10 Most Addictive Game Boy JRPGs

The Game Boy was a revolutionary step in the video game industry, and growing up with it, you couldn't find a single kid without one, playing something in between classes, or, for the more ambitious gamers in my youth, during them. There were so many franchises that jumped to the mobile gaming world, and that was before it was a taboo word in the industry.

There were series that were already established, but then, some JRPGs found their start on the Game Boy, unlocking a whole new audience that would then follow them for years onto other consoles and more advanced mobile experiences.

We're going to check out some of the most addictive JRPGs out there for the Game Boy.

10 Final Fantasy Legend II

Respect to the Name

Final Fantasy Legend II is a perfectly respectable entry into the Final Fantasy world, and, for 1991, this game had a hell of a lot to offer in terms of portable gaming. The funny thing is that it wasn't intended to be Final Fantasy at all, but when the game came west, that was the well known name at the time. Instead, Final Fantasy Legend was actually the first SaGa game, with this being its sequel. Despite the Final Fantasy name and actually being a SaGa game in actuality, it really has far more in common with a fellow series rooted in Japan, Pokémon. Here, you're fighting through a variety of fantasy and sci-fi-inspired worlds. You're on a mission to find your missing father, and that spins off in multiple different directions involving ancient relics and all the typical Final Fantasy story madness you've likely become accustomed to.

What makes it so addicting, though, is the monster collecting aspect. That's right, you're going to be fighting alongside monsters and robots and all kinds of creatures here. On top of that, they can evolve, and each type evolves differently. For example, monster types evolve by eating defeated monsters. There are a bunch of different types to collect, and if you're looking to see where the monster collecting craze was pre-Pokemon years, this is an addictive look into that world.

9 Final Fantasy Adventure

Final Fantasy in Real Time

Final Fantasy Adventure is one of the first forays by the series into the world of real-time combat, and while it wasn't a main entry, it was still an impactful title as it took everything people loved about Zelda and mixed it with Final Fantasy to become an amazing medley of the two that works incredibly well. But again, Final Fantasy was a name added here to satisfy the masses, because really, this was the first game of the Mana series, as many elements in the story would become pillars of that series. The action is all real-time here, and that was a dream come true for so many Final Fantasy fans, so the name change was a great idea and one that paid off.

There are tons of weapons, magic to unlock, puzzles to solve, and all kinds of monsters to fight, and it's done in a way that doesn't feel derivative of Zelda despite that being the direct inspiration. It's got companions that join you along the way and a story that sets the stage for the Mana series involving the Tree of Mana itself, but it also has plenty of Final Fantasy mainstays like Chocobos, so it still lives up to the name. This game was so successful it spawned an entire new franchise, and that alone is a great reason to check it out.

8 Dragon Warrior Monsters

If You Can't Beat Em, Join Em

Believe it or not, Dragon Warrior Monsters actually came out just a couple of days before Pokémon Red and Blue did. What an unfortunate turn of events for this game, as it was a fantastic monster collector game in its own right that had a lot of unique features that separated it from Pokémon. It was a deeper game than Pokémon was, and perhaps that's why it didn't become the same level of worldwide craze.

You could fuse monsters together to create new ones, and that system was incredible, as there were so many to find, and you never knew what would come out when you put two new monsters together. But there was a risk and reward to it too, because you could lose out on creatures you'd trained with previously. It also had randomized dungeons, so you could constantly find something new each time you decided to play the game. It was a bit too deep, in my opinion, for the masses to cling on to it, but for JRPG fans on the Game Boy, this was an awesome time and a really hard one to put down.

7 Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga

Reviving the Past

Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga is a fantastic complement to the already legendary Super Mario RPG series, and it fits so perfectly on the Game Boy Advance that it's one of the few games for the handheld device that feels like it was made to be played on the go. It's got all the trademark humor and charm that have made the previous Mario RPGs so great, and the story here is just hilarious. Princess Peach's voice has been stolen, and now if she speaks, she'll explode. Brilliant. No notes.

But seriously, the gameplay is what keeps you coming back for this one. It's got some highly interactive turn-based combat, and it's really fleshed out here, with a variety of moves to pull off, counterattacks, defensive techniques, and all the charm imaginable along the way with both the enemies and party members. It's a must-have on the Game Boy Advance, and for any fan of JRPGs, go outside the box a little and experience this gem for yourself.

6 Tales of Phantasia

The First of Its Name Comes West

Tales of Phantasia is actually the first game in the series, but it didn't make its way to the West until 2006, well after the series had already seen multiple titles released. Despite that, the Game Boy Advance made a perfect home for the Tales series, and seeing its origins in this way was a great reintroduction. The great real-time combat is here, along with some charming visuals that have a surprising amount of detail despite largely being sprite characters.

