The Game Boy Advance represents the finest aspects of handheld gaming, from its stunning and timeless 16-bit-style visuals to the engaging gameplay across multiple genres. It turns out the GBA has a secret as well in its exceptional but underrated multiplayer.
The best multiplayer GBA games show this handheld device does so much more than keep players busy on the go. It connected to other devices through a Link Cable or even on the same device for great multiplayer goodness.
The best multiplayer GBA games succeed when it comes to expanding upon the original gameplay in a fascinating way that makes sense for more than one player. These best multiplayer Game Boy Advance games, in no particular order, feel even better to play alongside someone else.
1. Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Though this entry in the Mario Kart series may not have the strongest graphics in the series, its gameplay still remains stellar. Racing around the track feels smooth and impressive for the limited power of the GBA.
This game feels good enough to play solo, but the challenge of competing against another player shows the true strength of this title. Using items against one another never gets old. The various tracks like Cheep-Cheep Island and Rainbow Road still play well even now.
2. Advance Wars Series
This grid-based strategy series has an intense level of challenge and depth to it, which makes it well worth checking out for multiplayer. The AI gets the job done, but nothing beats battling against another player.
Better yet, players can create and share their own battlefield maps to fight across. This provides limitless hours of multiplayer GBA fun across fan-made locations. So many multiplayer GBA games feature fast-paced or thoughtless design, but this series emphasizes strategy and thinking ahead of moves, which stands out.
3. Kirby & the Amazing Mirror
The beauty of this particular Kirby game comes from the extensive exploration style of it. It eschews the usual 2D linear platforming for a more Metroidvania-style experience.
This style works well in multiplayer, with the ability to call in a friend to play alongside the player. Though the game is pretty easy, there is much more enjoyment to be found transforming, exploring, and battling alongside a friend. This style helps with the ease of difficulty in the game, which gets a bit bland solo but far more enjoyable and chaotic with another player.
4. WarioWare Inc: Mega Microgames!
The introduction to this minigame series featuring Wario got its start on the GBA. The entire experience revolves around blasting through minigames that only last for a few seconds.
This short burst style sets itself up well for multiplayer. Players pass around or play on the same GBA console to pick noses and do other random, hilarious minigames together. Players don’t even need a second console or game. This fascinating control method offers one of the cheapest ways to play multiplayer on the GBA.
5. Pokémon Emerald
The best of the Pokémon games on the GBA also happens to have some of the strongest multiplayer compatibility on the entire system. Players can battle their favorite Pokémon against one another and also trade.
Trading offers one of the most unique multiplayer experiences on the GBA. Pokémon someone wasn’t able to get, such as a starter, can be traded with another player, which encourages multiplayer more than most games. This title has the right mix of cooperation with its trading and competition with battles, so every multiplayer fan has something to appreciate.
6. Mario Tennis: Power Tour
This tennis game represents the finest example of this particular sport on the GBA. It has the lightning fast serves and volleys the sport is known for, with plenty of freedom to pick between one-on-one and even two-on-two duels.
The multiplayer side of this tennis game expands upon the game with true challenge. Players who think the AI feels too easy to beat should compete against a real person. The swift pace of the matches will challenge players’ control of the small GBA handheld to the max.
7. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords
For the purposes of this list, we are going to ignore A Link to the Past in this dual package, which is an excellent solo experience. Instead, Four Swords brought multiplayer to this series in a major way.
Players could connect with up to three other players to all play as Link. Exploring dungeons, battling bosses, and solving puzzles feels so much better with friends and family. Even now, no other pure Zelda multiplayer experience exists with this level of quality, so it feels like a hidden gem on the GBA.
8. Shining Soul
This stunning Sega game features some of the most challenging, rich, and deep-action RPG multiplayer gameplay on the system. Players pick between four classes and explore various dungeons to save the world.
All of these features sound ripe for a grand solo time, but the catch is players can check it out with another person. Traversing the various dungeons with different classes than a friend feels like the best way to play this. This ground-breaking multiplayer dungeon-crawler feels like a Diablo-like game on the Game Boy Advance that owners need to check out.
9. Street Fighter Alpha 3
Somehow, Capcom was able to make this gorgeous retro style fighting game work all in handheld form on the GBA. This includes various combos, moves, and the different fighters.
This port of the Street Fighter series also means it has phenomenal multiplayer potential. Two players can battle it out against one another to see who will come out on top. There is something quite special and unique about the look and feel of this arcade cabinet-like multiplayer experience but in the palm of the player’s hands.
10. Mario Golf: Advance Tour
The best golfing game on the Game Boy Advance also has plenty of room for multiplayer. We appreciate the relaxing nature of this competitive game. Players don’t have to worry about fast button presses or anything like that.
Instead, players take turns swinging across the various holes to do their best at this in-depth golfing experience. Players who want something chill should check this out. This game has a fascinating position as right in the middle of most multiplayer games on this list. This GBA golfing game has the competitive nature of other sports games but with a laidback atmosphere to boot.
11. Mario Party Advance
The entire Mario Party experience comes to the GBA in this handheld form. The bite-sized minigames and board game-like experience work well on the system.
Better yet, it has multiplayer capabilities as well. Though the multiplayer isn’t as deep as it could be, it at least lets players play 12 different minigames through a Link Cable. This entry doesn’t have the usual multiplayer board game experience, but it makes up for that with some of the most fun multiplayer standalone minigames in the series’ history.
12. Bomberman Tournament
Bomberman has plenty of games on the GBA, but this one is the strongest for its use of the classic maze-style gameplay for its multiplayer portions. It also has a timeless retro look, which stands out even today.
Players throw their bombs to blow up walls and locate the power-ups and other players in the maze. The fast-paced nature of this action multiplayer title keeps players on their toes. The swiftness of these matches only last a couple minutes at best, putting players in a loop of wanting to keep playing more and more.
13. ChuChu Rocket
This port of the Dreamcast classic doesn’t have online play, but it makes up for this with its Link Cable local multiplayer possibilities. Players only need one game cartridge to battle against up to three others.
More than 2,500 puzzles exist in the game for players to compete in multiplayer to see who can help the little rats escape the fastest, making for endless fun. The sheer variety and depth of content in this game means plenty of chances to come back and keep playing more with friends and family.
14. Sonic Advance 3
This iteration of the Sonic series has the usual Genesis-level 2D graphics and excellent worlds to explore. This game gets better when a second player joins in and plays as one of the five characters.
The lightning-fast movement and pace of this game takes some adjusting in multiplayer, but it has its own unique blend of cooperation and challenge that is missing in solo play. Bosses, exploration, and even collecting rings feel so much better with a friend.
15. F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
No other racing game on the GBA feels like this one. The futuristic racing title lets players zip across the maps at unbelievable speeds that question how the little handheld handles it.
The game gets even wilder in multiplayer, as two or more players launch themselves throughout the sci-fi levels at breakneck speeds. It may not be the best multiplayer racing game, but it has the most challenge. Players bored with other similar multiplayer racing titles on the GBA should check this one out for a fun and possibly frustrating time.
16. Super Monkey Ball Jr.
This unique platforming experience tried to emulate the 3D stylings of the core console games, and it worked quite well. Various party games and minigames exist for up to two players to battle in.
For instance, the minigame Monkey Duel has the usual gameplay of guiding the little monkey in the marble ball through the levels to the end as fast as possible. But other goofier multiplayer experiences exist as well, like fighting each other in duels. This title packs so many multiplayer modes for players to check out, which feels a step above other multiplayer GBA games.
17. Harvest Moon 2 GBC
This farming simulator has one of the richest solo experiences on the GBA through backwards compatibility. However, it holds an intriguing secret with its multiplayer options.
The various fish and insects the player collected in their single-player game could be traded to other players through a Link Cable. This gave this farming sim a more connected, Pokémon-like vibe to it. Even now, this series feels closed-off and more single-player focused, so this stands out as one of the few exceptions to that.
18. Dr. Mario & Puzzle League
Tetris exists on the GBA, but our favorite puzzle game comes from this collection of two phenomenal, challenging puzzle titles. Dr. Mario, for instance, has players connect same-colored pills together to clear rows.
Both of these games have a plethora of multiplayer options, including only needing one cartridge in some cases. Players could battle against others to make the opposing player fill out their side of the screen completely and lose. The multiplayer experience has the right mix of reflex-heavy gameplay and tactical focus, which helps it stand out on the GBA.
19. Rayman 3
This stunning 2D platforming game from Ubisoft works well on the GBA. Unfortunately, the bad news is the multiplayer for this game only works for the various minigames in the title and not the core levels.
That said, the positive news is these minigames play quite well with another person. Bumper cars, for instance, lets players race or try to hit each other into the lava. Tag is another great multiplayer mode where players play the game of tagging each other before the time runs out in various maps.
These multiplayer modes push the boundaries of the title’s 2D graphics and gameplay, showcasing its best parts in the process.
20. Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo
The competitive nature of this puzzle game meets Street Fighter is there for those who already mastered the other similar games on the system. It plays out much like the usual puzzle games of clearing rows faster than the opponent.
However, the depth in this multiplayer game comes from being able to send blocks to the opponent throughout the match to make it harder for them and, hopefully, finish them off faster.
Players who adore fighting games and Tetris alike need to play this game with someone else. The gameplay carries the swift nature of fighting games with the thoughtful strategy of a puzzle title.
21. Ultimate Brain Games
Oftentimes, the multiplayer GBA games have limited modes and options. That isn’t the case for this collection of eight different challenging games. It includes the classics like chess, checkers, and even a form of Battleship.
The sheer variation of these games and the ability to play them with another person can keep players busy with this title alone. Players only need this single game to have plenty of variety and multiplayer fun for limitless hours.
If two pals get bored with one game, they can switch to another and keep the fun going. This variety gives this game a staying power no other multiplayer game on the GBA has.
