Tag: Gba
News Nintendo Expands Switch Online's GBA Library With Three More Titles
"Starfy dives onto the Nintendo Switch"
Breaking: Nintendo has added three more classic games to the Switch Online Game Boy Advance library. They include Densetsu no Starfy 1,2 and 3. Enjoy! Densetsu no Starfy – No sleep ’til Pufftop! A sudden storm has caused Starfy, prince of the floating sky kingdom Pufftop, to plummet from his lofty home...
Random Super Mario 64 GBA Project Adds Stars And "Wider" Limbs For Mario
"They're easier to see at low resolution"
Last month, we covered a story here on Nintendo Life about a coder named Joshua Barretto who decided to do a custom rewrite of Super Mario 64 for Nintendo's 32-bit handheld, the Game Boy Advance. If you weren't already impressed with this technical feat, this palm-sized project has now shared a new update...
News WayForward Is Reviving Its GBA Game 'Sigma Star Saga' For Modern Platforms
The "fan-favorite shmup/RPG" returns in 2025
WayForward shared some surprise news at its Anime Expo panel this year - announcing the Game Boy Advance sci-fi adventure title Sigma Star Saga would be making a return on "modern platforms" in 2025. This 2005/06 "fan-favorite shmup/RPG" will also be made available as a Game Boy Advance reproduction...
Poll Box Art Brawl - DK: King Of Swing
B-A-N-A-N-A-S
We are back, back, back with another edition of Box Art Brawl! Before we swing into this week's match-up, let's take a look at what went down last time when we looked at two regional covers for Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Despite a duo of swanky designs being on display, it was Europe and North America's dark, moodier cover that...
Random Coder Creates Super Mario 64 For The GBA, And It's Looking Excellent
How..?!
Remember when you first caught a glimpse of Super Mario 64 running on the Nintendo DS and how utterly mindblowing it was at the time? It's easy to forget just how far handheld gaming has come in the years since, but seeing one of the greatest platformers of all time come to life on such a humble piece of hardware was truly something else...
Guide Every Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy Advance (GBA) Game Ranked
All the GBA games, ranked by you
Updated with Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords and Metroid: Zero Mission. Remember, this is a dynamic, reader-ranked list based on each game's User Rating in our database. The order is therefore subject to real-time change as those ratings fluctuate. Enjoy! Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack...
Random You Can Now Control Your Switch With A GBA, If You Like
Authentic NSO experience
Sometimes, when you want to play a retro game, nothing but the original controller will do. Super Mario World with an SNES pad, Mega Man 2 with a NES pad, Zelda: Ocarina of Time with an N64 pad... They just feel better, right? Well, if you're partial to playing a few GBA games via the Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) service,...
News Nintendo Expands Switch Online's Game Boy Advance Library
Another F-Zero game joins Nintendo's paid service
Update [Fri 29th Mar, 2024 02:00 GMT]: In case you missed it earlier this week, today marks the arrival of F-Zero Maximum Velocity on the Switch Online + Expansion Pack GBA service. Japan has also received this game. To play it, you'll need to update your GBA app on Switch. You'll also need to have...
Feature "The Odds Seemed Just Astronomical" - Reviving Lost Media With Shantae Advance
"Decisions made by younger me created a ton of headaches for modern me"
It's not often that a developer gets to revisit a chapter of their past and pick up where they left off on a project two decades prior, but the revival of Shantae Advance in the form of Risky Revolution has given WayForward creative director Matt Bozon just that opportunity...
News Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution GBA Limited Run Pre-Orders Now Live
Update: Get yours now
Update [Fri 23rd Feb, 2024 17:00 GMT]: Pre-orders for the physical GBA versions of Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution are now available, courtesy of Limited Run Games. Don't forget, these are only available until 7th April 2024. We've got all of the deta
Soapbox I Hated Metroid: Zero Mission At First, Until I Loved It
We all make mistakes
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, to celebrate Metroid: Zero Mission's 20th anniversary on 9th February 2024, Ollie looks back on his initial experience with the game, and why first impressions can't always be...
News Konami Announces Yu-Gi-Oh! Classic Collection For Switch, Launching This Year
Update: Confirmed for the West
Update: Konami has confirmed that Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection is coming to the West. Here's a rundown of what to expect from the developer: Duel back in time with the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection Revealed at the “Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters: The Legend of Duelist QUARTER CENTURY” special event in Tokyo,...
