I am almost certainly going to but A gameboy advance tomorrow.
I have heard that the games availabile for it tend to be a bit childish.
Reccomend some games that would be enjoyable by a 24 year old male. (except Doom, Doom2, Medal of Honour, because I am already considering those)
I’m 27. When I bought my GBA, I picked up Castlevania: Circle of the Moon and Advance Wars. I recommend both of those very highly. Later on I got Ninja Five-Oh. It’s hard to find in brick & mortar stores but can be had online somewhat easily (it’s worth looking for). You can’t go wrong with Mario Advance 2 or 3 (and 4 will be out in October).
Happy gaming!
Make sure you get the SP version of the unit, and buy Advance Wars 1 or 2. They are easily the best games for the GBA (they are turn-based strategy games with TONS of replay value).
I have Advance Wars 2, and it’s a lot of fun. The main characters may have some goofy dialogue between scenes, but the actual gameplay is solid all the way through. The Hard mode is definately kicking my butt.
WarioWare is very fun, although repetitive - though that is rather the point. If you’re nice and tired, that game will be enthralling. I admit that it is “childish” in that the graphics are cartoony and the sound is annoying, but it makes up for it. Play it in a store for a couple minutes.
I’m waiting to get Metroid Fusion, which is reportedly quite good.
I don’t like the SP. Feels too weird and is uncomfortable for me.
Go to a place where you can try them both, and then decide which version to get.
Well, some people like the feel of the SP, others the feel of the original, so if you can, go to ap lace that has demos of both and use them. That way, you also get a feel for how well you can see the screen. I can’t see the original GBA screen at all, I need that front light on the SP, and the folding case? Oh so nice, fits in my pocket so easily and protects the screen. I say go SP, and get the cobalt, better color than platinum. Of course, if you wait a litle linger, two more colors will be available in the US (a black color and a fiery orangish-red color, I wish I waited so I could get the red one, it looks cool.)
As for games: A Link to the Past is great, if you played the original on the SNES then it is just like that, with an added muliplayer game that kinda ties into the maii game (it adds a small subquest to do.)
All three of the Castlevania games are great (Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonace, and Aria of Sorrow.) I have Harmony and loved it, and I have played Circle and it’a also great, and I hear from everyone I know that has played all of them that Aria is the best, albeit the shortest.
Metroid Fusion is an awesome game. Advance Wars 1 and 2 are both great, and if you like RPG’s, then both of the Golden Sun games are quite enjoyable. If you liked the original Mario games, then get Super Mario Advance 3, cause it’ Mario 2 for the NES, and I think either Mario Advance 1 or 2 is Mario World for the SNES, Mario Advance 4 is Mario Bros. 3 for the NES. (The NES games have better graphics as well.)
I bought the SP version.
I like how compact it is. I like the backlit screen. It’s my mini laptop.
I bought Medal of Honour, Doom2, and Sonic Advance 2 (it doesn’t look right seeing ‘sega’ on a nintendo machine)
Sonic is very good. I haven’t played MOH or D2 for long enough to judge them. I have ordered a pinball game from amazon (almost the main reason I got the GBA was to play pinball games)
The pinball game I ordered is a port of pinball dreams and pinball fantasies from the Amiga (and given a new name) my favourite pinball games of all time.
I’ll look into getting Advance wars 1 and 2 (Amazon has 2 as not being released yet). What type of game are they?
The graphics on the doom games are a bit dissapointing… Still good.
I bought super Mario Advance 2. Definetly worth it. It took me over 8 hours to beat if completely. Donkey Kong is pretty good too.
The Mario Kart game is real good. But too short.
Is Medal of Honour a FPS?
Lobsang, if you have Kazaa, search for gameboy advance under “software” and there is a file that has 24 games and 3 emulators. Give it a try too play a bunch of the older GBA games for free.
Lobsang,
Another vote for both Advance Wars and Advance Wars 2. Excellent quality turn-based strategy games. AW2 is out here in the states, I’m not so sure about the Isle of Man, though. I second every game mentioned thus far in this thread, and i am going to throw Pokemon into the mix as well. I know, I know. It’s a kid’s game. Well, I’m nearly 27, and I’ve wasted over 70 hours of my life on it. Raising and battling Pokemon is fun. Period. Plays like an RPG, really.
Anyway, I’m off to play AW2 right now, actually. I’m on the last mission of the normal campaign. 
I’m 36 and have had hours of fun with Pokemon. But I’m like it.
I wish I could find my copy of Circle of the Moon, because I will probably never play it, and I would be happy to send it to you. But I just looked for it and it seems to be missing. If I find it in the next few days I’ll post again.
I’m like it? How about, I’m like that? I must be tired.
Not Pokemon! Nooooooooooooooooo…
I don’t mind the Pokemon games. It’s the standard “tour the world getting bigger and better weapons while beating bad guys” that happens in most every RPG, but your weapons happen to be characters as well. What I can’t stand is the entire glut of crap that got spawned because of it. If I ever did play it, I’d do it where nobody else could see me doing it.