After Sony introduced the PS1 to the market, Nintendo saw many third-party developers choosing to produce or move their series to consoles with disc drives that offered more storage space.
This started with the Nintendo 64 and trickled to the GameCube, leading to a shortage of certain genres. If you were intoJRPGs, you would probably be stuck with PlayStation, just like I was.
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However, that doesn’t mean JRPGs completely abandoned Nintendo’s systems. Where its home consoles were lacking, its handhelds were thriving. It all began with the Game Boy and extended all the way to the Nintendo 3DS.
For this list, I’ll closely examine the Game Boy Advance’s library to rank the best JRPGs on the handheld while telling you why it’s a crime that some of them have never been re-released.
Here are the criteria I applied for the list:
• A mix of Metacritic scores and my personal opinion.
• Original games only—no remasters, remakes, or ports.
• Only one game per series.
10Mother 3
Never Released Outside of Japan
I wasn’t going to addMother 3at first, since it never received an official Western release, but it’s such a renowned and impactful GBA JRPG that leaving it out would’ve been remiss of me.
I’m not saying it’s the worst on this list, but it warranted this position due to only being playable through unofficial means.
Mother 3kicks off in Tazmily Village, located on the Nowhere Islands. When the Pigmask Army invades, it’s up to Lucas and a ragtag group of daredevils to drive them out before they use their technology to transform the islands.
The JRPG retains the same turn-based battle system as its predecessors but introduces a combo feature. If players press the button in sync with the beat of the music, the character keeps attacking. Progression follows traditional JRPG mechanics, with a level system and currency.
The biggest strength ofMother 3is its writing. Fans attribute this to writer Shigesato Itoi’s background as an essayist and copywriter rather than a mangaka. This distinction gaveMother 3a unique identity compared to other JRPGs, which often follow familiar anime or manga tropes.
9Mega Man Battle Network 2
Execute MegaMan.EXE
Mega Man Battle Network 2
If it succeeds, a new series usually comes with a few bumps that get ironed out in later entries. That was the case withMega ManBattle Network, which had a solid first title but saw its formula refined and improved inMega Man Battle Network 2.
In the sequel, players again take control of Lan Hikari and MegaMan.EXE as they embark on another mission to save the internet.
The gameplay retains the series' signature real-time tactical combat, taking place on a battlefield composed of 18 tiles where both Mega Man and his enemies move around.
Mega Man Battle Network 2polished the mechanicsseen in the first game, especially regarding Battle Chips and different builds.
Instead of equipping 10 identical chips—making the game effortlessly easy—the limit is now five. There are also different active folders, allowing varied build compositions to be swapped whenever you want to.
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After each battle, Mega Man no longer regains his health automatically, but to compensate,Battle Network 2introduced a revamped Armor System.
The blue bomber can now adopt one of five styles, affecting received and dealt damage, his appearance, and more. Many of these features were forwarded to future titles in the series after being well-received by players.
8Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2
Summons and Crafting Tied Together
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2
As the title suggests,Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2revolves around crafting and summons. Much likeMega Man Battle Network 2, the secondSummon Nightgame improved on everything seen in the first, hence why this JRPG made the list.
Players take on the role of either Edgar or Aera, an apprentice Craftknight, depending on the chosen gender. With the help of a summon beast, they must seal the ruins and protect their family from Goura, a violent summoned beast that has recently awakened.
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2features a top-downexploration style typical of JRPGs. Its battle gameplay is action-based, similar to the firstTales ofgames, taking place on a separate screen after encountering an enemy. However, the player only controls a single character, who can switch between three equipped weapons. Magic is handled by the summon beast.
Since crafting is in the game’s title, you can probably guess that it’s the core focus of this JRPG, and you’d be right. Unlike the first game, where players learn skills to craft new gear, the second game introduces shapestones.
After choosing a material, the game provides a preview of the final equipment, including its special attack (if it’s a weapon) and effects.
The various crafting options, including upgrading or disassembling gear, are what drive the gameplay loop ofSummon Night: Swordcraft Story 2and keep players hooked.
The game is ahidden gem on GBAwith a good story, amazing characters (mainly Dinah), and a visually charming presentation.
7Riviera: The Promised Land
A Unique Exploration System
Riviera: The Promised Land
Riviera: The Promised Landis an exception to the list’s criteria because it was originally released for the WonderSwan Color, but it only made its way west with the GBA port—thus becoming one of the handheld’s best JRPGs.
The first thing you’ll notice aboutRivierais how gorgeous it is. It has some of themost beautiful pixel art gameson the GBA, catching your eye right from the first turn-based battle.
Its stunning visuals may be the result of its streamlined exploration system, which works via a point-and-click mechanic that moves the player from screen to screen, eliminating the constant back-and-forth walking of traditional JRPGs.
