The Best Retro Handhelds for GBA Games

Updated June 2025

I love the Game Boy Advance. Not only is it my favorite console to play on retro handhelds, it’s my favorite console, period. While I didn’t grow up with a GBA, I’ve spent countless hours emulating this system at various stages of my life.

The GBA is amazing, first and foremost, thanks to its vast catalog of excellent games. There’s no shortage of top-notch first-party releases from Nintendo. Metroid received two of its best classic-style entries here: Metroid Fusion and Metroid Zero Mission. Castlevania released what I consider the best game in the entire franchise, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, perhaps only rivaled by Symphony of the Night on PS1 (which can also be played on most of the retro handhelds mentioned below). There's no need to mention Pokemon, which had one its strongest generation here. And, of course, some of the most beloved Zelda titles are available on this tiny console: The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap and A Link to the Past.

The GBA also saw some innovative games that broke away from the norm and experimented with new structures and mechanics. A few that come to mind are the Advance Wars and WarioWare series, as well as Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. On the other hand, The homebrew scene thrives in this platform. For instance, my Tetris game of choice is Apotris, a very responsive and beautiful free GBA ROM.

Another reason the GBA is great to emulate on retro consoles is that its games were designed for handheld play. They’re easy to pick up for a quick session at home, during transit, or on breaks. These lighter sessions are encouraged by fast loading times and the ability to frequently save your game.

Modern retro handhelds improve on the original experience by offering better hardware than the consoles from the 2000s, such as improved screens, longer battery life, better ergonomics, and more. On the software side, GBA emulators for Linux and Android are among the most mature in the retro gaming scene. Emulation is stable for all games, and features like shaders, fast forward, rewind, and save states work flawlessly with minimal power requirements.

If you’re looking for the best way to play GBA games, you’ve come to the right place. Retro handhelds are your answer. Grab one of these affordable devices and relive the nostalgia of one of the best gaming consoles of all time.