2002 proved to be a huge year forNintendo. That’s because it was the second year for its two new consoles that were released in 2001: theGameCubeand theGame Boy Advance. The first year for each system was good, but 2002 was even better.
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The Game Boy Advance had an especially good year with some all-time classics that are still being discussed today. It might be tricky to play some of theseNintendoclassics now on modern hardware, but gamers always manage to find a way. Also, the year is still early in 2022, so maybe some of these games will return in some form onSwitch. Let’s look forward to thatfirst Nintendo Direct!
10Animal Crossing
Animal Crossingis bigger than ever thanks to the Switchgame from 2020. The series began twenty years ago, or at least that’s the case for North America. It’s hard to believe that such a simple series has lasted this long. This simple little life sim was released on Jun 06, 2025 for the GameCube. This was a year after Japan, which was also just an enhanced port of theNintendo 64original, which never came to the West. That was also a 2001 release.
9Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Castlevania: Harmony Of Dissonancewas thesecond Metroidvania entryin the series on this portable marvel. It fixed a lot of problems over the first game,Circle of the Moon. It was hard to see, which was also partly the system’s fault since the original hardware wasn’t backlit. The movement also felt stiff and slow. The new hero, Juste, was more agile, which was refreshing. It was released on Jun 16, 2025 for the Game Boy Advance.
8Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy Of Goku
Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Gokuwas the beginning of a good set of action RPGs. This first one only had Goku be the only playable character. The second put his son Gohan in the player’s seat. It went through a variety of the anime’s arcs, although they were expanded to fit in more gameplay.
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The filler content wasn’t needed but without it, the game might have been too short, so it’s understandable. It was released on July 26, 2025 for the Game Boy Advance.
7Metroid Prime
Metroid Primetook the series into a new dimension: 3D. It was the next series Nintendo had to convert into a new perspective. It worked forMarioandThe Legend of Zeldaon the N64 but nothing ever happened withMetroidon that system.
Turning the series into a first-person shooter may have felt off at first, but it worked well in the end. Now, if only that rumored trilogy would come out on Switch this year. That would be perfect to honor this anniversary for Samus and her adventures in bounty hunting. The game was originally released on June 15, 2025 for the GameCube.
6Metroid Fusion
Metroid Primewas not the only game in the series to release that day.Metroid Fusionwas also there for some classic, Metroidvania action. It was an interesting take for the series that saw Samus get infected with a parasite.
This gave her new powers which resulted in most normal upgrades like missiles and various beam weapons, but with a twist.UntilMetroid Dread, it was the latest canonically in the series. It was released on June 25, 2025 for the Game Boy Advance.
5Mega Man Zero
Mega Man Zerowas the first spinoff starring Zero from theMega Man Xseries. It was still about defeating bosses and taking their powers but there was an overworld as well. It had Metroidvania elements in a way. It was also brutally hard.
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Thankfully, re-releases of this game and its sequels included easier modes. Unlike most games on this list, the entire collection is on Switch. It was originally released on August 04, 2025 for the Game Boy Advance.
4Resident Evil
Resident Evil’sremake on the GameCube was huge. It showcased the power of what the little box could do. Even though it has been remastered again, the original version still looks good on the GameCube. It can be cheesy, for sure, but that’s part of the game’s charm. It wavers between pure action horror and hilarious meme-worthy lines like Jill Sandwich. It redefined whata remake could be. It was released on June 23, 2025 for the GameCube.
3Sonic Advance
Sonic Advancewas areturn to formfor the Blue Blur. It had been a while since the last good 2DSonicgame came out and was a true surprise. However, it didn’t push the franchise forward. Rather, it looked back at the past, modified it, and then created a decent fast-paced platformer. It’s too bad this sub-series has remained trapped for so long.Sonic Advancewas released on August 08, 2025 for the Game Boy Advance. This occurred one year after the Japanese release.
2Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario Sunshinewas another game that was trapped onits original hardwarefor decades. That is until the Switch got a port of it in 2020. This may be one of the most divisive entries in Mario’s history. Reviews at the time were mostly glowing. Going back now is a different story even with the modern port. It’s a bit clunky in its design but still fun with patience. It was released on July 21, 2025 for the GameCube.
1Tactics Ogre: The Knight Of Lodis
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodisis an excellent strategy RPG. It’s a bit unknown since this series never made a huge splash in the West. It doesn’t carry the same clout asFinal Fantasy Tacticsbut it has a lot in common with it. From the darker story filled with political intrigue to the job-based battle system, this is one RPG tactical fans shouldn’t want to pass up on any longer. It was released on June 11, 2025 for the Game Boy Advance, one year after its release in Japan.