News Cult GBA RPG 'Riviera: The Promised Land' Is Getting An HD Remaster
Update: Switch and Japanese release date confirmed
Update [Wed 31st Jan, 2024 13:30 GMT]: According to the latest issue of Famitsu, Riviera: The Promised Land will be launching on Switch on 28th February 2024 in Japan (via Gematsu & Ryokutya2089). A Western release is still yet to be confirmed. It seems that the upcoming port of the GBA and...
Anniversary Pokémon FireRed And LeafGreen Are 20 Years Old Today
Can you Diglett?
Get your appropriate ageing GIF at the ready (Matt Damon in Saving Private Ryan, the Tenth Doctor, that Titanic one — the choice is yours) because we have to break it to you that Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are now 20 years old. While we let that sink in, let's run through some facts. Released on the Game Boy Advance on 29th...
Feature 21 Game Boy Advance Games We'd Love To See Added To Nintendo Switch Online
GBA gems we'd dig on Switch
With Golden Sun and The Lost Age making their arrival on Nintendo Switch Online, we've given this list a bit of a spruce up and added a few more dream titles to the service. Plus, we've got a cheeky little poll at the end of the article too — so make sure you vote and let us know what you want to see on NSO. The Game...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Rayman Advance
Legendary
Ready for another clash of the covers? Welcome to this week's edition of Box Art Brawl! Before we introduce today's fighters, let's take a look at the last match-up. It was a big'un as we matched four different covers for the OG Metroid against each other. While there was a good split in the votes, the North American Classic Series option...
Soapbox After Years Of Lengthy RPG Tutorials, Golden Sun Feels Fresher Than Ever
You could say it's an Adept
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Alana reflects on playing Golden Sun in 2024, and how it allows players to figure things out for themselves rather than relying on tutorials. Warning — minor early game...
Review Golden Sun: The Lost Age - More Of The Same, Which Is No Bad Thing
The return of the prodigal sun
This review originally went live in 2014, and we're updating and republishing it to celebrate the game's arrival in Switch's Game Boy Advance library via the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. Back in 2001 (2002 in Europe) some players were left feeling short-changed when Golden Sun reached its abrupt ending...
Review Golden Sun - A Radiant RPG, Once It Gets Going
Magic hands make light work
This review originally went live in 2014, and we're updating and republishing it to celebrate the game's arrival in Switch's Game Boy Advance library via the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. Golden Sun expands on proven genre archetypes to deliver an experience that both pays tribute to and refines the classic...
Guide Should I Play Golden Sun Before The Lost Age?
Where will the sun rise first?
Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age, Camelot's cult-favourite GBA RPGs, are available to play on Nintendo Switch right now via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription. Released back in 2001 and 2002, these two turn-based RPGs are often considered among the best games on the handheld. And now, with...
News Nintendo Expands Switch Online's GBA Library With Two RPG Classics
Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age out now
Update [Wed 17th Jan, 2024 01:05 GMT]: Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age are now officially available to Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers. Enjoy! Original article [Fri 12th Jan, 2024 01:05 GMT]: Next week on 17th January 2024, Switch Online + Expansion Pack members will be able to...
Gallery Here's Another Look At Golden Sun For The Switch Online Expansion Pack
Joining the paid service next week
Next week on 17th January, Nintendo will transport players back to the Game Boy Advance era with the magnificent RPGs Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age. Both of these titles made their debut in the early 2000s and were also previously released on the Wii U eShop. Now, they'll arrive on the Switch, so how...
Soapbox 20 Years Later, Why Do We Still Not Have A New Sonic Battle?
Bare Knuckles
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, on the 20th anniversary of Sonic's last fighting game, Paul looks back and wonders why Sonic hasn't in two decades... In the early- to mid-2000s, Nintendo handhelds were home to many...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Batman: Vengeance (GBA)
The match-up Gotham deserves
It's time to dive into another edition of Box Art Brawl — welcome back, everybody! Before we dive into this week's caped covers, let's first take a look at what happened last time. We went waaay back to compare the box art for Donkey Kong on the NES, and boy, was it a close one. The North American cover just secured...
Review Kirby & The Amazing Mirror - Messy With Metroid Influences, Better With Buddies
Oh, Kirby, you blowhard...
