After what feels like years of leaks and rumors, the day is finally here – Nintendo has officially added Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance games to their Nintendo Switch Online subscription service. We're going to be looking at all of the Game Boy games added this week in the coming days, but first it's time for the Game Boy Advance. If you're an Expansion Pack member, then you have access to six classic GBA games, including Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Kuru Kuru Kuruin, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. That's a cool line-up, but are any of these games actually worth playing? To answer that question, I flipped through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, GBA World, Game Informer and more classic magazines to see what the critics said when these games first came out. I sure hope you're sitting next to a lamp, because this is a Game Boy Advance centric episode of the Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew.


From Mario to Zelda to Wario, I think it's fair to say that Nintendo loaded up their Game Boy Advance section with a lot of big hitters. They also gave us Kuru Kuru Kuruin. While clearly not as big as a Mario Kart game, this 2001 oddity is still worth talking about, if for no other reason than because it never officially came out in North America. This is a puzzle game where you control a spinning stick through increasingly complicated mazes. With such a simple concept, you might be wondering if the game is any fun. Let's check in with the critics.

With no American release, we're limited to checking in with European critics. Although simplistic, Edge still managed to give the game a reasonable score of 7 out of 10. Computer + Video Games, on the other hand, begrudgingly gave the game a 5 out of 10, the lowest score I could find. The highest comes from the Australian magazine GBA World, who gave it a 4 out of 5 and mostly talked about the multiplayer capabilities: “Link-up here offers a distinct challenge: It's a race to the finish line, but don't touch the sides or you'll be sent back to the beginning. This cautious racing game absolutely shines when played against people of a similar skill level to yours.” So, what you're saying is that it's better to play against people who are as good as you are? Gee, thanks for the tip. Perhaps you can use that when you download this quirky title on the Switch.

One of the biggest and most exciting games announced for the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack is The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. Not only a great GBA game, Minish Cap is also one of the very best overhead Zelda games. Released in 2004 and developed by Capcom, this game introduces a new shrinking game mechanic and a whole bunch of new bosses to fight and dungeons to conquer.

When it came to the critics, you either loved The Minish Cap or your really liked it. Those were the two options. Electronic Gaming Monthly falls in the former camp, giving the game an average score of 9 out of 10. John summed it up this way: “The two Oracle games for GBC were exceptional for their time, but Minish Cap wipes the floor with both of them. With superb dungeons, exciting combat and one of the coolest gameplay gimmicks ever, this is definitely one Zelda you don't want to miss.” Crispin also liked the game, but disagreed with John: “The new collectible kinstones are no feather in this Cap. You've got to nab far too many of these doo-dads, then trade them with townies, statues, even household pets.”

These kinstones were not a problem for Game Informer, who ended up giving The Minish Cap a stellar 9.5 out of 10. On the other hand, there's Edge, who couldn't muster up anything higher than an 8 out of 10. Believe it or not, this is essentially the same score that we saw from GamePro, who concluded that “The Minish Cap is a great addition to the series. Going backwards instead of forwards in the timeline was a masterstroke – it's totally satisfying for fans and does nothing but stoke the fires for the forward-looking new GameCube tale coming in 2005. If this is how The Legend of Zelda handles the origin of just one article of the hero's clothing, one can hardly wait to experience the revelations to come about the rest of the outfit. You've got to tip your cap to Nintendo.” Cringy pun or not, The Minish Cap is a must-download game on the Switch, especially if you missed it the first time around.

Looking for a great adventure game, but you've already played The Minish Cap? You're in luck, because we're also getting Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, the first in what turned out to be a long-running series for Nintendo. This basically a role-playing game for anybody who thinks they hate role-playing games. With tons of fun cameos and a hysterical story, it's easy to see why so many fans were clamoring for a sequel.

Much like The Minish Cap, the critics were overwhelmingly enthusiastic for Superstar Saga. Electronic Gaming Monthly's Kevin explains that this “is exactly the sort of RPG the GBA needed. It's not overly long like Golden Sun, it's not too difficult like Lufia, and – for a change – it's not about collecting little fuzzy things. Instead, it's just a simple, endearing little adventure.” Andrew also liked the game, but for a slightly different reason: “After the double dose of Luigi's Mansion and Mario Sunshine, it's about time we got something a little more traditional from the famous brothers. The back and forth flow of combat between the Bros. and their foes makes every battle fun. The charm, the humor, the puzzles, the action ... the best GBA game this year.” EGM gave the game an average score of 8.8 out of 10.

Believe it or not, that's low compared to Pocket Gamer's score of 4.5 out of 5. Similarly, you saw NGC Magazine give the game a whopping 94%, making it one of their top rated games for that year. Game Informer went even higher, giving it an average score of 9.5 out of 10. Jeremy liked the cartoony presentation and the jokes, concluding that “the strange humor is a big part of the title's appeal, as are the atypical style of play and the charming story. If you're a Mario fan, you owe it to yourself to pick this up.”

You saw slightly lower scores from the rest of the magazines, such as Computer & Video Games giving Superstar Saga an 8 out of 10. That's the exact same score Edge gave the game when they reviewed it. And even GamePro agreed, giving the game a 4 out of 5. They explained that “the only thing holding back Mario & Luigi is that there's not much to the adventure itself. It's big and superficially Zelda-like, but the dungeons' puzzles and dual-brother mechanizations become repetitive too quickly, and constant swapping of characters and buttoning through icons is confusing. Compared to other RPGs in the universe, there's just not all that much interesting to uncover: A few side-quests, minimal equipment and upgrades, and a whole lot of beans.” While GamePro certainly makes some good points, I still say this is a game worth checking out on the Switch.

