Summary
The launch of theGame Boy Advancein 2001 welcomed the new century with a vast upgrade for portable consoles, ushering in a new era of handheld devices for gamers back in the day. Accompanying the GBA are games that equally made their mark in mobile experiences, with some of them being RPGs boasting a few solid hours’ worth of entertainment.
However, some of the GBA’s RPG offerings have become more challenging than players anticipate. Those looking for the most complex RPGs for the Game Boy Advance should expect multiple reloads and potential resets, especially since some handheld titles have proven ruthless to GBA players.
10Dokapon: Monster Hunter
Players who want a more fantasy take on thePokemonexperience should tryDokapon: Monster Hunter. Set in Poponga on Dokkano Island, players create an aspiring adventurer who wants to achieve their monster hunting license by completing missions. While equipped with trust weapons like inMonster Hunter,Dokaponhas a creature capture mechanic that allows them to use monsters they captured as party members to fight other foes.
Whileothers criticizeDokaponfor its lack of story and primary gameplay loop, the game does try to innovate the RPG genre. Combat in the game is a hybridized rock-papers-scissors experience, requiring some tactical maneuvering on the part of players. However, what makesDokaponboth challenging and frustrating is that dying in the game means losing all of the character’s possessions, with an autosave after death disabling opportunities to reload saves.
9Final Fantasy Legend 2
WhileFinal Fantasy Legend 2carries theFinal Fantasyhandle, the Square title is not related to the acclaimed franchise. Instead,Final Fantasy Legend 2is the international release ofSaGa 2: The Treasure Legend, another franchise. Although Square attached theFinal Fantasyname to theSaGa 2release, it’s not a slouch regarding gameplay. Set in a sci-fi world,Final Fantasy Legend 2tasks players to travel worlds connected by the Pillar of Sky to find powerful stones.
Despite offering stapleFinal Fantasymechanics,Final Fantasy Legend 2provides a more challenging experience. On top of weapon durability, randomness in both encounters and leveled-up statistics can force players to grind for units to meet their maximum efficiency. Its straightforward combat demands a bit of planning on the part of players to succeed, especially in later levels.
Essentiallya port ofFinal Fantasy 6for the Game Boy Advance,Final Fantasy 6 Advancestill tells the story of the amnesiac half-esper Terra as she explores the game’s steampunk-inspired world to find answers about her origins. As with other classicFinal Fantasygames,Final Fantasy 6 Advancecarries over the series tradition of Job-switching for efficient builds, Desperation Attacks at lower HP, and grinding to make fights easier.
However, the game features its fair share of innovations, such as Relics, which adds effects to attacks, and Magicite, which gives its wielder access to special spells. WhileFinal Fantasy 6plays like a traditionalFinal Fantasygame, its speed-based Active Time Battle system, coupled with monsters with unique patterns, can make certain game sections much harder than players anticipate.
As the solo version of the Generation 3 slate ofPokemongames,Pokemon Emeraldagain occurs in the Hoenn Region as players work their way from newcomer Pokemon Trainer to Pokemon Master. As with other games,Pokemon Emeraldgameplay allows players toexplore Hoenn Region, capture Pokemon, and even level them up according to their preference.
However, while overleveling a Pokemon can make combat much easier, restrictions such as playing within the same level range of an enemy Trainer or Nuzlocke rules makePokemon Emeraldone of the most challenging games in the series. Mechanics-wise,Emeraldalso demonstrates a difficulty spike across Generation 3 titles, courtesy of upgraded Gym matches, more common Double Battles, and rematches with Gym Leaders with Double Battles that feature non-Hoenn Pokemon.
6Yggdra Union
Despite featuring childish sprites and cheerful music,Yggdra Unionboasts one of the most complex battle systems compared to its siblings in theDept. Heavenseries. Starring runaway Princess Yggdra, the young heiress must wage war to reclaim her besieged nation of Fantasia from the Bronquian Empire. However, whereYggdra Unionappeals to hardcore fans is its gameplay that blends tactical RPGs and card games.
