Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, &Emerald, as well as Pokemon FireRed &LeafGreen, are the Game Boy Advance releases that every single fan of the series knows about and loves. Despite releasing nearly two decades ago, both titles and their regions have been remade and revamped for newer consoles such as the 3DS and Nintendo Switch. That said, there are still a few obscure Pokemon titles for the Game Boy Advance that every die-hard fan of the series should play.
5 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team
Metascore: 67 User Score: 8. 2
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team was one of the first Pokemon Mystery Dungeon titles to have been released. The game was released alongside its counterpart, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team. However, Blue Rescue Team is only available on the Nintendo DS while Red Rescue Team is solely playable on Game Boy Advance.
The Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series is extremely well-liked by fans, explaining its drastic critic-versus-user ranking. The story and characters that the game builds up, along with its unique dungeon-crawler mechanics make for an easily enjoyed and replayable experience that both young and old players will love. That said, the main story is extremely short compared to future installments of the series, and its gameplay can get extremely challenging in post-game due to the level gap that players are left at once the main story ends.
The central gameplay of taking on rescue missions and saving certain creatures from the treacherous and daunting dungeons is charming and fun, however, it can get repetitive especially when players find themselves going through missions to obtain extra items and grind for levels.
4 Pokemon Emerald
Metascore: 76 User Score: 8. 9
Interestingly enough, Pokemon Emerald is ranked much lower than other Pokemon titles for the Game Boy Advance. Despite the love it received from the community, critics were not as fond of the third installment of the previously released games, Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire.
Pokemon Emerald is virtually the same as the previous Generation III games, with the same story and characters as Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire. That said, there are small differences littered throughout the game that those who have played all three versions will absolutely notice. Pokemon Emerald introduced slightly animated sprites, graphical enhancements, different clothing for the two protagonists, more double battles, and the ability to catch a wider variety of creatures than what was available in Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire.
3 Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire
Metascore: 81 User Score: 7. 8
Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire is the second Pokemon Pinball game, the first being released for the Game Boy Color in 1999. Many players enjoyed the first game for its laid-back nature, allowing players the ability to step out of the stressful battles and strategizing they would find in the mainstream games and just play some pinball. The mechanics of Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire are enjoyable and easy to learn, with players catching new Pokemon by honing their pinball skills in order to complete challenges and capture them.
That said, many critics found that the gameplay was identical, perhaps even easier, to that of the first Pokemon Pinball, with the inclusion of even more monsters to capture making the game more time-consuming than it is actually challenging.
2 Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen
Metascore: 81 User Score: 8. 5
Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen were remakes of the original three games, Pokemon Red, Blue & Green. The two Game Boy Advance releases were Game Freak’s first attempt at a remake of any one of the Pokemon games. That said, the reception of Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen has been rather chipper and welcomed. The story from the original games stays mostly the same, with the advancements of these games mostly focusing on graphical updates and the option to play as a female protagonist (which was a feature that was notably absent from the original games).
All that said, for players looking to relive the Generation I experience with updated graphics and smoothed-out, easier mechanics, Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen are the perfect experience. However, for those looking for a revamped take on the original story and monsters that many came to know and love, these games don’t really add much more story or immersive depth than what was originally implemented.
1 Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire
Metascore: 82 User Score: 8. 5
Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire are the highest-scoring Pokemon games for the Game Boy Advance, as far as critic ratings go. These two were the first Pokemon games ever released for the Game Boy Advance and subsequently have become the most communally coveted and beloved. Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire have remained some of the most loved games in the franchise, sparking their remakes, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, to be released for the Nintendo 3DS.
The two games are graphically enhanced compared to the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, and include a variety of new creatures, items, and characters all set in an entirely new region called “Hoenn.” Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire also were the first games to introduce the double battle mechanic, which has become a staple in competitive battling ever since its debut.
All that said, a few critics here and there found that the cut-and-paste formula being used to create Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire was getting a bit outdone, with the same mechanics and basic storylines being used for Pokemon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, and Crystal.
More: Pokemon: All the Similarities and Differences Between Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald
