Play Lord Of The Rings, The - The Third Age Online

I picked up Lord of the Rings, The Third Age for the Game Boy Advance back in 2004, a time when handheld RPGs were really finding their footing. It was developed by Griptonite Games and published by EA Games, and it stood out as one of the few attempts to bring a deeper, turn-based experience to the LOTR universe on a handheld. It wasn't trying to reinvent the wheel, but it offered a solid adventure for anyone wanting to dive into that world on the go.

You control a custom party of characters who aren't part of the main Fellowship, traveling through familiar locations from the films. The main goal is to support the central story by fighting Sauron's forces across Middle-earth. Gameplay revolves around screen by screen exploration, engaging in turn based combat where you use swords, spells, and special abilities, and managing your party's equipment and stats. The pacing is methodical, with a moderate difficulty that asks you to think about your moves in battles rather than just button mashing. It feels like a thoughtful, portable extension of the films' epic scale.