminating just how majestic the world of Hyrule truly is. The Minish Cap had all of the prominent features of a successful Zelda game, from excellent dungeons to whimsical townspeople to the sheer delight provided when opening a treasure chest. And did you know The Minish Cap was developed by Capcom, not Nintendo? It remains one of the best Zelda games of all time. Look, before you get mad that we placed Minish Cap above A Link to the Past, we wanted to prioritize the new experience. In terms of fresh experiences exclusive to GBA, Minish Cap takes the cake. Plus, Minish Cap has Tingle!

It’s no surprise Metroid Fusion was developed by the same team that made Super Metroid, two of the best Metroid games. Fusion practically felt like an unrelated sequel when it launched in 2002. Fusion featured a similarly lengthy open-world to explore, letting players scour and uncover secrets and ways forward at their own pace. The team at Nintendo R&D1 refined the combat from Super Metroid and introduced numerous new power-ups and mechanics in the process. It may be blasphemous to say, but Metroid Fusion is not just one of the best games on GBA; it’s the best 2D Metroid ever made.

A spiritual successor to Donkey Kong, Mario vs. Donkey Kong was a clever rebranding of the classic 2D puzzle platforming formula. This version is the only one in the series that allows you to play with Mario. Further, there is a veritable wealth of content with 48 levels and a bevy of secret challenges. Mario vs. Donkey Kong tested both your platforming and puzzle-solving skills. The basic premise of the game is simple enough, just secure keys, packages, and adorable mini-Marios en route to clearing rooms. Nintendo and developer NST even threw in classic boss battles against DK himself. The whole sub-series is great, but Mario vs. Donkey kicked things off with one of the best puzzle games on the system..