This review, penned by Philip J Reed — our much-missed friend and Nintendo Life contributor — was originally published in January 2012. We're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack GBA library. We have to hand this much to
News Nintendo Expands Switch Online's Game Boy Advance Library
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror returns
Update [Fri 29th Sep, 2023 02:15 BST]: Nintendo's latest Switch Online update for the GBA library is now officially live. This will bump the application up to Version 1.4.0 and adds Kirby & The Amazing Mirror to the collection. Japan has received the same game. Original article [Fri 22nd Sep, 2023 03:05...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
Deep breath
It's time to witness a clash of the covers as we dive into another edition of Box Art Brawl. Before we hop into the ring with this week's competition, however, let's quickly recap what happened last time. It was a match-up against two different pieces of cover art for the GBA's Mario vs. Donkey Kong — which had been playing on our...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Mario Vs. Donkey Kong
Box Art Vs. Box Art
Hello one and all, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl. Before we check out this week's competitors, let's take a look at how we fared last time. We took a look at New Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo DS, the first entry in the polarising platforming sub-series. It was actually a fairly close battle, but in the end,...
Feature How Summer Holidays And Childhood Nostalgia Revolutionised Pokémon
20 years of Ruby & Sapphire
In 2003, Pokémon was at a bit of a crossroads. The first two sets of entries in its canon — Game Boy debuts Red and Blue, followed by sequels Gold and Silver — had cemented the series as one of the biggest of all time in gaming, defining millennial pop culture. With the arrival of Nintendo’s new handheld, the Game...
News Three New Game Boy Advance Posters Are Now Available From My Nintendo Store (Europe)
For the price of some Platinum Points (and postage)
Nintendo has today added a fresh batch of posters to the My Nintendo Store, this time focusing on the games of the GBA. This trio features key art from three of the console's very best titles — Mario Kart Super Circuit, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga...
Review Fire Emblem - The Blazing Blade Is Still As Sharp As Ever
So much to love Lyndis game
This review originally went live in 2015, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival in the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack GBA library. Before Fire Emblem: Awakening kicked off 2013 (the Year of Luigi, you'll recall) with a bang, there was a great deal of concern at Nintendo regarding its...
News Nintendo Expands Switch Online's GBA Library With Fire Emblem
The Blazing Blade returns
Update [Fri 23rd Jun, 2023 02:05 BST]: It's been an incredibly exciting week in the world of Nintendo with all sorts of new game announcements at the latest Direct presentation, and now to top it off, we've got the release of Fire Emblem on the Switch Online service. To access this one, you'll need to have subscribed to...
News My Nintendo Celebrates Super Mario GBA Coming To Switch Online
Grab these wallpapers while you can
Following last week's release of three Super Mario games for the Switch Online GBA service, Nintendo has now released some brand new wallpapers for desktop and mobile devices. This item is available on My Nintendo in the US and will set you back 50 Platinum Points. As you can see, it's got a picture of the...
News Nintendo Expands Switch Online's GBA Library With Three Super Mario Games
Update: Available now!
Update [Fri 26th May, 2023 03:05 BST]: Switch Online's GBA app has now been updated - meaning Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers can now access Super Mario Advance, Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 and
Anniversary Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade First Launched 20 Years Ago Today
The West's first Fire Emblem game
Today marks the 20th anniversary of Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, the seventh entry in the Fire Emblem series, in Japan. But what makes this title extra special is that this was the game that brought the tactical RPG series to the West. A North American release followed in November 2003, with Australia and Europe...
Random Watch This GBA SP Get A LEGO Makeover
And it can even play Mario!
We have seen a number of awesome revamped consoles over the years and the best of them leave us feeling slightly heartbroken that we can't get one of our own. In the case of this fully functional LEGO Game Boy Advance SP, you can consider our hearts well and truly shattered. This project was taken on by YouTuber Retro...
News Metroid: Zero Mission Screenshots Found On Nintendo Switch Online By Dataminer
Update: More link cable support found
Update [Tue 14th Mar, 2023 14:00 GMT]: After some more digging, LuigiBlood has found even more evidence to support link cable features on Nintendo Switch Online. In fact, NSO has instructions on the link feature for every single game on both the Game Boy and GBA NSO apps. Mario Kart Super Circuit, which is...
Review Metroid Fusion - An Infectious, Portable Pleasure
SA-Xcellent
This review originally went live in 2014, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival in Switch's GBA library via the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. Released a full eight years after its phenomenal Super Nintendo predecessor, Super Metroid, 2002's Metroid Fusion is a well-paced, tense, atmospheric game and...
