I'm sure most of us here love and appreciate sprites. I've been digging
through some old stuff again, playing my GBA collection. And I realize
how amazing some of these games are and how masterfully designed they
were for its time.

Even playing them today, I'm still blown away
by how far developers came even with the simple sprite, from the NES,
SNES, and to what they can do today. Even during the GBA era, these
sprite-based games really look incredible.

Here are some games
that are still amazing by today's standards. In that mold that stands
out is games by Treasure. These guys are the masters of the sprite.
Some of the things they were doing on the GBA amazes me more than the
latest 3D technology.

Anyway, here they are:

Astro Boy Omega Factor

Honestly,
I never really got into Astro Boy at first. But playing it again after
all these years, I realize the master craftsmanship that went into this
game. One of the best 2D games ever!



Gunstar Super Heroes

Another
gem by the masters of the sprite, Treasure. Seriously, the things
Treasure pulled with sprites in this game are amazing! Mode 7 on
sterioids! LOL!



Drill Dozer

I
don't think many people played this, but this is one of the best games
on the GBA. I also can't believe it was made by Game Freak, the guys
who do Pokemon. When they're not confined to Pikachu's Ash, they really
can do some creative stuff!  



TMNT

Just
because the 3D movie sucked doesn't mean the game did. I think this is
the best movie tie-in game ever made, and the best Ninja Turtle game
ever! Sadly, nobody knows this.



Metroid Zero Mission

My
favorite Metroid game ever, and one of my favorite games of all-time!
This is, IMO, the greatest remake ever created! I still play this
today. Never get bored of it!



Zelda Minish Cap

Phanton
Hourglass who? Seriously, this is the best handheld Zelda game ever
made. And it's not dumbed down but pure, traditional, unadulterated
Zelda.




Tactics Ogre

Before
Final Fantasy Tactics, there was this series. I always wanted to play
the Tactics Ogre games that were never released in the US. But I'm glad
this was. A true gem!


                        


Dragon Ball Advanced Adventure

Usually, Dragon Ball games suck, but this one is surprisingly good! It's also one of the best 2D beat-em-ups on the GBA!




Mario VS Donkey Kong

This
is the funniest game I've ever played. It's not the game or dialogue
but Mario that's the comedian. The guy who does Mario's voice is
hilarious! And the game is great too! See what NST can do when they're
given more creativity to play with? Nowadays Nintendo's forcing them to
make crap like CrossworDS, blah!



Klonoa 1 & 2

Just found these gems! I missed out on the Klonoa games and I feel they've always been under Mario's shadow. But these games are a great marriage between puzzle solving and platforming action. I'm sure the Wii version and the PS2 Klonoa 2 are the best, these GBA version are amazing 2D counterparts.




I'm sure I left out a lot, but these games come to mind whenever I think of my favorite 2D GBA games.

I
think the GBA was great because of these masterpieces. I also believe
the sprite art reached its peak during this era. Sure there are still
sprite games coming out today like Lock's Quest, Summon Night Twin Age,
etc., but none of these can match the amazing work these developers
achieved on the GBA.

I love these games. I think I enjoy these
more than some of the next-gen games. There's something about the
sprite that gives me that funny feeling inside. I guess it's nostalgia,
but I think it's my appreciation of this lost art form.