Whether you look at the very early days of the NES with games like Silver Surfer or Battletoads, or check out some of the current popular titles, like Elden Ring or Lies of P. Every generation has had games that were considered hard for an average player.
Speaking of the different gaming generations, we cannot fail to mention the beloved handheld, the Game Boy Advance. This was a 32-bit system that was not only home to some of the most beloved games, such as Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire and Zelda: Minish Cap, but also some of the most challenging games, including the Mega Man Zero series.
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Interestingly, despite having its own catalog, the Game Boy Advance also got several ports of some of the hardest SNES games, like Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts. So, irrespective of whether the game was a port of an older title or something new, here are the 10 hardest GBA games of all time.
10
Metroid Fusion
A New Kind Of Challenge For Samus
Let us begin this list with an odd entry: Metroid Fusion. If you are thinking Metroid games typically aren’t known for being difficult, then you are right.
What makes Fusion a worthy pick for this list is that, despite being more linear, the game increased its challenge with the addition of platforming elements. Even the enemy placement is interesting, and if you don’t absorb them quickly after killing, they reform, forcing you to fight again.
This may not feel like a challenge, but when you are already low on health, dealing with even simple mobs can become a pain. Not to mention, when compared to other games in the series, it has some pretty challenging bosses, like Serris X, Gedo X, Nightmare X, Neo Ridley, and more.
While you still get your usual upgrades, like Morph Ball, Charge Beam, and Super Missile, Metroid Fusion is the only game to have Diffusion missile.
9
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Ally Died? Time To Reload Your Save
One word: Permadeath. For those who don’t know, in a game that has a permadeath system, whenever your party members die in a mission, they stay dead for the rest of the playthrough.
While both the Fire Emblem games for the GBA have this mechanism, what makes Sacred Stones stand out from Blazing Blade is that this game lets you choose Difficult mode right from the start.
Another thing that makes this entry special is that, unlike the previous titles, after reaching level 10, you now have multiple options when choosing to evolve a class. For example, you can choose whether you wish to promote your Mercenary to a Hero or a Ranger.
Additionally, Sacred Stones also offers players some extra post-game dungeons. So, you still have more things to do even after the story is over.
Finally, what makes this game more impressive than Blazing Blade is its story; you also get to fight several monsters, like Revenants, Cyclops, Gargoyles, and more. This adds variety to the enemies that you get to fight.
8
Ninja Five-O
This Is My Ninja Way
If you love action-platformers, then Ninja Five-O is a game that you definitely shouldn’t sleep on. Back in the day, Konami had a knack for delivering such challenging games, and this is yet another masterpiece that will keep you engaged for hours.
We follow the ninja Joe Osugi, who is tasked to stop the terrorists controlled by the Mad Masks. Your goal is to rescue the hostages across the three different stages and defeat the boss.
The good thing is this game has an easy mode, which isn’t exactly easy, but it will help you get used to the game’s controls and learn how to fight different enemies.
Move aside, Spider-Man, this game has some of the best swinging action. You can also slide on the ground, and the game gives you three levels of power for your character. At level 2, you shoot firebombs, and at level 3, you unleash a beam that should eliminate most normal enemies in one hit.
Dying, however, means losing all your progress, and since there are no checkpoints, you must rescue all the hostages and collect the keys for every door from the beginning.
You should try ending the stage in full health and with power-ups, as it gets carried over to the next stage.
7
Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX
Contra III Meets Hard Corps
This is a weird entry because, for the most part, this game feels like a remaster of Contra III. However, it replaces two of its stages and bosses with the ones from Contra Hard Corps.
You still get your classic Contra action, but as this is a port for the GBA, the game removes some crucial features, such as the ability to hold two power-ups and bombs, due to the lack of X and Y buttons. You also don’t get the slide kick from Contra Hard Corps, so fighting certain bosses becomes an extra challenge.
But, possibly the worst aspect of this game has to be the super-small invincibility window when you respawn. If you aren’t careful, falling into a pit or getting hit by the enemy will have you die just seconds after you respawn.
Overall, this isn’t a bad game and is an excellent option for those who missed out on Contra 3 and Hard Corps. However, if you ever get the chance to play the originals, you should definitely do so.
6
Mega Man & Bass
A Port Not For The Faint Of Heart
There aren’t many games that can get as frustrating as Mega Man when it comes to action-platforming. While this game was originally designed for the SNES, its port for the GBA introduces additional challenges due to certain restrictions, making it a worthy addition to this list.
If you fought the first boss, the Green Devil, you will be tricked into thinking this is an easy game, as it doesn’t even pose half the challenge of what the Yellow Devil had to offer.
But as soon as you choose the next level, the difficulty spikes up. The good news is that it branches out, so you get to pick your poison.
However, regardless of whether you choose to fight Cold Man, Astro Man, or Ground Man, each boss has plenty of traps like disappearing platforms, suddenly appearing enemies, quicksand, and more in store for you.
Many people are split on the songs for the game’s GBA port and prefer the SNES version over it. However, generally, the extra button for easier dash, paired with the fact that you can see more things around, makes people choose the original over it.
