The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

 Game Boy Advance
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 15 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 15
  3. Negative: 1 out of 15
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. TheQuietGamer
    Dec 22, 2010
    7
    Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King's GBA port is actually almost as good as the console version, the graphics are ok for a GBA game, the sound however is a mixture of repetitive music and sound effects, the game is very challenging but that's mostly because of a flawed leveling up system, you can play as several characters from the movie, and all but a few have there own uniqueLord of the Rings: The Return of the King's GBA port is actually almost as good as the console version, the graphics are ok for a GBA game, the sound however is a mixture of repetitive music and sound effects, the game is very challenging but that's mostly because of a flawed leveling up system, you can play as several characters from the movie, and all but a few have there own unique stories, while this game does have it's flaws it is still a ok game and i would recommend it for fans of the series… Expand
  2. BobH.
    Nov 6, 2003
    8
    I have been waiting for this game for months, and bought it today because im a huge fan of LOTR. I have to admit I am disapointed with the difficulty. The difficulty settings are a one-size-fits-all set to impossible. I played this thing for 3 1/2 hours and got past 3 levels...thats right...3 accursed, impossibly hard levels. This is one of the first games that I have not been able to get I have been waiting for this game for months, and bought it today because im a huge fan of LOTR. I have to admit I am disapointed with the difficulty. The difficulty settings are a one-size-fits-all set to impossible. I played this thing for 3 1/2 hours and got past 3 levels...thats right...3 accursed, impossibly hard levels. This is one of the first games that I have not been able to get past the first 2 or 3 levels in one or two tries. The problem with this game is that the checkpoints in the level are few and far between, so when you die, you usualy have to go back halfway, if not all the way to the beginning of the level, and have to gruel through 15 minutes of already played game. On the one hand, people who like a challenge will love this game, but people who want some good Lord of the Rings insider before december will feel exasperated and disapointed. Great graphics & sound pull this game out of a 5 or 6 for me, so I'll give it an 8 because I love Lord of the rings and a challenge is good once in a while.… Expand
  3. RobertW.
    Jan 24, 2004
    10
    This game rocks. Almost exactly like Two towers but it is a solid game with awesome graphics and nice gameplay.
  4. BrandonW.
    Mar 1, 2004
    1
    Boring. Absolutely boring, this is the only game where I came close to dosing off while playing. Muddy graphics. Repetitive gameplay which is BORING. Music is decent. The Characters die way to fast. If you want something like the ps2 or xbox versions of ROTK stay away from here. Absolutely horrible.
  5. playerjo
    Jul 13, 2007
    10
    My favourite game! This is an easy and really pleasant game , with a really lots of adventures and various tricks! The funny thing is that after you finish it you actually go all over the beggining :) Also bonus maps rock! Lots of gold , later xp and great items! This type of games is the best in the world.
  6. TamaraK.
    Nov 14, 2003
    10
    Mainly, I am posting this as a response to Bob H.'s review. In the options menu, you can adjust the difficulty settings. I believe there is Normal, Hard, and Grueling. I don't think the game is as hard as he makes it sound, unless he has it set on Grueling.
  7. YarnV.
    Nov 25, 2003
    9
    Hey Bob...are you sure that you'e not reviewing the CONSOLE version of the game? There are no mid-level checkpoints in the GBA version, and maps that take more than 15 minutes to get through are fairly rare. The difficulty curve you describe also sounds much more in-line with the console game than the handheld version. Please don't do an this game a disservice by spreading Hey Bob...are you sure that you'e not reviewing the CONSOLE version of the game? There are no mid-level checkpoints in the GBA version, and maps that take more than 15 minutes to get through are fairly rare. The difficulty curve you describe also sounds much more in-line with the console game than the handheld version. Please don't do an this game a disservice by spreading misinformation.… Expand
  8. Nikitosss95
    Feb 13, 2021
    10
    Out of all GBA games that I have ever played (I had a collection of 50 games at least) this one is in the top 5 of my favorite games! I loved playing as Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn or Eowyn! With each character you could gradually collect rare items and keep leveling up until even Nazgul wouldn’t be a threat to you! Playing as Frodo was challenging though, but no less enjoyable!
  9. VLG
    Aug 24, 2023
    10
    One of my favorite games of all time, and the best action RPG in the console, imho

Awards & Rankings

36
#36 Best Game Boy Advance Game of 2003
33
#33 Most Discussed Game Boy Advance Game of 2003
9
#9 Most Shared Game Boy Advance Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. Weekly Famitsu
    68
    7 / 7 / 7 / 6 - 27 [Vol 786]
  2. GameZone
    83
    While not a dramatic change from its predecessor, Return of the King is a solid action game.
    Read full review
  3. Nintendo Power
    82
    Although item use is complex and battlefield navigation can be a chore, gameplay is solid and production values are high. [Jan 2004, p.161]
See all critic reviews »