Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance brought something of a renaissance to the Japanese strategy market, as it was a handheld that housed several established JRPGs and inspired a litany of new strategy IPs. Due to the system’s limitations, slower-paced, less graphically intense games were preferred on the Advance, which created an explosion of turn-based games filled with expressive sprite work suited to the handheld’s strengths.
There are a bevy of strategy gamesplayable on the GBA right now. Each of these picks provides a different experience for the type of strategy experience a gamer could be seeking; from turn-based to RTS, each selection covers the biggest hits during the GBA’s five-year lifespan.
Tactics Ogreis a long-running strategy series that found a home on the GBA.The Knight of Lodisfunctions as a prequel to the rest of the series. It was the developer Quest Corporation’s last game before they were acquired by SquareSoft (now Square Enix). Curiously, the devs were made to work onFinal Fantasy Tactics, meaning much ofTactics Advance’sDNA can be found in the gameplay ofKnight. In fact,most modern tactics gamesowe their origins toOgre.
The gameplay is extremely traditional sinceTactics Ogrewas the first strategy RPG of its kind. Strategy consists of managing a unit’s position and SP/MP and deciding upon the best time to coordinate an attack. This one is recommended for strategy RPG enthusiasts.
Cult classicAdvance Warswas released on the GBA in 2001. Players assume the role of Orange Star COs Andy, Max, and Sami protecting their country after a foreign invasion of their lands. Despite the subject matter, Advance Wars is chipper in tone, thanks to itscharming, vivid spritesthat help units stand out on the field.
The gameplay is turn-based and is about managing the economy to create more units and overwhelm the opponent. A victor is decided when somebody’s base is captured, or an army is wiped off the map. The game has a wealth of replayability, including a 20-hour campaign, a war-room map selection, and a level editor. Its sequel,Black Hole Rising, was released two years later, innovating further on the series.
Taking inspiration from the likes ofStarCraft, it is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious games released on the console, by virtue of making the strategy real-time instead of turn-based. As a result, the game had to make several compromises with its sound and gameplay features – forgoing the fog of war found in the RTS genre and capping the unit limit to a slim 30.
However, for those looking for a novel, unique experience on the GBA,Mech Platoonis the perfect fit.
Despite not being an official numbered entry,Final Fantasy Tactics Advanceis a beloved entry in the series. Set in the fictional world of Ivalice, the game’s legacy is so enduring thatFinal Fantasy 12made the conscious decision toreturn to IvalicesinceAdvance’sworld-building was so well realized.
Along with an iconic cast and world,Tacticssports one of the most open-ended strategy games on the market, co-opting the job system fromFinal Fantasy 4and integrating it into the game. This means every unit is extremely customizable as one of 34 jobs can be assigned to them. To this day, there has been no reboot or port, but rumors continue to circulate. This is a must-play forFinal Fantasyfans.
The Binding Bladewas the first of what came to be a trilogy of Intelligent Systems GBA role-playing strategy games. It features hot-tempered red-headed protagonist Roy, who is better known in the West forhis role in Smash Brosthan his role in this game.Binding Bladeis considered the most unbalanced of the trilogy due to its weak unit list. For example, Roy cannot be promoted until near the end of the game, whilst most enemy units are a promoted class halfway through.
The Binding Bladewas never officially localized for the West, so English speakers looking for a truly authentic experience on the GBA will have to make do with the Japanese text. Fortunately, Fire Emblem’s sister games did receive an official translation and are more readily available.
The Blazing Bladecame out just a year afterBinding Bladein 2003. Unlike mostFire Emblemgames which take an anthology approach in their sequels, a laFinal Fantasy, Blazing Blade is a prequel to Binding Blade, taking place in the same world.
Gamers play as a trio of royals; Lyn, Hector, and Eliwood – Roy’s father from the previous game. Lyn’s story features an extensive, integrated tutorial that takes players through the game’s mechanics. The tutorial, alongwith the stronger units, is whyBlazing Bladeis considered the most ‘beginner-friendly’ of the series, making this the perfect jumping-on point for gamers looking to get intoFire Emblem.
Rounding off the Fire Emblem GBA trilogy isThe Sacred Stones. The third entry breaks free of its previous setting, taking players to an entirely new world; the continent of Magvel. Gamers play as dual protagonists, Eirika and Ephraim; royal twins with a deep bond.
Sacred Stonesis structured in an open-world approach, allowing players to grind and redo fights on an open map, an idea thatFire Emblem Awakeningwould bring back ten years after Stones’ release. Thanks to the open map structure, fans agree it makes for one of the easiest Fire Emblem games in the series, sanding off the game’s harsher edges that make up its identity. For those looking for a more relaxed, casual Fire Emblem experience, this game is highly recommended.
In Capcom’s spin-off of its ever-popularMega Manseries, players inhabit the life of Lan Hikari who assumes the avatar of MegaMan.exe, who lives in an internet-virtual world, trying to stop the schemes of net-hackers. The series is extremely unique by strategy game standards – originally pitched as a Pokémon-like; the gameplay evolved into a deck-builder with real-time strategy elements that no other franchise has aped.
The gameplay wasrefined with each subsequent entry, makingMega Man Battle Network 6the go-to for most fans. Due to the game’s unique nature, it retains adevoted esports scene, meaning owning a GBA is a must if fans want to partake in the culture.
