The Nintendo Game Boy revolutionized portable gaming when first released over 30 years ago in 1989. The incredibly successful handheld dominated the early 90s and introduced millions worldwide to many of gaming‘s most beloved franchises. Though best known today for landmark puzzle and adventure titles like Tetris, Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda, the Game Boy also delivered innovative, intensely playable real time strategy (RTS) experiences that laid the foundation for mobile gaming on future Nintendo handhelds as well as smartphones.
Defining Gameplay of Classic Game Boy Real Time Strategy
The turn-based tactics genre has thrived for decades, with series like Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics ranking among gaming‘s all-time greats. Real time strategy (RTS) likewise continued gaining popularity in the 90s through landmark PC franchises such as Age of Empires, Command & Conquer and StarCraft. Though lacking the processing power to match the visual splendor of contemporary desktop experiences, classic Game Boy real time strategy titles still captured the intense, fast-paced decision-making and unit micromanagement that define the RTS genre.
Key gameplay elements of the best Game Boy RTS games include:
- Resource management – Gathering materials to construct additional buildings and units
- Fog of war – Areas of the map hidden from view, requiring exploration and scouting
- Tech trees – New technologies and abilities unlocked through research
- Control of multiple unit types – With varying strengths, weaknesses and specialized functions
- Balancing economy, technology research and military power – Strategic decisions carrying consequences
Lacking a keyboard and mouse, Game Boy strategy titles made excellent use of the simple directional pad and two action buttons. Menus were intuitive, controls responsive, and gameplay smooth and compelling. Now let‘s revisit some of the absolute best real time strategy experiences to grace the iconic handheld console.
Military Madness
Release Year: 1989
The original Game Boy launch lineup in 1989 didn‘t include many standout titles, but Military Madness (released as Nectaris in Japan) immediately caught the attention of strategy fans. The critical and commercial response was so overwhelmingly positive, several versions were later ported to home consoles like the TurboGrafx-16.
Military Madness remains one of the best reviewed launch titles on any Nintendo platform. The turn-based hexagonal maps, grid-based movement and combat, resource management, fog of war and technology tree form the core of addictive bite-sized strategy brilliance refined and built upon in so many later franchises. Accessible gameplay hooks new players quickly while considerable depth ensures endless replay value for dedicated fans.
Distinct features that make Military Madness memorable:
- Accessible turn-based gameplay perfect for on-the-go play sessions
- 14 unique battlefield environments and unit types
- Single player campaign with 35 stages
- Local multiplayer support for competitive 1-on-1 matches
- Password save system to store progress
Military Madness set the standard for portable turn-based gameplay and multiplayer functionality. It remains among the best reviewed and most fondly remembered early Game Boy releases over 30 years later.
Advance Wars
Release Year: 2001
When legendary developer Intelligent Systems launched Advance Wars in 2001, the Game Boy Advance had inherited the portable gaming crown. The vibrant new 32-bit handheld provided major leaps forward in visuals, sound and processing muscle. Advance Wars took full advantage to deliver one of the deepest and most revered portable strategy franchises.
Players assume the role of an advising tactician through over a hundred skirmishes and dozens of hours of gameplay throughout the lengthy campaign. The turn-based grid maps retain the accessibility and pure fun that made Military Madness shine.
Key elements that make Advance Wars legendary:
- Compelling characters and lighthearted storytelling woven around each battle
- Over 20 unique unit types with strengths and weaknesses to balance
- Terrain effects providing additional tactical considerations
- Robust map creation and customization tools
- Local wireless multiplayer support for 1-on-1 matches
The depth of gameplay, wealth of content and refinements to interface and presentation push Advance Wars gameplay to another level. As the highest rated Game Boy strategy title on Metacritic, its masterful design provides the benchmark for an entire generation of portable turn-based experiences.
Fire Emblem
Release Year: 2003
After gaining modest popularity in Japan during the 90s, Nintendo‘s beloved Fire Emblem series finally arrived in the West with this 2003 Game Boy Advance release simply titled Fire Emblem. The epic storyline spans dozens of hours, with deeply nuanced gameplay centered around positioning troops for strategic advantage prior to initiating grid-based combat.
Permanent death heightens tension considerably – lose a valued unit in battle and they‘re gone for good! Supports and relationships developed between characters additionally factor into battlefield prowess, further heightening replay value.
Reasons Fire Emblem is revered by strategy fans:
- Sprawling story with deeply developed characters
- Over 40 unique unit classes with varied skills and functions
- Permanent death mechanic heightens risk-reward tension
- Supports and relationships affect power and survivability
- Link cable support for multiplayer unit exchanges and arena battles
Fire Emblem deftly balances accessibility through clear menus and tutorials with dramatic storytelling and deep tactical gameplay. There’s good reason the series has exploded in popularity, with contemporary console and mobile releases selling better than ever. This 2003 classic started the franchise‘s meteoric rise.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Release Year: 2003
The Final Fantasy franchise had already delivered all-time great experiences across console generations when Square Enix dropped the excellent Final Fantasy Tactics Advance on Game Boy Advance in 2003. The grid-based battle engine provided considerable depth through custom character job system progression.Square Enix and developer Quest further expanded the engrossing tactical combat scenarios through the introduction of Judges and Laws. On each battlefield, unique rules dictate battle conditions which must be followed. Violating the Laws leads to punishment, introducing a challenging risk-reward element as you position troops and initiate attacks.
