September 10, 2001 - Before we actually get into the game review, know this: Advance Wars is awesome. This turn-based strategy game is brand-name and license free, so don't glance over the box when you see it on local shelves. The game has been designed as a near perfect Game Boy Advance title, with almost every known system feature utilized, extremely well-balanced gameplay, and near infinite replay value. If there was a game to own for the Game Boy Advance system, Advance Wars is it.
There, now with that out of the way...
Features
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.
The audio is equally competent, with digitized blams and kablooies blasting out of the GBA's tiny speaker. The well-composed music does get a little repetitive after several hours of play, but it can be turned off in a menu option.
Closing Comments
I hesitated giving this game a perfect 10, and decided to knock a single tenth of a point simply due to a problem in the link cable mode. Since it's turn-based, the players who are not involved sit and watch the player in charge making his move -- it would have been extremely helpful to add a function to let these players check on their troops during the move...especially when enemy forces are moving into their territory. In single player mode, the computer AI moves so fast that you wouldn't have much time to check your stats anyway...but when you're sitting idle after a turn, your mind should be working strategically, and to not have the ability to see your troops' status is a bit annoying.
But that's really the only true complaint I can make about the game. Advance Wars is an absolutely brilliant design, and a title that absolutely deserves a place in your Game Boy Advance collection. It will be amazing to see this series continue in the states, simply because the design is near perfect as it is. What could they possibly do to the game to make it better?
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.
Advance Wars is as brilliant as they come on the Game Boy Advance. The game isn't this action-packed button-mashing thumb-buster on the system, but Advance Wars is incredibly intense and amazingly addictive...especially when you learn every little nuance of the game design. Single player mode is a challenge in itself, but when you get another player (or three) into the battlefield, that's when you see just how versatile the game design really is. The learning curve has been addressed with a well-designed and integrated tutorial mode that must be completed in order to gain access to the rest of the game.
Rating
Description
out of 10
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10
Presentation
Energetic interface, extremely well-written scripts, and a whole lot of flash throughout.
9.0
Graphics
Though there's extremely minimal animation, the graphic style of Advance Wars is very fitting, and utilizes the system hardware to its fullest.
9.0
Sound
Nice music, but it tends to get repetitive after a while. Great digitized samples throughout.
10
Gameplay
The game's high learning curve can seem overwhelming, but the designers incorporate tutorial missions as flawlessly as possible. This is one of the finest turn-based strategy games ever created.
10
Lasting Appeal
Single player missions, multiplayer missions...and you can even design your own missions and trade 'em to friends. Nearly infinite replay value here.
9.9
OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)
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