In 1996, Pocket Monsters Red and Green debuted in Japan, with Blue following soon after. The Western market had to wait a few years, but eventually, Pokemon made its international gaming debut, launching a phenomenon that is still going strong. As lucrative as the IP has been on multiple fronts, Pokemon will always be primarily associated with Game Freak's Nintendo RPGs. The original titles debuted toward the end of the Game Boy's life cycle, and they were very impressive considering the limitations of that console. While the GBC releases expanded nicely on their predecessors, the GBA Pokemon games took things to another level.
Collectively known as Generation 3, Pokemon had a fantastic run on the Game Boy Advance, delivering top-notch mainline entries along with an array of pretty good spin-offs. Unlike the Nintendo DS era, the franchise did not stretch itself too thin on the GBA, resulting in quality and reasonable quantity. Even all these years later, the best Pokemon GBA games are still delightful to play through.
Updated on October 28, 2025 by Mark Sammut: The GBA Pokemon games are eternal, in the sense that they are easy to pick up and play. However, that does not necessarily mean they are worth revisiting in 2025. To help answer this question, a new section has been added to each entry, focusing on whether you should try to play these games today.
5 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team
A Great First Effort To Combine Mystery Dungeon & Pokemon. While The Gameplay Is A Bit Rudimentary And Difficult To Revisit Nowadays, The Story Is Pretty Good And Charming.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team
- Released
- September 18, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Spike Chunsoft
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
- Charming Visuals
- Fairly Difficult
- Bouncy & Jovial Soundtrack
- Repetitive Gameplay
- Dungeons Are Very Samey
- No Reason To Pick This Over The Sequels
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team was one of the first Pokemon Mystery Dungeon titles to have been released. The game was released alongside its counterpart, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team. However, Blue Rescue Team is only available on the Nintendo DS while Red Rescue Team is solely playable on Game Boy Advance.
The Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series is extremely well-liked by fans, explaining its drastic critic-versus-user ranking. It was the first time players could play as a Pokemon, having answered questions to determine exactly which creature they're most like. The story and characters that the game builds up, along with its unique dungeon-crawler mechanics make for an easily enjoyed and replayable experience that both young and old players will love.
However, the main story is extremely short compared to future installments of the series, and its gameplay can get extremely challenging in the post-game due to the level gap that players are left at once the main story ends. The central gameplay of taking on rescue missions and saving certain creatures from treacherous and daunting dungeons is charming and fun. It can get repetitive though, especially when players find themselves going through missions to obtain extra items and grind for levels. Dungeons are also randomized, which means runs are often based on the luck of the draw rather than strategy.
Is Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team Worth Playing Today?
Red Rescue Team is a perfectly competent dungeon crawler, and it is worth tracking down if you are specifically looking to play on the original GBA. However, if you are not that selective regarding hardware, there are plenty of better Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games. Heck, Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team were combined for 2020's Rescue Team DX, making that Switch game the definitive version of its predecessors.
4 Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire
Pokemon Pinball Is Way More Fun Than It Sounds, And The Game Implements Quite A Few Mechanics That Echo The Mainline Entries. It Is Not Just Pinball Using Pokemon-Themed Machines.
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire
- Released
- August 25, 2003
- ESRB
- e
- Publisher(s)
- The Pokemon Company, Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- Arcade
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
- 200+ Pokemon
- Timeless Gameplay (Obviously, It Is Pinball)
- Neat Franchise-Inspired Touches
- Quite Lengthy Due To Sheer Number Of Pokemon To Collect
- Gets Old After Awhile
- Hard To Find Nowadays (Physical)
Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire is the second Pokemon Pinball game, the first being released for the Game Boy Color in 1999. Many players enjoyed the first game for its laid-back nature, granting them the ability to step out of the stressful battles and strategizing they would find in the mainstream games and just play some pinball. The mechanics of Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire are enjoyable and easy to learn, with players catching new Pokemon by honing their pinball skills to complete challenges and capture them.
That said, the gameplay is largely identical, perhaps even easier, to that of the first Pokemon Pinball, with the inclusion of even more monsters to capture making the game more time-consuming rather than challenging. However, some fans might enjoy this aspect since the franchise is all about catching Pokemon, and the higher count of options adds a bit more variety.
Is Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire Worth Playing Today?
Unfortunately, Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire is quite difficult to find in this day and age, making it one of the franchise's most obscure games. It is a shame, too, as when it comes to Pinball titles, this release is among the better options on the GBA. Still, if you can find it for a reasonable price, sure.
3 Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen
Revamping Two Classics That Somewhat Needed It, FireRed And LeafGreen Effectively Rendered The Game Boy Masterpieces Obsolete. These Versions Are Great And Have Spawned So Many Fan Roms.
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Pokemon FireRed
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- September 7, 2004
- ESRB
- E For Everyone
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
- Publisher(s)
- The Pokemon Company, Nintendo
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WHERE TO PLAY
PHYSICAL- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Game Boy Advance
Pros & Cons- Remakes Done Right
- Timeless Art Style
- Expands On Gen 1 Well, Beyond Just Graphical Improvements
- Best Iteration Of Pokemon's Most Famous Region
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Pokemon LeafGreen
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- January 29, 2004
- ESRB
- E
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
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WHERE TO PLAY
PHYSICAL- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Game Boy Advance
Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen were remakes of the original three games, Pokemon Red, Blue & Green. The two Game Boy Advance releases were Game Freak's first attempt at a remake of any one of the Pokemon games. That said, the reception of Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen was rather positive, and they are arguably still the gold standard for remakes in the franchise.
