After coming off of a great 2023, the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service is back with not one, but two Golden Sun games. On January 17th, Expansion Pack subscribers will be able to play two of the very best role-playing games on the Game Boy Advance. That's exciting news, but I still need to ask: Are either of these games actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Edge, GamePro and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when these games first came out. Don't you dare think about skipping straight to the sequel, because this is another linear episode of Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew.


Released only five months after the system's launch, Golden Sun was one of the very first role-playing games to hit the Game Boy Advance. Believe it or not, this 2001 release started its life as a Nintendo 64 epic before being downsized (and split-up) for Nintendo's new color portable. The result is an original adventure game that was every bit as big and sprawling as what you would get on the consoles. Best of all, it wasn't a port or tied to any long-running franchises, like most of the titles released on the Game Boy Advance in those first few months. This was a brand-new, completely original adventure with unique characters and a story that is all their own, which is just one of the many reasons why it's still remembered as a role-playing classic. Of course, that's looking back at the game in hindsight, but what did critics say back in 2001?

Over at Electronic Gaming Monthly, Christian was the lone critic who reviewed Golden Sun. Giving it a 9 out of 10, he concluded that he couldn't help but fall head over heels for the RPG. “Every aspect of the game is soaked through with quality. The developer, Camelot, has been at the genre for years and has now, for perhaps the first time, gotten it completely right. From smooth graphics and beautiful music to great character designs and refined battles, they know RPGs up and down. The battle system is speedy and looks great. The story's not too shabby, either; while Camelot plays it by the book, the characterization is spot-on thanks to great writing and translation. If you have the faintest glimmer of love for a classic style RPG in your heart, you owe it to yourself to check out Golden Sun.”

Now, there are only two directions we can go from here – higher and lower. We'll get to the magazines that gave Golden Sun perfect scores in a minute, because I first want to mention that Game Informer gave the portable RPG a respectable score of 8.5 out of 10. Edge, on the other hand, went even lower, giving the game a 7 out of 10. “An RPG so old school you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a Super Famicom conversion, Golden Sun provides exactly what 16-bit fetishists hoped the GBA would provide. There's an argument that its quality marks it out as worthy of more than a half-page review, but the hardcore RPG fans who have already experienced it on import shouldn't need their purchases justifying, and there really isn't much more to say. Golden Sun is a good game which offers nothing new, but offers what it has with exuberance and depth, and now the European release gives every GBA owner a welcome opportunity to experience its unashamedly retro charms.”

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk about the perfect scores. One name that shouldn't surprise you is GamePro, who is used to handing out perfect scores. That's kind of their thing. However, one of the other magazines to give Golden Sun a perfect 5 out of 5 is Nintendo Power, who didn't even go that high for their most beloved 16-bit classics. Jenni called this “one of the best RPGs” she ever played, while Alan concluded that “Golden Sun gives you control over the detail-oriented tinkering that RPG fans live for. The game is loaded with puzzles and they're fun and tricky.” Chris said “the length of play is unmatched,” and Scott built onto that sentiment by saying that “it's a sprawling epic with an intriguing magic system and fantastic graphics.”

The critics loved it, and it's easy to see why. Not only is this an original role-playing game on the Game Boy Advance, but it's a really good one that doesn't feel scaled down. This is an easy game to get sucked into, and a great new addition on the Switch.

Remember when I mentioned that the original Golden Sun was “downsized and split-up” for the Game Boy Advance? Well, here's the other half. Released only eighteen months after the 2001 original, Golden Sun: The Lost Age definitely had more competition this time around, but this portable franchise wasn't ready to let some other RPG come in and steal the spotlight. This is a bigger and darker adventure, though critics were divided on whether that made this sequel better than the original. While the critics ultimately liked this follow-up, you'll see from the reviews that they are no longer overlooking some of the franchise's imperfections, something that was a lot easier to overlook when you're the first RPG out of the gate.

For their part, Electronic Gaming Monthly gave this Golden Sun sequel an average score of 8.2 out of 10, down nearly a full point from the 9 out of 10 they gave the original. This game baffled Ethan, though clearly some of that is on him: “I never solved the original Golden Sun, so this sequel left me pretty confused from the get-go. The events that took place at the end of the first game are so important to this one, and the long (and hard-to-follow) text prologue that introduces Lost Age didn't help much. Once I did finally come to grips with what was going on, I thought the story was fine, but nothing special. The same goes for the abundant random battles. What really makes the game click, though, are its ingenious puzzles and lush, stunning visuals.” Scooter ended up giving the game a slightly higher score, pushing back at some of the criticism: “Unlike most RPG follow-ups, The Lost Age isn't a complete standalone sequel. Instead, it's essentially the second act of one gargantuan story. Being a direct continuation also means it neither looks nor sounds any better than its forerunner. These nearly identical production values disappoint slightly – then again, I prefer improved, challenging gameplay over new visuals any day. And Age completely delivers in the gameplay arena; it's a much deeper and more rewarding RPG this time around. You have to work hard to earn everything, as Age sports some remarkably tricky puzzles and labyrinths. I'm a sucker for difficult dungeons, so these brain-benders kept me enthralled (and occasionally baffled) throughout.”

These reviews were right in line with where most critics were on this sequel. You saw Computer & Video Games go a little lower, giving this RPG a solid 8 out of 10. That's also the score Shane Bettenhausen gave the game in both EGM and GMR. He argued that this game should come with a warning sticker telling potential buyers that they need to beat the first game: “Seriously, if you haven't finished the first installment of Camelot's sprawling GBA epic, it's likely you'll be baffled, at least initially, by this direct follow-up. Luckily, every aspect of this game outside of its narrative succeeds without fault. The gameplay perfectly balances combat and exploration; random encounters are quick-and-easy turn-based fare, while a bevy of puzzle-packed dungeons provide the game's real draw. Too many RPGs use overlong battles to pad out the experience, so it's refreshing to play one that employs fun, creative challenges as the meat in its gameplay.”

It's worth noting that there were other magazines that went a bit higher with their scores, such as Game Informer, who gave Golden Sun: The Lost Age an 8.5 out of 10, the same score they gave the first game. GamePro also liked the game, giving it a strong score of 4.5 out of 5, complaining about the “occasionally wonky control and the way NPCs defend instead of attack another monster if their original target dies.” They concluded that “Letting such niggling issues detract you from The Lost Age, however, would be a devastating catastrophe. The plot is grandiose as always and the dungeons are filled with ingenious puzzles that require inspired use of Psynergy to solve. The graphics once again push the GBA's upper limits, and the eye-popping magic effects are beautiful, even by console standards. The best thing you can say about The Lost Age, though, is that it's Golden Sun – except more of it. A good 35 hours more, even. If you've played the original, then this is a must-buy; if you haven't, then this and the original are must-buys.”

If there's one thing we can take away from these reviews, it's that you should definitely NOT start with the sequel. Beat the first game and then move on, in that order. Of course, that won't be a big problem for Switch owners, which makes this a perfect addition to Nintendo's Expansion Pack service.