No More Countdown
Metal Slug is one of the oldest run-and-gun games of all time, featuring several memorable characters, including Marco, Eri, Tarma, Fio, and more.
Metal Slug Advance for the GBA introduces two new heroes, Walter Ryan and Tyra Elson, for you to play as. What starts as a survival training camp turns into a crucial assignment, where the recruits must stop General Morden and his troops from building a new base.
This game introduced two new changes to the series. First, there is the life system, where, instead of dying immediately after taking a hit, you now have a health bar that depletes at varying rates depending on the type of attack that hits you.
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The second notable change was the introduction of a new card system. You now receive different cards from the hostages and the stage.
The thing that made this game a worthy challenge is that, unlike the previous games, when you die, you get a countdown and can continue from the exact spot of your death. You now restart from a checkpoint.
It may not seem like a tough game at first, but after dying to the first boss countless times, you will realize that it is not going to be a walk in the park.
4
Mega Man Zero
Wait, This Isn’t The Mr. X That I Know
When it comes to difficulty, Mega Man games need no introduction, and Mega Man Zero is no exception. It has an intense start where we witness the resistance being hunted by the Neo-Arcadian forces. But they can’t stop because Dr. Ciel and the others need the help of the legendary Reploid, Zero.
Dr. Ciel manages to awaken Zero with the help of Passy. The two now escape, and the fight ends with Zero destroying the Golem. Once back at the Base, Ciel requests that Zero help the resistance fight off his former friend X, the one with whom Zero saved the world 100 years ago.
Mega Man Zero, just like the other games in the series, has plenty of interesting levels. But the one thing that has to be its selling point has to be its unique bosses.
Many of them are based on historical figures from various mythologies. Not only do they have several interesting moves, but also some of their stages pair really well with these bosses. The best example of this is your fight with Anubis Necromancess, which takes place in a desert.
The boss makes use of sand to make moving pillars, and as a necromancer, he summons his minions to keep you busy while he can attack you with his staff. This is just one example: Mega Man Zero has a lot of other memorable fights in store for you.
3
Astro Boy: Omega Factor
Don’t Let Its Cute Art Style Fool You
Astro Boy: Omega Factor is one of the best beat ’em ups that you can play on the GBA. The story begins with a car accident in which Tobio dies. But unable to let go of his son, Dr. Tenma revives him as a robot.
Dr. O’Shay walks you through the basic controls and teaches you about all your different powers. Astro can not only punch or kick, but also has other abilities, like using rocket power to fly and finger lasers to use in normal fights.
You also get special moves like a high-powered laser attack for when you want to target a single enemy. And a machine gun that fires everywhere to take care of all the enemies on the screen.
The game also encourages you to meet more people so that you can level up your different stats like health, strength, sensors, and more.
Just like plenty of other GBA games, you can play this game in easy mode. But when you are willing to test your skills and are up for a challenge, the hard mode will keep you busy.
2
Yggdra Union
A Tactical RPG Unlike The Others
The Game Boy Advance was home to a lot of tactical RPGs, like Final Fantasy, Advance Wars, Super Robot Wars, and more. However, few games offer as complex a system as Yggdra Union does.
For starters, unlike other games, the cards here play a very crucial role. So, while other games let the characters in your party have individual movement, the number of spaces that your party members can move in Yggdra Union is shared by all and is dictated by the card you use for that turn.
If that wasn’t enough, you even have to match the Ace, which is the card’s weapon, with the character’s primary weapon in your party, which you are planning to move first. If the two match, they can use their special move.
There are several other smaller details that you need to keep in mind while playing so that you can make the most of your cards. If you still want more challenge, then simply matching the winning conditions isn’t enough; you also need to complete the battle within the given moves while maintaining your team’s morality.
Despite the detailed gameplay system, Yggdra Union boasts a beautiful and mature story. Something that you would expect from a GBA game. If you like playing Tactical RPGs, Yggdra Union is a must-play!
1
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Not A Belmont Family Feud For A Change
While Aria of Sorrow may be considered the best Castlevania game for the GBA, if you are looking for a fair yet difficult challenge, Circle of the Moon is the one that you should go for.
Circle of the Moon was released first among the three, so it reasonably had some things that needed to be worked upon. For example, the lack of shops is one of the major issues that most players feel angry about, and it is pretty justified.
Its story starts with Camilla resurrecting Dracula. Since the villain didn’t come back to life at full power, he plans on using his nemesis Morris Baldwin’s life to get back his powers. You play as Nathan, who gets separated from his master by falling to the depths of the castle.
If you have been playing retro Castlevania games like Dracula X, Bloodlines, or others of its type, this game will feel a lot different. It abandons linear gameplay to adopt a design that more closely resembles Symphony of the Night.
The music in this game feels nice. This game also has an experience and leveling system, so the more enemies you defeat, the stronger Nathan gets.
In true Metroidvania fashion, there is going to be a lot of backtracking as you defeat more bosses to unlock new powers. The double-tap to sprint feature makes platforming in certain areas significantly harder than it needs to be. But what truly makes this game worthy of this spot is the difficulty spike when you reach closer to the end game.
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