114 battle maps
Extensive tutorial modes
Map creation modes
Battery save
Single system and multisystem multiplayer
Link cable support for four players (single and multicart)
Only for Game Boy Advance
Advance Wars is an incredibly deep and addictive turn-based strategy game, where
you assume command of an army that's out to reclaim
a world that's been broken up by warring factions.
The battle map is essentially a grid, and moving units is
like moving chess pieces on a board -- each of your army's
units can move a specific amount of spaces
within this grid, and can only attack at a certain distance from
specific enemies. Each of the game's more than 115 maps have their own specific
task to complete, but generally speaking the fighting's never over until A) you've
wiped out every enemy off the map, or B) you've infiltrated the camp and
captured the enemy's headquarters.
Fights will take place on land, in the air, and over the sea,
and you'll have command over 18 different units...each with its own strengths
and weaknesses. For example, infantry are needed to capture buildings in order to
increase your war funds during the battle, but they're extremely weak and susceptible to
attack from nearly any other unit in the game. Artillery Cannons can take out many units, but
it can't attack any unit that's in its immediate area, nor can it hit specific
anything in the air. And it's also important to learn how areas can change the
effectiveness of an offensive attack or a defensive posture. Plant an infantry unit in
the mountains, for example, and he can see through the optional Fog of War, as well as be
relatively well protected from attack...it just takes an additional move to get into this
area. Weather effects also come into play -- units are unaffected by pleasant conditions, but
watch out when it starts to rain or snow. The level of strategy in this game is incredibly complex,
and that's why the designers force gamers into a 15 mission tutorial mode before letting them
into the Campaign mode -- the learning curve is very high, but the tutorial mode holds
your hand until, gradually, you go on your own against the enemy Command Officer.
Speaking of the Command Officer, that's where an additional layer of strategy comes into play.
As you move further into the campaign mode, more COs become available. The COs are your battle
persona, and each one has his or her own strengths and weaknesses in battle. Some can move units further,
but feature a weaker attacking ability, others can capture bases more quickly but lack strength in defense.
Each CO also has a special offensive or defensive ability that can only be accessed when the powerbar has
been given enough time to charge -- one character can repair all his units at once, while another can strengthen
every unit's offensive attack during a single move. There are nine COs in all, and they only become available as you advance through the storyline.
And though the Single Player missions start out easy, the computer AI increases in difficulty until, well, you're
pretty much toast unless you can think of strategies two or three steps head of the opposing CO. Luckily the very
handy battery save can come to the rescue here -- at any point in the mission you can save your progress, so if you
completely screw up your mission, it's all about hitting the power switch and reviving the game when you last left off. Sure,
it's a little underhanded, but it's all a part of the game...right?
As you progress through the campaign's missions, you're awarded coins based on the attributes during a battle. The better you
perform, the more coins you earn. Coins can then be used to purchase additional maps to be played outside of the standard campaign mode.
Obviously, the better you are at the game, the more you can unlock in Advance Wars...including classic maps that were used in the original Game
Boy version of the game, released only in Japan as Game Boy Wars. These maps can then be taken to the multiplayer mode...and if you thought
the Single Player modes were awesome...
Advance Wars fully supports the Game Boy Advance's link cable mode for four player action. If only one person has a cartridge, it will upload a one-cartridge, non-scrolling
map to whoever is connected in the game. But if everyone has a copy of the game, any map that's been unlocked can be used in multiplayer mode --
including maps that were used in Campaign Mode. But keep in mind that Campaign Mode maps don't make for decent multiplayer maps, since they've
been skewed to give one side an extreme advantage over the other. And, as an added bonus, the game even supports single system multiplayer for four players --
at the end of a turn, players pass the system to the next player so he can make his move. This mode is a great addition, since the other players sit and wait
during the other CO's move anyway. Though link play is an absolute blast, there are issues...including the fact that a game in progress cannot be saved. A mission
can last several hours, so if a player's battery runs out of juice, it'll end the game prematurely.
And if you're feeling a bit on the creative side, you'll be able to design up to three maps from the ground up through Advance Wars' very detailed map creator.
You have full control of what goes where, so you can potentially create as good as, if not better, maps than those already built into the game. These maps can
than be traded to other players' cartridges and played over link cable.
Advance Wars' presentation is extremely energetic, with a very anime style to the graphics. The game has very minimal animation in the well-drawn character sprites,
but they slide around the board and battlefields with a fluid motion. The game takes advantage of the Game Boy Advance's hardware for its special effects, zooming the
character and unit sprites all over the screen. And when a CO utilizes its special abilities, it's like its been ripped out of some Japanese animated film. The graphic
style matches the game extremely well, since there's so much to keep track of -- the developers kept the clutter to an absolute minimum, and unless you've really screwed
up a mission,
it's very hard to lose your troops in a mob of units.
You will most likely like it.
All the ratings i have seen are 9. somethings or mostly perfect 10s.