Rivieraputs players in the role of Ein, a Grim Reaper created by the gods of Asgard a thousand years ago to battle demons. The protagonist wakes up amnesiac, unable to remember his past or mission, wandering through the land of Riviera.
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This JRPG is one of the most unique on the GBA, and everything revolves around its exploration. Each new screen can trigger a battle, a cutscene, or a party interaction, such as opening a chest or resting in a room. Various choices can be made during these moments, impacting the narrative and the ending.
The turn-based combat is traditional but has a noteworthy limitation. Each character can only bring four items into battle, whether weapons or consumables, and all of them have a limited number of uses. This adds an extra layer of risk, forcing players to think carefully instead of just mashing the attack button.
Riviera: The Promised Landmay not be for everyone, particularly those who prefer a more traditional exploration system. But it’s undoubtedly one of this list’sunique JRPGs.
6Pokémon Emerald
The Best of Both Worlds
Pokemon Emerald
Pokémon Emeraldhas a lower Metacritic score than its counterparts, but I find that unfair. Many of the reviews at the time criticized the game for being just a “rehash” or not adding much compared toRubyandSapphire—and well, yeah, they’re correct.
It’s unfair because they analyzed the game from a market-driven perspective rather than a design standpoint, assuming that everyone had already boughtRubyandSapphire, and therefore,Emeraldwasn’t worth the investment.
But that’s simply wrong.Pokémon Emeraldis technically superior toRubyandSapphireand has more content on top of the additions from those games. Those reviews made it seem like someone who didn’t own a third-genPokémongame would be better off buyingRubyorSapphireinstead ofEmerald.
Pokémon Emeraldis the definitive third-generationPokémonexperience on the GBA. It includes all the previously version-exclusive evolutions and allows trainers to catch both Kyogre and Groudon. Many battles were refined, even adding double battles to Gym Leaders.
Emeraldalsointroduced the Battle Frontier, a post-game content hub that significantly extends playtime and is almost worth playing for on its own. Don’t get me wrong, all the GBAPokémongames are great, but if you want the best experience, you can’t go wrong withPokémon Emerald.
5Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Nothing Sacred About Permadeath
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
If you are familiar withFire Emblem, you know exactly what to expect fromFire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. A grid-based tactical RPG with a weapon triangle weakness system, set in a fantasy world with a touch of politics. Pretty much like most Japanese SRPGs.
As expected, the game begins when the Grado Empire starts attacking neighboring kingdoms for no apparent reason. The protagonists, Eirika and Ephraim, embark on a journey to stop Grado’s advances while uncovering the true reason behind the war.
The highest praise forFire Emblem: The Sacred Stonesgoes to its narrative, which features a rich storyline, characters that make players care about them, as well as compelling villains and heroes.
The game has a system called Support Conversations, where the more time two party members spend near each other, the stronger their bond becomes, granting status boosts after a conversation.
The focus on characters is reinforced by thegame’s permadeath system. If a character dies in battle, they’re gone for good. You either restart from the last save or continue without that unit - a bummer, I know. If the protagonists fall, it’s an instant game over.
Gameplay-wise, the series has few differences betweenThe Sacred Stonesand other entries. It features a class promotion system that offers more variety when building your army, especially since some classes have multiple promotion paths. Overall, the combat remains traditional, though no less strategic.
4Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis
A Mature Game In A Lighthearted Console
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis
Still, on the topic of tactical RPGs with fantasy settings and political intrigue, we haveTactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis, a spinoff prequel to the series that began asOgre Battle, created byYasumi Matsuno, the mastermind behindFinal Fantasy Tactics. However, Matsuno didn’t work onThe Knight of Lodissince he had already left Quest to join Square Enix.
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodisis a tactical RPG through and through. There’s no exploration, and all interactions revolve within an interface going around battles, cutscenes, or unit management.
In my view, combat feels more straightforward than its peers, or maybe I didn’t know how to play it properly. There are spells, a few skills, and standard attacks, but not as much variety asFinal Fantasy Tactics’Job system, for instance.
In this prequel, players control Alphonse Loeher from the country of Lodis. The knight defects from the army after disagreeing with the methods imposed on neighboring nations. There are various narrative choices that alter the storyline, with the outcome offering five different endings.
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One of my favorite gameplay features inThe Knight of Lodiswas the emblem system, which functioned like achievements for each unit. The best part was that some of these emblems unlocked new classes. So, not only was my unit rewarded for doing something unique, but I was also unlocking more features in the game.
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodishas a much more mature tone when compared to other GBA JRPGs. It doesn’t have the same permadeath system asFire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, but narratively speaking, it’s far denser, featuring a complex story and heavier themes, primarily due to its writing.
3Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Mario Bros. Never Misses
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Ever since Square and Nintendo teamed up to create one of thebest SNES JRPGsinSuper Mario RPG, it seems like our favorite mustache hero took a liking to the level-up mechanics and kept diving into new adventures.
