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Metroid Zero Mission | Nintendo Game Boy Advance
If there’s one thing Nintendo does right, it’s 2D Metroid. Essentially a remake of the very first Metroid game, Metroid Zero Mission appeared out of nowhere and quickly stole the hearts of Metroid enthusiasts with it’s classic gameplay and great level design.

All the ingredients of a classic Metroid title are here, from acquiring weapons to gigantic bosses like Ridley and Kraid. The GBA handles the conversion of SNES controls well with little to no problems at all. Gameplay wise, if you’re an average gamer who’s played their share of Metroid in the past, it’s possible to squeeze out about four hours of gameplay just doing the essentials and avoiding the best percentage. Of course, if you really want to see some skin you’ll have to be much faster than that. Nintendo has done a great job with this title and gamers who missed the original Metroid should definitely take up a history lesson on the Metroid series with this title.

With the Metroid Prime series leading the franchise in a new direction, it’s sad
that we will most likely never get another 2D Metroid title. At the very least, old-school Metroid fanboys will be able to bust out Super Metroid when it hits the Wii’s Virtual Console library.

Rated 4.5 out of 5

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith | Nintendo Game Boy Advance

While Ubisoft’s previous Star Wars title may have been anything but strong with the force, Revenge of the Sith is definitely worthy of the Star Wars name. Cast from the same mold as old-school classics such as Double Dragon and Final Fight, ROTS offers up some big fun for a small price.

ROTS’s 20 or so missions are split between Anakin and Obi Wan as they progress through the storyline seen in the film. Along the way, space missions akin to Star Fox are thrown in for some variety. While the levels are no Rogue Leader, they surprisingly handle better than Nintendo’s own DS flight title Star Fox Command. Although cheesy at first, the missions will quickly grow on you.

Both Jedi knights have an array of force moves which are well executed, such as Vader’s trademark force choke. Cutting down enemies with your lightsaber not only feels bitchin’, but with the amount of animations the characters use to swing around their blade it also looks great. The controls especially shine through on levels where you face other saber-wielding characters one on one, such as Count Dooku and General Grievous. Another shining aspect is the games score, which sounds magnificent.

With SW: Lethal Alliance garnering some horrible reviews, this is definitelyt the Star Wars game you are looking for. But not the droids.

RATED 4 out of 5

 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Nintendo Game Boy Advance

For children of the 80s growing up on Saturday morning cartoons and M.C. Hammer, there was nothing better than rocking out to the sweet riffs of the TMNT opening theme (well, maybe the Saved by the Bell theme). When TMNT II: The Arcade Game was released, it was essentially the ultimate Turtles gaming experience. Since that time, Konami has tried to recapture the simple magic of that game with recent console releases based on the new TMNT animated series.

But where those titles fail gloriously, TMNT for the GBA rises above expectations and provides one of the most simple and fun experiences available on Nintendo’s aging handheld. With sixteen levels split between the four turtles and a final assault on Shredder’s tower consisting of four more levels, there’s plenty of gameplay to be had in this cartridge. All four turtles attack with their signature weapons of choice, and each weapon has a different feel to it then the last. Each of the Turtle’s journeys will also see them stop off for a vehicle based mission that’s a nice break from the side-scrolling gameplay.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles console counterparts are definitely (should I say it?) green with envy. Pick up this pak if you can, but avoid the sequel, it’s a bummer.

RATED 4.3 out of 5