Battle Mode

Battle Mode is an option in both Golden Sun games. It is where players can battle and practice different strategies against monsters and bosses from the game and against friends with use of a link cable. No coins or EXP are earned in Battle Mode. With this mode you can use all the items and Djinn that you currently have in your posession. All battles take place in a colosseum setting similar to Colosso and play the standard Battle Theme.

Lobby
In the Lobby you can talk to all the Adepts you currently have in your party. Other than that there are just a bunch of NPC's you can talk to. You are not allowed to use Psynergy or allowed to save while you are in the lobby, with the exception of battle records which get automatically saved by the woman at the counter. But if you talk the lady in the lower left while holding a shoulder button in Golden Sun: The Lost Age you can listen to the game's Sound Test option.

Monster Battle
The Monster Battle mode is initiated when you have no link cable inserted into the console. You must talk to the woman at the counter and she will tell you to stand in the white circle when you are ready. With Monster Battle you can battle any monster you have already battled in the game, including boss battles, but you are not able to battle Djinn. Enemies from Golden Sun will not appear in The Lost Age and vise versa. While battling any monster you are not allowed to run. Any items used in battle will automatically be returned to the party as soon as they are done battling and choose to quit. Basically put, it's the only place where Isaac can square off against Poseidon. It can also be seen as a true test of endurance seeing as how you can easily get pitted against Dullahan 10 times in a row. The enemies in the arena are scaled to the party's level, and if the player removes their weapons and Djinni, it is not uncommon for them to deal 1 damage. For example,in the normal game at level 99, you may find you can beat Dullahan with ease, but in the arena, he will be much more powerful and you will have a much harder time.

This causes somewhat of an oddity in the Monster Battle Mode to occurs if you play on Easy Mode in The Lost Age: all of the enemies will be far stronger to begin with, as the player has no Djinni nor any weapons to overcome the scaling system, meaning that although they can be as highly levelled as 99, it is entirely possible to deal a meagre 1 damage. It is therefore very easy for a party to be downed by a simple Ruffian, much to the dismay of players thinking an easy win is in store. This levels out as the game progresses, as the party's array of weapons and Djinni grow, although by defeating progressively stronger enemies, it does become more difficult. Thus, to ensure the easiest challenge, the player should collect as many Djinni and weapons as possible, while defeating as few bosses as the game will allow.

Link Battle
With the Link Battle option you may battle a friend with a copy of the same game to see who's better; however, you cannot link the original Golden Sun to The Lost Age. In this mode, you are restricted to the use of only three adepts each, and a time limit is set on your turns, with characters who are not assigned turns being forced to defend. All of your battle wins will be displayed on the wall. Other than for bragging rights it serves no real purpose. Despite this minor role, the Link Arena has its own music, track number 45 in the aforementioned sound test.