Some of the developers behindSuper Mario RPG, including its director, left Square and founded the now-defunctAlphaDream, the studio responsible for developing a new series calledMario & Luigi, which brings the brothers together under the JRPG genre.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Sagais the first game in the series and takes a lot fromSuper Mario RPG. UnlikePaper Mario, which also borrows several elements but has its own identity as one of thefew JRPGs on the Nintendo 64,Mario & Luigihad a lighter, comedic tone, focusing on the relationship between gaming’s most famous bros.
This JRPG takes place in the Beanbean Kingdom, a country neighboring the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario and Luigi’s goal is to restore Peach’s voice, which was stolen by the Beanish witch Cackletta.
The game’s writing was widely praised by critics, packed with easter eggs and a loving sense of humor, even though the plot was deemed a bit repetitive and the characters a tad shallow.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Sagabrings back timed inputs to its turn-based combat. After each action, the player can press a command to enhance the move, whether attacking or defending. In the overworld, there are various interactions between the brothers that encourage exploration and help solve puzzles.
All in all,Mario & Luigi: Superstar Sagais a bonafide Nintendo JRPG. It’s lighthearted and humorous, stars the most famous characters in gaming, and, most importantly, prioritizes fun above all else.
2Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Worthy Successor To The Best Spinoff
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
There are so many parallels between the games on this list that I’m starting to feel like a conspiracy theorist. Curiously,Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodiswas the last game released by Quest before Square acquired the studio. After the acquisition, do you want to guess the next game the team worked on? Yeah,Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.
With expertise in hand, a bigger studio, and a hit under their belt, it was almost inevitable that their next title would be an evolution in terms of gameplay and structure or at least meet the same standards.
Ultimately,Final Fantasy Tactics Advancetook on a remarkably different theme fromTactics Ogre, leaning more into a youthful and colorful aesthetic. However, it’s still excellent and excels in everything it sets out to do.
At first, I didn’t really vibe withFinal Fantasy Tactics Advancebecause I was expecting a secondFinal Fantasy Tactics. The judge system frustrated me, and the childlike storytelling with a way-too-young protagonist brushed me off. But eventually, the JRPG grew on me.
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We play Marche, a high school student from the city of Ivalice who, along with his friends, gets transported into a magical realm after opening a book. For anime fans, think of the isekai genre. Now, in fantasy Ivalice, Marche soon joins Clan Nutsy and helps with various missions while trying to return to the real world.
Most player interactions with the world involve clicking on several locations distributed on a map, similar to many tactical JRPGs. While players can focus solely on the main story,Final Fantasy Tactics Advanceoffers an obscene amount of side content that more than doubles the playtime for completionists.
The Job system returns but offers a twist. Ivalice features different races, each with exclusive Jobs. Dragoons, for example, are exclusive to Bangaa, while only Humes can become Ninjas. This allows players to diversify their party and mix different races if they want to explore various options.
Overall, I really enjoyedFinal Fantasy Tactics Advance. The story has some more impactful moments, but it never gets too deep or takes itself too seriously. With so many sidequests, some are forgettable, but others are memorable and worth investing time in—not to mention unlocking new gameplay features.
1Golden Sun
A Technical Miracle
Golden Sun
You’re free to disagree with my list (as long as you keep it civil), but one thing we can all agree on is thatGolden Sunis a technical marvel on the GBA. An anomaly. The same type of witchcraft that Monolith Soft has been doing with theXenobladeseries.
The first time I playedGolden Sun, I couldn’t believe it was a handheld game. The JRPG boasts stunning visuals, predominantly in turn-based battles and during summon animations, an incredibly engaging puzzle-based exploration system, and a vast story that had to be split into two games.
We play as teenagers with innate magical powers. The protagonist is Isaac, who possesses Psynergy, a form of telekinesis. They must prevent the villains from bringing Alchemy back to the world, which could ultimately destroy their island. To do so, they must snatch away four elemental stars.
The adventure inGolden Sunis delightful due to how the characters' abilities interact with the environment. Using Psynergy, players can move objects, eliminate obstacles, and even read NPCs' minds. Some of these elements are used for solving puzzles or hunting for treasures.
The game’s turn-based battle system is pretty traditional but backed up by a Djinnprogression system that brings a refreshing dynamicto it. There are 28 Djinns in total that can be equipped to characters, altering their abilities, classes, and stats.
Depending on how you customize your characters, you’re able to change their entire combat performance, giving battles a fresh feel. These Djinns and class variations encourage more exploration, strengthening the game’s puzzles and enriching the progression system.
Overall,Golden Sunis the complete package. It’s no exaggeration to say it’s the best JRPG on the GBA. Due to hardware limitations, its story was split into two games.Golden Sunis the first, andGolden Sun: The Lost Age, also on GBA, is the second. Both deserve to be played back-to-back so you can fully enjoy everything they offer.
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