Episode 755: The Magic of GBA Soundtrack (Patreon)

Nadia: The Game Boy Advance is celebrated for a lot of things, but its sound capabilities is not one of them. The soundtracks for GBA games tend to have a muffled, "dirty" sound to them that's especially obvious when you play its port of Final Fantasy VI. The lack of reverb in the GBA version does Uematsu's legendary soundtrack no favours.

But is that even a fair comparison given the gap between the SNES' famous music capabilities and the GBA's…less robust tools for musical composition? Heck, the Game Boy Advance SP didn't even have a headphone jack! Nintendo might not have put a lot of thought into the GBA's sound hardware, but many game musicians did. Myself, Victor Hunter, Diamond Feit, and some guy named Jeremy Parish gather to give the GBA's best soundtracks a fair listen.

Art by Nick Wanserski. Edits by Greg Leahy.

04:00 - Iridion 3D: Escape Through the Disposal Tunnel

15:52 - Super Mario Advance: Mario Bros. Title | Final Fantasy VI Advance: Aria di Mezzo Carattere

26:16 - Castlevania: Circle of the Moon: Clockwork Mansion

34:39 - Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance: Successor of Fate

40:38 - Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance: Chapel Sky | Boktai 3: Sabata's Counterattack: Sealed Dungeon

51:21 - Mega Man Zero 3: Cold Smile

56:53 - Mother 3: Fate | The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past: Seal of Seven Maidens

1:05:05 - Donkey Kong Country 3: Rockface Rumble

1:11:56 - Sonic Advance: Casino Paradise Zone, Act 1

1:22:29 - Metroid Fusion: Vs. Nightmare

1:29:12 - Wario Land 4: Palm Tree Paradise

Closing - Rhythm Tengoku: Remix 6 (Perfect)