Car Battler Joe (2001). Play online

Summary

Car Battler Joe feels like a pocket-sized mash‑up of a street‑race saga and a classic RPG. I steer Joe Todoroki, a budding car‑battler hunting down his missing father while he customizes his ride in a cramped but surprisingly deep garage. Jobs, tournaments, and stray highways around the village supply the grind, and every tweak—more torque, lighter chassis—shifts how chaotic the combat gets.

Ancient built the whole thing on the GBA’s Mode 7 engine, giving the highways a slick, pseudo‑3‑D look, and they paired it with Yuzo Koshiro’s funky soundtrack. In Japan it launched as Car Battler Go, then Natsume picked it up for North America and tweaked the name.

Critics gave it a solid 77/100 on Metacritic, hailing the blend of driving challenges and RPG depth as "one‑of‑a‑kind" and awarding it February 2003’s best GBA title. Its lasting charm landed it on later Virtual Console releases and retrospective best‑of lists.

Storyline

The road to becoming a car battler is not an easy one. Nobody knows why your dad, champion car battler Jim Todoroki, suddenly abandoned the fastest and most popular sport in Galacia. Rumors swirl that he now rides with the most ruthless car‑battler gangs, but the truth remains hidden.

In Car Battler Joe, you play as 16‑year‑old Joe, determined to follow his father's legacy. To do so, you must earn money by battling other drivers, then spend it on parts to upgrade your vehicle and become stronger.