The following ranked list of the NSO GBA library is compiled using the User Ratings (out of 10) given to each GBA game available to play on Switch in the West. This ranking is not set in stone and will automatically fluctuate over time depending on assigned User Ratings (and new additions to the NSO library, of course — we’ll add those in as they are released).
Think a game below deserves to be higher up on the list? Simply click on the ‘star’ button and score it yourself — your personal rating could boost its placement in the overall ranking. The number of GBA games is small at the moment, but there’s no denying the quality and there are more on the way.
Note. Expecting to see Mother 3 on this list now it’s technically available via Switch Online? Well, it’s Japan-only at the moment, and this list only covers GBA games released in the West. We’ve still got our fingers crossed for an official localisation at some point.
So, let’s dive into the GBA games playable on Nintendo Switch, as ranked by you…
Returning to the flat tracks and tight power-sliding gameplay of the original Super Mario Kart, the GBA was capable of replicating SNES-like performance — it certainly wasn’t up to the tech standard of the N64 or GameCube — so Mario Kart Super Circuit ended up feeling like the Super Mario Kart sequel we never got on Nintendo’s 16-bit console. Sure, the visual style has arguably aged worse than the SNES version, but this pint-sized speed-fest packs in plenty of content. The fun foundation was there at the very beginning of the series and it’s definitely present in the GBA entry.
While the 3DS Ambassador and Wii U Virtual Console re-releases lacked the multiplayer features of the original, the Nintendo Switch Online version thankfully rectifies that situation if multiplayer is your thing (which, with Mario Kart, it really should be). No need for link cables these days! Super Circuit still holds up well and serves as a great ‘successor’ to the SNES original, if that’s your favourite MK flavour.
The first handheld entry in the series, F-Zero Maximum Velocity still holds up today as a result of its smooth, skill-based gameplay. There may only be four cups in which to compete, but the varied difficulty and surprisingly steep learning curve when it comes to mastering the vehicles and tracks make this a game you want to keep coming back to. It doesn’t rank with the absolute best of the series, perhaps, but this is undoubtedly well-made and impresses in the technical department, delivering an enjoyable dose of the franchise that also really highlights what the last Game Boy could do.
This GBA launch title may start off a little too easy but that’s about all you can fault with Kuru Kuru Kururin. It won’t take you long to clear every level, but doing it without error is a challenge and you’ll love every minute as you guide a big ol’ constantly rotating stick (sorry, Helirin) around tricky, colourful courses.
With plenty of environmental variety and some terrific music, there’s a lot of enjoyment from simply improving your times on the various courses. Kuru Kuru Kururin is one of the GBA’s most delightful treats and perfect for portable play — a brilliantly fun little game that’s a bit different from the norm.
While the Metroid-esque gameplay is a refreshing change of pace for the Kirby series and works well in some parts, it also fails in others. The Metroid games have backtracking as well, yes, but it’s not nearly as frequent and annoying as it is in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror. The multiplayer features are optional, but the game was arguably designed around the multiple Kirby aspect and it’s at its best with other people.
The first of the GBA’s Super Mario platformer ports (and the one that kicked off the most convoluted naming convention in gaming history), Super Mario Advance brought Super Mario Bros. 2 to the GBA in the 16-bit style of Super Mario All-Stars. With the ability to choose between four characters carrying over from the original, it gained a point system in addition to its facelift, as well as several collectibles to find throughout each stage. Overall, it’s still one of the best ways to revisit the game, and you also get the remake of original Mario Bros. bundled in — that little multiplayer bonus would feature on multiple other entries in this GBA port series going forward.
With its deep exploration-based gameplay and gorgeous art style, Yoshi’s Island is still a joy to play all these years later — it’s a platformer with considerable depth and challenge. Exploring is made fun thanks to Yoshi’s egg-based abilities and collecting everything will require a gargantuan effort, but it’s never less than immensely entertaining (provided you can put up with Baby Mario’s whining). The smaller canvas of the handheld screen inevitably reduces the impact of the SNES original’s incredible pastel-shaded world, but this remains one of Nintendo’s 2D platforming finest efforts. If you’ve never played it before (or have a hankering to go through it all again), the GBA version is a fine one.
Golden Sun is a fine RPG, perfecting the classic formula whilst introducing unique mechanics of its own. An intriguing setting, likeable characters, and gripping story are the bread-and-butter of any good RPG, and Camelot doesn’t disappoint on those fronts. The first few hours are a slog, but stick with it and you’ll be rewarded with a rich, deep RPG that desperately deserves a modern-day instalment.
The microgames on offer in WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! may be simple affairs, but the frantic, fast–paced and challenging experience that results from knitting them together in quick succession is incredibly addictive, and Wario’s patented brand of mania is well suited to a handheld. It isn’t the longest game, and beyond the single-player mode there isn’t much else to do, but it’s stuffed full of magical, creative moments, not to mention an abundance of that classic Nintendo nostalgia and charm.
Also known as Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, this was the very first entry to come to the West and is actually a prequel to the Japan-only Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade which starred series stalwart Roy. The Blazing Blade (or just plain old Fire Emblem if you prefer) follows Roy’s old man Eliwood and served as a thoroughly decent introduction to the series for us Westerners, the majority of whom had been wondering about the series after seeing Roy and Marth as fighters in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
