40. Gunstar Super Heroes (GBA)

Gunstar Super Heroes (or Gunstar Future Heroes in Europe) is a sequel that lives up to the prestige of the name it awkwardly sandwiches a 'Super' in the middle of. The gameplay and controls of Treasure's classic 1993 Mega Drive game are altered to work better on the portable, but the result is every bit as compelling, even if it's on the short side and doesn't feature co-op play. As run and gun games go, Gunstar Heroes is up there with the very best. This sequel is also very good — one might even say super.

Or future if you're European and want to be awkward.

39. F-Zero: GP Legend (GBA)

If the story missions in F-Zero: GP Legend become too gruelling, there's always the option of tackling Grand Prix mode across a variety of difficulty tiers, which helps scale up the challenge as your skills improve. Before long you will be snaking your way around eye-watering turns and hazards in an unblinking state, where your muscle memory kicks in and nothing can break your concentration. That is the true F-Zero experience. That the format endures is testament to the series' gripping, yet savage design. With hours of content and challenge, GP Legend is a stellar handheld F-Zero experience.

38. Super Mario Advance (GBA)

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.

37. Astro Boy: The Omega Factor (GBA)

This Treasure-developed take on Osamu Tezuka's classic character was a real looker in the GBA's library — fitting given the prestige of the property and the adoration of manga and anime fans around the world. As opposed to Treasure's usual output, Astro Boy: The Omega Factor is more platforming beat 'em up than run-and-gunner (with a few shmup-style stages thrown in for good measure). It successfully blends traditional manga-style presentation of the characters in dialogue portraits with more rounded 3D-esque sprites and backgrounds for the action. It's a real winner; a licensed game that lives up to the source material.

36. Mario Tennis: Power Tour (GBA)

Veteran developer Camelot proved it was still top seed with this one. With a comprehensive story mode, tight and entertaining tennis gameplay mechanics and a surprising amount of depth, Mario Tennis: Power Tour (or Mario Power Tennis as it's known in Europe) is a winning on-court return for the plumber (and his pals). It's pretty dialogue-heavy, but there’s a deep, rewarding experience to be found underneath all the waffle, with the story mode serving up a satisfying sense of progression from the very beginning to the Game-Set-Match.

35. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team (GBA)

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team may have lacked some of the DS version's useful features, but we enjoyed how these games bridged the GBA/DS hardware divide in an interesting way. Missions tend to play similarly to one another, but a variety of locations and Pokémon (friendly and otherwise) help dull the sense of sameness in this Chunsoft dungeon crawler. As with many games in this genre, the repetitive nature can still drag things down at times, although an interesting plot development usually grabs your attention. It has its faults, but Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team is still an enjoyable game — and one that's easier to find these days on Switch in the form of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX. This, however, is the best version of the game.

34. Mario vs. Donkey Kong (GBA)

Mario vs. Donkey Kong kicked off an entire series that pitted the plumber and the ape against each other for old times' sake. Originally, it was planned as a sequel to the excellent Game Boy version of Donkey Kong and this is the only game in the series that gives you direct control of Mario rather than his Lemming-like Minis. You still guide the Mini-Mazzas here and there, but for the most part you control the plumber in a lovely little platform puzzler which really carries the spirit of the original Donkey Kong with it. It's a good 'un, and there's good reason Nintendo saw fit to bring it back nearly 20 years later with a Switch remake.

33. Drill Dozer (GBA)

While these developers are mainly famous for putting out games infested with Pocket Monsters, Drill Dozer shows that Game Freak is no one-trick Ponyta. The story in this breezy drill-based action platformer will keep you entertained for the duration, as will fine music, decent use of the cartridge's in-built rumble function, and effective sound effects that compliment the gameplay nicely. It's a game that can be cleared quickly, but tracking down all the hidden treasure and clearing the additional levels adds to its longevity and gives you an excuse to return to this fun little GBA title. All-driller, no filler.

32. Mario Golf: Advance Tour (GBA)

Mario Golf: Advance Tour is a fantastic portable golf game and then some. Camelot nailed the mixture of RPG and straight-up golf action in the Game Boy Color entry, and it works this time around, too — so well, in fact, that there's not much need to rely on the stable of Mario characters to flesh out the experience, although we're always happy to join the plumber on the fairway, or for the various minigame modes available.

Throw in multiplayer options and Advance Tour is still worth firing up when tee time comes around.

31. Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA)

Just like it did with the original Game Boy, Konami was an early supporter of the Game Boy Advance, supplying Konami Krazy Racers and Castlevania: Circle of the Moon for the system's launch. The latter gained the most interest back in 2001, largely because it was the first Castlevania to emulate the 'Metroidvania' approach that Symphony of the Night had popularized in 1997, although it's worth noting that the development team was different, with Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe in charge instead of Konami's Toyko studio. Despite some dark visuals (which were frustratingly hard to see on the unilluminated display of the original Game Boy Advance) and some simplified mechanics, Circle of the Moon is a decent attempt at taking the Metroidvania concept into the portable realm; while it pales in comparison to Symphony of the Night and some of its later Metroidvania successors, it's still an entertaining romp, and can be played on modern systems as part of the Castlevania Advance Collection.