Hi, my name is gilgatex and I am trying to beat every US release of every Gameboy Advance game. As the name suggests, I am from Texas. I stream GBA Challenge on Sunday nights at 6pm Central US time. Link to games played (and challenge rules) here: [Game List](https://gilgatex.live/) Find me on: [Steam](https://steamcommunity.com/id/gilgatex/) [Discord](https://discord.gg/jw3JMQN) [Twitter](https://twitter.com/gilgatex) And don't forget to [Donate](https://streamlabs.com/gilgatex)!

These are lesser-known games that beat my low expectations and actually turned out to be quite enjoyable. Note I'm not posting well-known good games here, only underdogs. + **Monster House (#40)** - Even though it was based on a mediocre kid's movie, this game had a lot of depth of puzzles and kept me entertained and challenged (in the good way) the entire time. + **Shrek 2 (#46)** - Great puzzle platformer game in the style of Lost Vikings. **Shrek 2: Beg for Mercy** had the same gameplay but was waaaay too short to be recommended. + **Kong: 8th Wonder of the World (#63)** - Another surprisingly good adventure game based on a movie. Good controls and story and the puzzles were interesting and well-balanced. + **Avatar: The Last Airbender (#66)** - Another low expectation because it was based on a kid's show, but the dungeon puzzles in this game were extremely well thought out and interesting. The combat could have used a little work though. + **Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (#94)** - I'm not a fan of brawlers but this game was good. Smooth controls, variety of moves, and a persistent exp buy system makes this one stand out from other GBA brawlers. + **Cabbage Patch Kids: The Patch Puppy Rescue (#96)** - Ok, this game LOOKS horrible, and it is very simple and quick, but it was actually pretty fun with smooth controls. I spent some time speedrunning it afterward (and got the WR). + **Ultimate Spider Man (#117)** - Playing as venom and sucking the life out of your enemies is just so satisfying. Smooth and fun controls. Has *hidden* power ups and a New Game+ mode for extra replayability. Best Spider Man game I've played so far. + **SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis (#143)** - Great puzzle platformer. You can play as two of four different characters from Spongebob at a time, and your special ability depends on which two you choose. Great level design, and not too hard. + **Tiny Toon Adventures: Wacky Stackers (#160)** - 8 challenger puzzle mode was a trip. Great puzzles with special abilities that actually play into the puzzle. Probably the most fun I've had with a puzzle game on the GBA. + **Eragon (#175)** - An unexpected, good JRPG! They really added a lot of cool RPG features, like alchemy, timed defenses, combo-button attacks, and a job leveling system that has overworld implications. Very cool! + **Over the Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts! (#195)** - Turned out to be an amazing mini-golf game with a puzzle twist. If you like mini-golf games at all, this is a great one! + **Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King (#205)** - A metroidvania! A simple one, but animations and controls were smooth, music was amazing, and it was a great, balanced challenge level. + **Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (#215)** - An easy (but not too easy) adventure game with a lot of content. Lots of special areas and secrets to uncover. A vast improvement over the first Harry Potter game. + **Hot Wheels: Burnin' Rubber (#252)** - This was a surprisingly good racing game with a fast FPS rate. Taking those corners requires drifting skill. If they had just added power-ups it would have been even better. + **TMNT (#255)** - Just like Episode III, this was a surprisingly smooth brawler with a lot of customization and bonuses to uncover. My biggest complaint is that it isn't long enough! + **Mazes of Fate (#279)** - Really great take on the first-person-grid-based RPG, like an old DOS RPG. If you like that genre, this is a must-play. + **Top Gear Rally (#285)** - I won't lie, this game is HARD. But the racing engine is so good that it turned out to be a really fun challenge. In my opinion, the best 3d racing game on the system so far. + **Onimusha Tactics (#295)** - Not much to say about this other than it is a well-balanced linear tactics game. Pretty good story too. If you like Final Fantasy Tactics, you'll like this too. + **Ice Nine (#362)** - This game is very expensive to buy, and I can see why. The best first-person-shooter I have played on the GBA to date. Smooth engine and controls and just the right amount of auto-aiming to make it challenging. Even better than Ecks v. Sever.

These are my "shame" games, i.e., games I didn't (or couldn't) complete or see a credits screen: - **Paws & Claws: Pet Resort (#4)** - I actually put the time into this one. Almost 20 hours worth. But the final level appears to be unwinnable, possibly due to a bug. - **R-Type III: The Third Lightning (#134)** - I just can't figure out the fourth level. It's too hard. I've tried over and over without progression for a while, and I'm getting sick of trying. I'll revisit later.