The story revolves around Cress and his companions as they hunt an evil sorcerer through time, and it's a great adventure that takes place through multiple eras, fitting right in with the obsession with time travel that the era seemed to have. The combat is the big selling point here, though, as it's endlessly fun to take on a variety of different enemies with Cress and the rest of his party. There are different weapons for each character, the birth of the Artes system, and some impressive visuals and animations that support everything going on too. It's just an awesome game, and the fact it's the first one in the series just shows how it was always meant for greatness.

5 Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

The Tower of Terror

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories started the Kingdom Hearts spin-off craze that hasn't died down since, but it's also a crucial piece of the story puzzle that the series has created over the years. Here you are traversing the massive Castle Oblivion where your memories are rearranged and replaced with false ones, all while being hounded by the mysterious Organization XIII who would play in heavily to the story following this game.

The gameplay here is great, but it's a huge departure from other games in the series. This is a deck-building game that also has real-time combat, and that combo is confusing to get a grip on to start. Your deck determines everything from basic attacks to spells and special attacks and your understanding of the system is crucial to being successful in combat. It's addicting as can be, though, because you can build Sora up any way you want, and that customization constantly keeps things feeling fresh.

The story is great, as are the boss fights here, and as a huge bonus, beating the game unlocks Riku's story, which switches up the gameplay quite a bit and gives you even more insight into what is going on in the world. It was a wild move by Square Enix to put this one on the Game Boy Advance, as it's so crucial to the overall story, but they later rectified that with a full-on remake. Regardless, it's one of the Game Boy Advance's best.

4 Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade

Welcome to the Battle

Fire Emblem's first foray into the rest of the world was with this game on the Game Boy Advance, and for those expecting a typical strategy JRPG, they were in for a rude awakening. It's a game about the horrors of war, and the story is a winding political one involving conspiracies, people abusing power, and refreshingly, no teenagers fighting god. The tone is serious, and the gameplay reflects it.

This was the first time the rest of the world experienced permadeath in a game, and it was such an addicting feature that soon after, Fire Emblem characters became a mainstay in the Nintendo universe, appearing in Super Smash Bros games and releasing tons of titles in the series worldwide as the years went on. This GBA title, though, showed the world that there was a different and darker flavor to be had in the JRPG world. Just the aspect of losing a party member permanently if you didn't plan your moves right meant every fight took on a new importance and suddenly, no battle was too small. It spawned an entire generation of games that looked to emulate this style as well.

3 Final Fantasy Tactics: Advance

The Next Generation

Final Fantasy Tactics: Advance is a sequel to the original classic that released in the 1990s. This one came out in 2003, and instead of the serious political tone of the first game, this one was more about adventure and the power of friendship. It's a jarring shift for sure, but if you can get past that, the game itself is a ton of fun. It's an expanded upon version of the PlayStation Classic and has some gorgeous visuals and great attack animations that even surpass its predecessor.

The most addictive part of the game, though, is the Judge system. At the beginning of every fight, a Judge will put certain rules into place that you must follow or suffer consequences for the fight. Going against the Judge can result in the fight becoming much more difficult, but playing by the rules can result in great rewards. It's a bizarre system that is completely random, but because of that, it keeps you coming back for more because it's a different experience every single time.

2 Golden Sun

The GBA Must-Play

Golden Sun is a game so damn good that it's a crime that it was limited to mobile platforms. This Game Boy Advance title dropped in 2001 and felt like the next great JRPG series. It had gorgeous 2D graphics with amazing use of color, and though there was no voice acting, the sound effects used for characters speaking added a certain charm that gets lost in today's gaming world. The combat here is simply fantastic, with an amazing aesthetic that looks like a watercolor painting coming to life, and the animations were amazing for the time as well.

The story is pretty good too, surrounding a mission to light up elemental lighthouses to stop a calamity from happening, and it's typical JRPG fare, and the focus on the puzzles and interacting with the environment is something that felt fresh at the time. It has a sense of adventure to the game that in many ways reinvigorated the JRPG genre. It had everything people loved about the classic Final Fantasy games but now in the palm of your hand. It's a must-play on the Game Boy Advance.

1 Pokémon Red and Blue

Every Parent's Nightmare

Set the stage. I'm at the beach in 1998 with my parents on vacation. The weather is beautiful, everyone is in the water having a blast. Where am I? Eyes glued to my Game Boy because my Sandshrew was finally about to evolve into Sandslash, and that was a thrill no Boogieboard ride could equal. That was the effect that Pokémon Red and Blue had. It was so addictive that it entranced an entire generation.

Whether it was the endless hours training your Pokémon for the ultimate dopamine hit of evolving them to their next form or linking up with your friends and facing off against who they'd acquired, it was just an incredibly fun time that began an era for Pokémon that hasn't let up nearly 30 years later. Searching the world for different Pokémon, fighting the trainers in other towns, and increasing your ever-growing Pokédex was such a simple concept that countless other games tried to copy, but the king was very clear.