The 12 Hardest Trainer Battles In Pokemon History, Ranked
The Pokémon RPGs might not generally be that difficult, but the hardest trainer battles in the games offer an incredible challenge.
The story from the original games stays mostly the same, with the advancements of these games mostly focusing on graphical updates and the option to play as a female protagonist (which was a feature that was notably absent from the original games).
All that said, for players looking to relive the Generation I experience with updated graphics and smoothed-out, easier mechanics, Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen are the perfect experience. However, for those looking for a revamped take on the original story and monsters that many came to know and love, these games don't really add much more story or immersive depth than what was originally implemented.
Are Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen Worth Playing Today?
100%, yes. While Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee are charming, FireRed and LeafGreen are unbeaten when it comes to Kanto-based adventures. They are so good, they should be prioritized above the original Red and Blue, since they have aged far better than their grandfathers. Also, FireRed is one of the most popular bases for rom hacks, so there is that.
2 Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire
A Triumphant Evolution Of Gold, Silver, And Crystal That Represented Pokemon At Its Absolute Best In The Early 2000s.
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Pokemon Ruby
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- March 19, 2003
- ESRB
- E For Everyone
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
- Publisher(s)
- The Pokemon Company, Nintendo
- Franchise
- Pokemon
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- Genre(s)
- RPG
Pros & Cons- Considerable Leap Forward Over Gen 2
- One Of The Better Stories In The Franchise
- Awesome Soundtrack
- Feel Slightly Obsolete In This Day And Age
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Pokemon Sapphire
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Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start- Released
- November 21, 2002
- ESRB
- E For Everyone
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
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WHERE TO PLAY
PHYSICAL- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire are the best Pokemon games for the Game Boy Advance. They were the series' first games released for the portable system, and subsequently have become the most communally coveted and beloved. Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire have remained some of the most loved games in the franchise, sparking their remakes, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, to be released for the Nintendo 3DS.
The two games are graphically enhanced compared to the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, and include a variety of new creatures, items, and characters, all set in an entirely new region called "Hoenn." Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire were also the first games to introduce the double battle mechanic, which has become a staple in competitive battling ever since its debut. However, a few critics here and there found that the cut-and-paste formula being used to create Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire was getting a bit overused, with the same mechanics and basic storylines being used for Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, and Crystal. This didn't stop players from enjoying them, though, as evidenced by their high user scores and the success of the games' 2014 remakes.
The only thing going against Ruby & Sapphire nowadays is that they can feel a bit obsolete due to the existence of the remakes and Pokemon Emerald, all of which are arguably superior. However, that should not take anything away from these two GBA classics, as they played a significant role in establishing Generation III as an all-time great era for Pokemon.
Are Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire Worth Playing Today?
OK, these games are by far the hardest to judge. In a vacuum, they are both fantastic RPGs, comfortably among the genre's best efforts on the GBA. The gameplay and visuals are both timeless to an extent, and most people will probably not struggle at all to enjoy these titles. However, Ruby and Sapphire are kind of obsolete. Pokemon Emerald is simply the best way to experience this generation, and there is no reason to play its predecessors instead of it (except for cost). Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire also do a great job of modernizing these games for the 3DS, so you might as well play one of those after finishing Emerald.
1 Pokemon Emerald
Builds Beautifully On The Original Games, Delivering A More Complete And Robust Experience That Holds Up Very Well. Emerald Is Still Among The Best Pokemon Games Ever.
Pokemon Emerald
- Released
- May 1, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
- Publisher(s)
- The Pokemon Company, Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 31 Hours
- Perfects Ruby & Sapphire
- Great Post-Game Content
- Just An All-Around Fantastic JRPG
- Visuals Have Aged Really Well
- Physical Copies Are Very Difficult To Find
Pokemon Emerald garnered a more mixed reception than the other mainline titles for the Game Boy Advance. Despite the love it received from the community, critics were not as fond of the third installment of the previously released games, Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire. Pokemon Emerald is virtually the same as the previous Generation III games, with the same story and characters as Ruby & Sapphire. That said, there are small differences littered throughout the game that those who have played all three versions will notice.
Pokemon Emerald introduced slightly animated sprites, graphical enhancements, different clothing for the two protagonists, more double battles, and the ability to catch a wider variety of creatures than what was available in Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire. That and the inclusion of the Battle Frontier, which quickly became a fan favorite and was sorely missed in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Even if it was not as well-received as its predecessors, Emerald is arguably the best game to pick up in this day and age, offering the most complete experience out of all the Gen III main entries. The campaign is long, relatively challenging, and features one of the most beloved rivals in the franchise's history (May). That said, good luck finding a physical copy for a decent price in this day and age.
Is Pokemon Emerald Worth Playing Today?
Yes, Emerald is one of the best Pokemon games, period. Obviously, the game lacks some of the mechanics of the later entries, but they are by no means a huge miss. By Emerald, Game Freak had mostly nailed Pokemon's core formula.
Pokemon: All the Similarities and Differences Between Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald
Pokemon's third generation of games saw a lot familiar features and a lot of changes, not only to the series, but between the titles themselves.