Matches inYggdra Unionoccur in a grid board where participants can only attack once per turn. Key to this premise are Unions, or formations of different units with their stats. Players can manipulate battle with skills that grant bonuses and other effects thanks to cards. These mechanics combined can make for a deep RPG experience, especially with the game’s rather complicated stages.
5Castlevania: Circle Of The Moon
WhileAria of Sorrowmay be considered the most critically acclaimedCastlevaniaentry among its Game Boy Advance titles,Castlevania: Circle of the Moonis the hardest of the series offerings. Set in 1830, the series newcomer Nathan Graves arms himself with the Hunter Whip, secondary weapons, and unique movement options to banish Dracula. The game also features a Dual Set-up System mechanic that lets players mix and match two cards to unleash powerful magic attacks.
However, compared to otherCastlevaniaentries,Circle of the Moon,even on normal, could be punishing for playersgiven overall low item drop rates, rare healing items, and limited movement options. While unique DDS combos can break the game at this difficulty, Nathan still needs help finding their constituent cards.
4Rebelstar: Tactical Command
Fans ofX-COMmay want to dip their toes intoRebelstar: Tactical Command, a Game Boy Advance entry of theRebelstarseries, another franchise also designed by Julian Gollop. Set in the 2100s, youngster Jorel leads a human resistance against the colonizing Arelian race. While boasting an anime aesthetic similar toFinal Fantasy Tactics, the gameplay ofRebelstar: Tactical Commandgives a unique take on the turn-based tactics formula.
As withX-COM, players ofRebelstaruse action points to accomplish all aspects of combat, be it moving, attacking, or interacting with objects. Experience is awarded based on actions done in a match while leveling up gives players opportunities to have units specialized in specific skills. This degree of freedom in customizing teams meshes well with the game’s challenging missions, some of which have an increased level of complexity compared to other RPGs.
3Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade
Heralding the arrival of theFire Emblemseries on the Game Boy Advance isFire Emblem: The Binding Blade. Set in the continent of Elibe, the game follows the journey of the young nobleman Roy as he leads an army against the Kingdom of Bern. Like otherFire Emblementries,The Binding Bladeis known for its Weapons Triangle Mechanic, grid-based to side-view combat, and its infamous permadeath.
However,The Binding Bladeand its inclusion of only normal and hard modes makes it one of the most difficultFire Emblementries to date. The lack of tanky units at the game’s onset, on top of brutal first encounters, can makeThe Binding Bladedifficult for newcomers, with the game’s increasing challenge across levels demanding a lot of tactical prowess from players.
2Mega Man Zero 2
While the entirety of theMega Man Zerosaga takes place 100 years after the events of theMega Man Xseries, it’s Zero’s adventure inMega Man Zero 2that may be considered one of the most challenging RPGs ever to grace gaming. Now caught in a crossfire between the warring Neo Arcadia and Resistance forces,Zero once again dons his Z-Saber and Buster Shotto fight new threats. Added to the game are the Shield Boomerang and Chain Rod, giving Zero access to more combat options.
Players can also use new features to improve their performance, such as unlockable Forms that alter Zero’s overall performance, and EX Skills that “copy” boss abilities when Zero completes a stage in A/S Rank. The game’s focus on memorizing boss patterns and customizing skills makeMega Man Zero 2a complex RPG, primarily when one-time assists from Cyber Elves can also drastically affect one’s level performance.
1Dragon Quest 2
Dragon Questwas the closestFinal Fantasygot to a competitor, andDragon Quest 2became quite the acclaimed title for its innovations in the genre. Set in a fantasy world, players take on the role of the Prince of Midenhall as he and his cousins are tasked to defeat an evil wizard named Hargon. The game was praised for its expanded three-party system, larger areas, and a more expanded magic system.
However,Dragon Quest 2became notorious for being among the most challenging games ever to grace the market. Aside from the traditional grind, certain monsters can dish out party-wipe spells against players and max-heal AOE towards their allies. It doesn’t help that the Prince of Cannock, one of the three main characters, doesn’t offer much value to the party around the story’s midpoint.