Although it was released four years after the Nintendo 64 iteration, Super Circuit feels like the true sequel to Super Mario Kart on the Super NES. It looks and plays just like the 16-bit game, only now with new levels and modes. These days, Super Circuit is often ranked low among the best Mario Kart games, and it's easy to see why. It lacks innovation and screams launch game, there's just no getting around that. But back when the game first game out, the critics were largely impressed.

For example, Super Circuit received a perfect 5 out of 5 from GBA World in Australia. That's the exact same score we saw from GamePro. For their part, Nintendo Power wasn't quite ready to give Mario Kart a perfect score. Giving it a 4.5 out of 5, George said that “Mario Kart: Super Circuit is a great update to the Super NES kart classic, with detailed graphics, perfect play control and a lot of features from Mario Kart 64 mixed in.” Andy said that “this is the best Mario Kart game yet. The rating system adds a lot of replay value.”

Electronic Gaming Monthly also liked this third Mario Kart game, but they had some issues. For example, Jonathan felt the game was overshadowed by an even better kart game: “Konami Krazy Racers beat Mario Kart to retail on the GBA, and while the latter has a strong tradition on consoles, it's not necessarily a better game. Being comparable isn't half bad, though, and Mario Kart is just as solid as Krazy Racers. It's a solid buy, if you don't look for more depth than Mario Kart has offered before.” Chris echoed a lot of those thoughts: “The problem is it isn't much more than the old game with a fresh coat of paint. It's a testament to the quality of the gameplay that it holds its own against today's me-too kart games. Great, but not ‘new.'” I think that's a fitting way to describe Mario Kart: Super Circuit, but you can download the game right now and see for yourself.

I'm not saying that Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 is the best Game Boy Advance game released this week, but it definitely has the clunkiest name. As the name suggests, this is part of the Super Mario Advance series, which was basically just a way for Nintendo to re-release slightly upgraded versions of Super Mario Bros 2, Yoshi's Island, Super Mario World and now Super Mario Bros. 3. I think that we can all agree that this was one of the best games on the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System, but were the critics still in love 13 years later?

The answer is yes, obviously. Shoe called it “one of the best games of all time. Not just on a Nintendo system. Not just for a Mario game. Not just when it first came out many moons and mushrooms ago. OF ALL TIME. Perfect controls. Perfectly constructed stages. Perfect graphics. Perfect game design that delicately balances anyone-can-pick-it-up gameplay with hardcore platforming action that'll make your palms sweat and your stomach churn when you go for those death-defying leaps.” Shane, on the other hand, couldn't help but notice a problem with this series: “Nintendo's sure milking Mario for all he's worth. Remember Super Mario All-Stars on Super Nintendo? That game contains remakes of four classic Mario titles, while GBA owners have to dole out $30 a pop for these tasty chestnuts.”

Most of the other magazines didn't seem all that concerned about the pricing, with Game Informer giving it a 9.8 out of 10 and Nintendo Official Magazine going as high as 92%, making it one of their top-ranked games of the year. About the lowest score you're going to find is a 4.5 out of 5 from GBA World. That's the same score that GamePro gave the game, concluding that “admittedly, Super Mario Bros. 3 seems like a weird step back from Super Mario World and Yoshi's Island, but that doesn't make it less of a classic – it's a test of your true gaming mettle, a must for the Mario completist, and validation for your sense of nostalgia.” Check the game out on the Switch to see if you feel like it's a “weird step back from Yoshi's Island.”

If you were one of those people who were disillusioned by Nintendo's safe and risk-free approach to games in the early 2000s, then WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames was a shot right at you. This is a weird, random and fresh experience that feels like the kind of game only Nintendo could come up with. Of course, they would eventually run the series into the ground using pretty much every gimmick they could think up, but this debut release is a genuine masterpiece.

The critics agreed with my rave reviews. Electronic Gaming Monthly's Review Crew fell in love with this wacky Wario game, giving it an average score of 9.2 out of 10. Shane raved about the game, calling it “so bizarre, funny, challenging, and downright insane that it's hard to believe – you should have seen the disapproving look I got from this old lady on the bus when she looked down at my Game Boy Advance SP as I tried to insert a finger into a nostril.” Shawn also loved the game, but gave players a word of warning: “WarioWare is deeply Japanese. So to appreciate these nostalgic nuggets, you'll first have to cope with culture shock. Even after playing for 20 minutes, you'll still want to pass WarioWare off as an obstacle course for ADD children. But once you warm up to the idea of hopping a hot dog on wheels that's out to run you over, you'll have also accepted this crack-up collection of time-wasters for its real accomplishment – showing that the finest handheld games aren't always console hits in miniature.”

You also saw a similar score over at Computer + Video Games, who gave the game a 9 out of 10. And before you ask, yes, Nintendo Power also loved the game, giving it a 4.6 out of 5. In fact, one of the only outlets to not instantly fall in love with WarioWare was Game Informer, who gave the game a low 7.5 out of 10. Chet liked the graphics and sound, but felt there wasn't much replay value: “If anything, snag a used copy just to see how insane Nintendo has become in recent years. With Cubivore and WarioWare under its belt, I wouldn't hesitate to have Nintendo become the first company to be committed if it threatens to release another such title.” Just no. WarioWare is so much better than that. Check it out now on the Switch.