Reasons Final Fantasy Tactics Advance shined:
- 300 battle missions spanning a 30+ hour storyline
- Over 20 character jobs with specialized attacks and abilities
- Laws injecting randomness and raising the skill ceiling
- Robust multiplayer offerings via link cable
- High quality visuals pushing GBA graphical capabilities
The Judges/Laws mechanic brought considerably more depth relative to predecessors, with mastering gameplay nuances necessary to succeed in the latter challenging missions. Customization and varied battle conditions provide incredible replay value as well.
Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon
Release Year: 2004
The Shining Force series had delivered excellent turn-based tactical gameplay during the 16-bit era on Sega platforms. After a decade away, Sega resurrected the dormant franchise exclusively on Nintendo‘s dominant Game Boy Advance handheld. Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon revamped the original Shining Force with improved visuals, additional content, gameplay enhancements and full English localization.
The epic storyline follows young warrior Max leading the titular Shining Force army against invading forces aiming to resurrect ancient evil. Battle takes place across grid-based environments, with proper positioning of distinct character classes key to winning each conflict.
Reasons Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon remains celebrated:
- 30+ hour epic storyline masterfully retold
- Accessible turn-based tactical combat
- Over 20 playable characters plus challenging boss encounters
- Optional battles and secrets enhancing replay value
- Cleaned up visuals at smooth 60FPS frame rate
Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon deftly modernizes the series for a new generation while retaining everything fans loved about the 16-bit classics. Renewed accessibility paired with deep challenge helps explain its enduring popularity.
Rebelstar: Tactical Command
Release Year: 2005
Late in the lifecycle, publishers continued mining the clearly demonstrated mobile strategy gaming demand to cultivate excellent titles. Rebelstar Tactical Command far exceeded its ZX Spectrum namesake thanks to developer Codo Technologies creatively working within Game Boy Advance limitations to produce fast-paced, challenging and thoroughly engaging combat. The sci-fi storyline follows Jorel’s fight against an alien invasion force attempting global domination.
Turn-based play out allows issuing movement, combat, and other commands to all units before the enemy counterattacks to eviscerate your squad! Can you successfully scout the enemy, coordinate troop deployments, exploit terrain advantages and leverage unique skills to achieve mission success?
Elements contributing to Rebelstar: Tactical Command‘s revered status:
- 60+ hour campaign and expansive lore
- Distinct soldier classes and special abilities
- Customization through upgrades and equipment choices
- Four player modes including challenging Turn Mode against the CPU
- Increased tactical depth via new stealth gameplay features
With more intelligent and aggressive enemy AI relative to 16-bit progenitors, Rebelstar Tactical Command provides a stiff challenge even on standard difficulty settings. Codo Technologies leveraged increased graphics, processing, storage and link cable capabilities to deliver the ultimate portable turn-based tactics challenge.
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis
Release Year: 2002
The Ogre Battle series had delivered excellent strategic role playing entry earlier in the decade. The 2002 Game Boy Advance exclusive Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis built upon that strong foundation to emerge among the deepest and most beloved portable strategy experiences on any Nintendo platform. The campaign‘s branching pathways, challenging skirmishes, memorable characters and meaningful alignment-based decisions captivate over 50 hours.
Grid-based movement and combat return. Players must position distinct classes such as knights, archers, mages to exploit environmental weaknesses and enemy vulnerabilities. The Angel Ring system governs battle, rewarding strategic decision-making and punishing reckless troop management with diminished maximum health and battle capacity in subsequent encounters.
Reasons Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis soars:
- Deep alterations to battle conditions through the Angel Ring system
- Alignment decisions affecting storyline progression
- Over 10 unit classes to recruit and level up
- Notification memory recalling recent damage tallies and enemy intel
- Local multiplayer support for competition
Pound for pound as much strategic depth and meaningful decision making as virtually any contemporary console role playing or strategy experience, Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis represents the pinnacle of Game Boy Advance‘s tactical prowess.
Conclusion and Legacy
The Game Boy family stands among gaming’s most treasured and historically significant hardware platforms. While renowned for landmark puzzle, platforming and role playing franchises, the first-ever successful mainstream portable also delivered some of the best real time strategy experiences to date on mobile devices. Advance Wars and Fire Emblem in particular built passionate followings that yearned for additional portable releases.
Both Intelligent Systems and Nintendo answered the call. Advance Wars Dual Strike released to great acclaim on Nintendo DS in 2005, while new Fire Emblem titles graced both DS and Game Boy Advance nearly every year last decade. In 2013, series producer Hitoshi Yamagami cited robust GBA sales from Western fans as the motivation to continue investing resources localizing new franchise entries for worldwide release.
The Bell Kingdom characters and world introduced in the original portable Fire Emblem remains widely recognized and referenced, while the modern political helpless damsel captured by the Americans opening act from Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising is referenced to this day as a contributing factor towards renewed franchise interest.
Long Live Portable Strategy Gaming
This Game Boy real-time strategy pantheon not only includes some of the greatest handheld experiences ever crafted, but their design heavily informed development on future Nintendo portables as well as mobile. Fire Emblem: Three Houses on Nintendo Switch recently became the best selling franchise entry ever, moving over three million copies in under two years.
With smartphone processing and cloud gaming closing the gap more each year, expect rich real time strategy and tactics experiences to increase in scope and scale over the next generation as the progression first glimpsed on our beloved Game Boys so long ago continues marching onwards!