News Nintendo Expands Switch Online's GBA Library With Another Classic Title
Samus is back in Metroid Fusion
A week after the original announcement, Nintendo has now officially added the classic action-adventure Metroid Fusion to Switch Online's Game Boy Advance library. This game originally made its debut back in 2002, and has also been re-released on a number of other Nintendo digital services in the past. This particular...
News Nintendo Expands Its Switch Online Game Boy Advance Service March 9th
Samus returns in Metroid Fusion
Nintendo originally teased Metroid Fusion as one of the many games coming to the Switch Online GBA library in the near future and now it has confirmed it will be the first title to expand the service on 9th March. To reiterate, that's next week! This entry in the Metroid series originally made its debut on the Game...
News Nintendo Updates 'Switch Online + Expansion Pack' Trailer With New Footage
Metroid Fusion, Pokémon & Excitebike are on the way
If there's one thing Nintendo loves doing, it's updating its Switch Online + Expansion Pack promotional trailer - highlighting all the new offerings. Just yesterday, it's shared a brand new trailer on its official YouTube channel, this time highlighting the new offerings in the N64 library such...
News Looks Like Pokémon Trading Already Works On Switch Online's GB & GBA Emulator
Linking up
With Nintendo Switch Online now having Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games, and Pokemon Day fast approaching (27th February), it's got a lot of people speculating — will Gen 1, 2, and 3 make the jump to NSO? YouTuber and content creator Austin John Plays is one such person who's been pushing those ideas forward, and over the weekend,...
Talking Point 20 Years Of The Best Game Boy Ever - How Did You Get Your GBA SP?
Love letters to our SPecial ones
On 14th February 2003, Nintendo gave Japanese gamers a Valentine's to remember when it released the Game Boy Advance SP. Those outside Japan would have to wait until March to get their hands on this gorgeous clamshell redesign of the GBA which came — mercifully — with a front-lit screen (the back-lit AGS-101...
Video MVG Investigates Switch Online's "Impressive" Game Boy & GBA Emulation
"Nintendo has knocked this out of the park"
Nintendo last week surprised fans with a shadow drop of the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance libraries for Switch Online. If you're wondering how Nintendo's official emulations hold up, game developer and YouTuber Modern Vintage Gamer has now taken a look at the new libraries. The verdict is these emulators...
Soapbox Switch Is Great, But The GBA SP Was The Pinnacle Of Public Transport Gaming
SP-icy takes
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, nearly 20 years to the day since the GBA SP launched in Japan, Jim argues the case for why it still has a very important role to play in his day-to-day... Ok, let's get this out of...
News Nintendo Updates Its 'Switch Online + Expansion Pack' Trailer With New Footage
Game Boy has arrived & more N64 games are coming
Nintendo yesterday bolstered its Switch Online + Expansion Pack service with some new retro libraries. Now, following on from this, it appears to have updated its official "overview trailer" for the service in its homeland of Japan. Within it, you can see footage of the Game Boy Advance library. In...
News Game Boy And GBA Coming To Switch Online Today
FINALLY
It's official — Game Boy and Game Boy Advance are both coming to Nintendo Switch Online. I think you'll all agree with us when we say — FINALLY! And they're available today. Game Boy is available on the base NSO subscription, while Game Boy Advance is only available via the Expansion Pack. <related ids="92427"> Here are all of...
Soapbox Wario Land 4 Deserves More Love, And Indie Devs Are Doing What Nintendon't
Wario wary? HURRY UP! and play
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Scott ponders how Mario's nemesis number 2 deserves more respect... In the conversation of all-time great video games you have many Nintendo faces who show up near...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel - Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Just how super is it..?
Hi folks, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last time we took a look at one of the Sega Genesis' finest games, Castlevania: Bloodlines (also known as Castlevania: The New Generation). It was a close call and it looked like Japan might have run away with the crown, but ultimately, the North American variant -...
Random Fans Believe They Have Found The Original Wood Used In Mother 3 Logo
Wild spruce chase
Ah, the things that people will do while waiting for a localisation. Though it seems unlikely that Mother 3 will ever officially come to consoles out west, we can at least comfortably say that its fanbase has now discovered every last one of the game's details - right down to the wood used on the logo. Symbolic of Porky's takeover...
