The Big N just wanted to offer the ultimate Game Boy – now with a bigger screen, full-color graphics, and a 32-bit microprocessor. While this opened the door for classic franchises like Pokémon and Metroid to launch their most advanced and polished games yet, other developers chose to think outside the box. Of all the “Weirdest Games” rankings I’ve ever worked on, this one easily has the highest-quality games.
10. Kuru Kuru Kururin (2001)
Kuru Kuru Kururin is one of the best and weirdest puzzle games on the GBA – and it’s 100% exclusive. You pilot a rotating pencil-like ship called the “Helirin” through increasingly treacherous obstacle courses. You must keep the blades from hitting anything by carefully controlling the propeller’s spinning speed. Later levels require extreme precision to make it through ridiculously tight spaces. You’ll have to connect with the Helirin on a spiritual level if you want to master this game. Weirdly, this game only got an English release in PAL regions. Someone should have alerted the US Baton Twirling Association.
9. Rebelstar: Tactical Command (2005)
Rebelstar: Tactical Command may not have “XCOM” on the title, but it’s hard not to notice the similarities. That may have something to do with its creator, Julian Gollop, having designed the original XCOM: UFO Defense (1994). XCOM on the GBA with JRPG graphics is already weird enough, but then you look at this game’s cover art, and you can’t help but ask questions. Who greenlit this abomination? Were the graphic designers high? This can’t have helped sales…
8. Yggdra Union: We’ll Never Fight Alone (2006)
Yggdra Union is by far the weirdest Strategy RPG I’ve ever played. Even in the weirdness of Sting Entertainment’s Dept. Heaven series – known for unusual games like Riviera and Knights in the Nightmare – Yggdra Union stands out. That’s primarily because of its unorthodox combat system. Yggdra Union takes everything – and I mean everything – into consideration to determine a battle’s outcome. Dietary restrictions, religious beliefs, or even the gender of the character you’re attacking can make or break your assault. Don’t let this keep you from trying out Yggdra Union, though. The art style is gorgeous, the soundtrack is excellent, and the story is intriguing, to say the least.
7. DK: King of Swing (2005)
The Donkey Kong franchise has always been a testing ground for Nintendo. From the original Donkey Kong (1981) to Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2004), the franchise is littered with highly experimental titles where Nintendo isn’t afraid to take risks. DK: King of Swing is a prime example of this experimentation. Instead of moving around with the D-Pad like you would on a standard platformer, this game has you controlling Donkey Kong’s arms individually with the right and left bumpers. You’ll learn to control your momentum to swing from pegboard to pegboard over five diverse worlds. Everything feels fresh with these unusual controls – especially the bosses!
6. The Urbz (2004)
The Sims is supposed to be a simulation franchise. They’re not The Platformies, The Puzzlies, or even The Shooties – they’re The Sims! Electronic Arts has no problem sticking with the program on PC and home console releases – but handhelds like the GBA? Eh, not so much. The Sims on GBA might as well be called “The Adventuries” – because that’s exactly what they are: Adventure games. They even have a story linking them all together! I chose The Urbz for the ranking instead of its prequel – The Sims Bustin’ Out (2003) – because even the regular non-handheld version sticks out like a sore thumb among other The Sims spin-offs.
5. Wing Commander Prophecy (2003)
The Game Boy Advance isn’t exactly known for its graphics. I mean, they were fantastic for a handheld device, but these were SNES-level graphics in the age of the Nintendo GameCube! But where most people saw limitations, Raylight Studios saw an opportunity. Wing Commander Prophecy is the only 3D space combat simulator in the GBA’s game library. This port of the 1997 PC original does away with superficial features like animated cutscenes and voice acting, but the core 3D space dogfighting is still mind-blowing on the GBA.
4. Drill Dozer (2005)
Most people know Game Freak as “the Pokémon devs,” but back in the GBA days, they still found some time to venture out of their comfort zone. Drill Dozer brings together Game Freak’s penchant for neat-looking sprites with an unusual amount of creativity coming from devs who’ve re-made the same game over and over for decades. My favorite part about this action platformer is the unique combat system. You even have to control the speed of the drill on your adorable mecha! Besides its developer, this game stands out for the shape of its cartridge. Drilling isn’t as fun without force feedback, so Game Freak put a friggin’ rumble-pak on Drill Dozer. If you’re playing this game on the original hardware, you better have a big stash of batteries.
3. The Bible Game (2005)
In a time when rumors of Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokémon, and other popular media franchises being Satanic were prevalent among boomer parents, someone needed to step up and think of the children. Enter The Bible Game. Developed by Mass Media Inc., this game has you exploring various exotic locales looking for demons to beat them up with your Bible. Demons challenge you to a bit of Bible trivia, and if you get it right, your enormous piety will blow them all the way back to hell. The game is shallow, but it’s relatively fun, and all violence is directed against literal demons. That’s something we can all get behind!
2. Urban Yeti! (2002)
The polar opposite of The Bible Game has to be the even-weirder Urban Yeti!. This unusual adventure game follows a lonely yeti as he explores a city, hoping to find the perfect yeti girlfriend. Gameplay is shown from a top-down perspective reminiscent of early Grand Theft Auto titles – though, luckily, the game doesn’t show the yeti shooting anyone. Instead, you’ll have to play mini-games to clear obstacles and explore further into the city, all while a violent mob of intolerant pricks tries to kill you for looking different. If this game had gone “viral” – or whatever the 2000s equivalent is – it would surely have caused a Satanic panic.
1. Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand (2003)
Much like Drill Dozer, Konami’s Boktai immediately stands out due to the shape of its cartridge. But where Drill Dozer’s oversized cartridge houses a simple rumble-pak, Boktai has a sunlight sensor. Boktai follows Django – a vampire hunter from a post-apocalyptic timeline. His Gun del Sol (or Solar Gun) concentrates the sun’s power to disintegrate the bloodsucking fiends. Since this is a Hideo Kojima game, you can’t just press a button to charge your gun. Instead, you must stand in the sun in real-life to power your weapon. As an adult, this sounds like a troublesome gimmick, but it’s nothing short of magic for a kid. That is unless you live in the UK. In that case, get the sensorless sequel.
