Topic: Software library, how does the GBA compare to the SNES? Any hidden gems?

I just start collecting for both systems, and although I already have a decent amount of SNES games, my GBA library is starting from scratch, in fact, I have no prior experience with the system. Despite that, I think the GBA may be a good compliment for the SNES, given that you can now play GBA games via your SNES with cartridge console clones (not with rom SD cards, I don't really believe in that),..........and also the obvious, although the GBA is a 32bit system, it more or less comes off as a continuation of the 16 bit era. On the upside as well, GBA cartridges are still cheap while the SNES is demanding more and more for select titles.

So far I have ordered the following.........
-Racing Gears Advance
-Metal Slug Advance
-Final Fight One
-Street Fighter II: Turbo Revival
-Sonic Advance 1
-Sonic Advance 2
-Sonic Advance 3
-Donkey Kong Country
-Donkey Kong Country 2
-Donkey Kong Country 3
-Advance Wars
-Kirby Nightmare in Dream Land
-Super Mario Advance
-Super Mario Advance 2
-Super Mario Advance 3
-Super Mario Advance 4

Any other recommendations though? I'm mostly interested in platforming titles, shoot em ups, beat em ups, fighting games, racing games, and simulation / strategy or very light RPG types (Harvest Moon, Zelda, Advance Wars).........no 80+ hour JPRG's chocked full of dialogue however..........

That's a nice list of games to start with, and the GBA's lineup (despite having so many ports) compares pretty well to the SNES. I'd also like to throw in Metroid Fusion, Metroid: Zero Mission, and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap as recommendations.

Astro Boy: Omega Factor is a game I would highly recommend. It's a very good shoot-em-up/beat-em-up game.

@Storytime7 I do have the Metroid titles and the Minish Cap on my radar......as well as the two western F-Zero titles and Mario Kart: Super Circuit.

@kkslider5552000 I'm guessing you don't have to be a fan of the series to enjoy it? Personally, I'm not, but I may have to check it out.

final fantasy tactics

hmm all three Castlevania titles, Top Gear Rally, GT Advance1,2,3, Iridion 1,2, WarioLand4 just to name a few shooters, racers,platformers and slight rpg's

I had only seen a single episode of the 2003 anime before playing it so yes. The story's actually good even if you don't know anything about the series but even if it wasn't, the gameplay alone makes it worth playing.

None except the RPGs you're explicitly not fond of. Though I guess since Omega Factor needed to be mentioned, your definition of "hidden" gems might be different...in which case I'll mention both Klonoa games and Dril Dozer.

Super Mario RPG was the only RPG I ever truly fell in love with, so yeah, I'm not a big fan of the genre. What is Omega Factor?

Omega Factor is the Astro Boy game mentioned earlier in this thread.

Kuru Kuru Kururin, one of the first games on the system but i loved it.

@sub12 Astro Boy: Omega Factor is a side-scrolling action game by Treasure. It's awesome, regardless of whether or not you have any clue who Astro Boy or Osamu Tezuka are (I didn't).

I would say those games are pretty hidden. I mean...no one talks about them really. I remember when the first Klonoa game came out on Wii U's VC, the Miiverse page was dead after like 2 weeks.

Shame on you people not mentioning Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga. I happen to think it the best game on the system!

I just "beat" that game yesterday with save states. The final boss was so annoying that I made a save state every time I successfully dodged an attack and I was literally making a new save state every 2 seconds. Same thing with that jump rope game with the 2 hammer bros. I was making a new save state every time I successfully jump over the rope so it was like 20 save states created in one mini game. It was a great game but tsome battles and mini games are just too frustrating.

Dragon Ball Advanced Adventure
Shining Force
Mega Man Zero Series
Gunstar Super Heroes
Starfy 3
Wario Land 4
Yoshi's Island
Mega Man & Bass
Contra Alien Wars
Super Ghouls n Ghosts
Steel Empire

Gunstar Super Heroes
River City Ransom EX
Iridion II
WarioWare Twisted!
Mario vs Donkey Kong
Boktai: The Sun Is In Your Hands
Gradius Galaxies
Phalanx

Honestly, I don't see much of any talk about GBA games that aren't Minish Cap, Metroid Fusion, Fire Emblem (but Sacred Stones tends to fall to the wayside), or Golden Sun these days (and Golden Sun usually gets mentioned by the same 2 people). But before the 3DS came out (and a little while afterwords thanks to the Ambassador Program), there were lots of GBA games people talked about. Omega Factor used to be up there with Okami as the poster boy of awesome games that sold terribly and fell into mild obscurity. Heck, OF and Gunstar Heroes were the main reasons Treasure had such a hard following around the net. Now look at them...they're making cash-in kid's games for Capcom, and not the super-awesome-fun kind...

But I guess Klonoa doesn't get much love despite the occasionally vocal fan...and despite Drill Dozer always coming up in every "underrated game thread" I've seen, it's usually only once or twice and then its quickly forgotten...I mean, we're talking about a game people could easily buy in Wal-Marts as late as 2010, and still nobody would buy it...

@CanisWolfred I think if the box art had been 85% "From the makers of Pokémon!" complete with drawings of Pikachu and everything, Drill Dozer might have sold a little better.

You might want to give the Megaman Battle Network games a try. They are a different type of RPG, you will always have an action packed time with those.