SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs -Game Boy Advance - Edition

E3 is over, and this time around we'll be having blast from the past with music from five Game Boy Advance. Check your battery and get ready because the music begins now!

v731. Mario Tennis: Power Tour - Peach Tournament Match

Mario Tennis: Power Tour, much like Mario Golf: Advance Tour, was an RPG disguised as a sports game. You started as a neophyte tennis player making his or her way up the ranks in singles and doubles play. You start at Junior, then head to Senior, and then finally Varsity. It is after you reach rank 1 or 2 that you get to go to the Island Open and compete. After the credits roll, you unlock the ability to face off against Mario and the crew. In Power Tour Mario and the gang felt more like an afterthought with only six Mushroom Kingdom denizens as playable characters. This theme, Peach Tournament Match, plays in the Peach Dome during championship tournament matches.



v732. Drill Dozer - Art Museum

Drill Dozer (our first look at this game on the VGMs) was a new IP for the Game Boy Advance from the makers of the Pokemon series of games. It had you playing as a girl inside a miniature tank with a drill on the end of it. You drilled through blocks, bosses, and enemies in your adventure and quest to save the day and take back treasures from the bad guys. This theme, Art Museum, is quite catchy and plays during the second level of the game.



v733. Sonic Advance - Casino Paradise - Act Two

Speed through multiple acts and zones in the original Sonic Advance. This game would get a port on the ill-fated N-Gage in the form of Sonic N. Nonetheless, Sonic Advance was more than just jetting through levels and pressing right. There was some difficult platforming, badniks to outsmart, and bosses to beat. Casino Paradise - Act Two is a jazzy song that makes you want to get up, put on a top hat, and start tap-dancing. ...Maybe that's just me.



v734. Golden Sun - World Map

Golden Sun was a fun RPG romp that introduced puzzle elements and Psyenergy to dungeons and other in-game areas. Sure, most battles could be summon-fests, but the game was universally enjoyed by many a-gamer. I find the Golden Sun games to be a little text-heavy. The script could use some brevity-- that's for sure. Regardless, if you're looking for a great system for JRPGs, the Game Boy Advance has several excellent ones including Golden Sun. This track is the World Map theme as heard in both Golden Sun and its sequel, the Lost Age.



v735. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap - Dark Hyrule Castle

Dark Hyrule Castle is the final of five main dungeons in The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. The game itself focused on exploration, adventuring, fun combat, and brain-bending puzzle-solving. Unlike most Zelda games, Ganon was nowhere to found. Instead the enemy was a bad guy named Vaati. To this day I really enjoy playing this tremendous title-- fusing kinstones and saving the Princess.



Nothing like nostalgia to make you feel good. That does it for this week of favorite VGMs. The VGMs will see you next week, but I'll be back for more content tomorrow. Good day!