The Game Boy Advance (GBA) is now officially a retro console, and as old as that makes me feel, it's remarkable that many games in the GBA's library hold up very well today. This handheld console was a pretty major technological step in its day, and while it can't hold a candle to the Nintendo Switch 2 in handheld mode, it still has lots to offer.

Most of those offerings come in the form of excellent games. Nintendo largely stuck to its guns with the GBA, releasing portable entries in its many legendary series. That said, these games stand on their own merits. Whether they're introductory entries in now-iconic series or just another game in a long-running and beloved franchise, the best games on the Game Boy Advance can easily hold up as masterpieces alongside any other console's offerings, from any era.

Initially planned for the Nintendo 64, Golden Sun was eventually adapted for the smaller cartridges of the Game Boy Advance. Its campaign, however, was split in two to accommodate the portable console's capabilities, which is why the sequel, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, was released a year later. Because they're so closely connected, think of this entry as a recommendation for both of them.

There have been some great JRPGs released in the past 15 years, but one of the best in the genre is long overdue a new entry.

Golden Sun has a loyal cult following, largely because it so adeptly captures what makes turn-based RPGs of this era so special while refining some aspects with interesting new ideas and innovative design choices.

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