 Advance
Wars marks
the first release in the Wars series in the US market.
A long-lived series in Japan, the Wars series games are
acclaimed and loved in Japan. Intelligent Systems, one of Nintendo’s
first party teams is the developer.
Will the Wars series work in America?
If Advance Wars is any indication, the answer is a
resounding “Yes!”
Advance
Wars is a
turn based strategy title played out on a battlefield similar to a
board game.
As a military advisor, it is your job to give orders to the men
in the field.
At the beginning of each mission you are given the terms of
battle; what it takes to win and lose.
Winning usually consists of taking the enemy’s base, or
annihilating his army.
The losing conditions are typically the same for you.
What units you have in the field, where they are, as well as if
you can request any more units is mission dependent.
The
game takes place in a fashion similar to a board game, where one side
takes his turn and then the other side takes his.
A turn consists of deployment of units, movement, firefights,
and re-supplying units. Simple controls allow you direct the entirety
of your army, and sub menus are easy to read and understand.
Intelligence info and geographic data is available at the touch
of a button. Battles
take place when one unit attacks another.
The outcome is based upon the unit strength, terrain, and
initiation; the attacker usually has an advantage.
The
crux of Advance Wars is the planning involved in the placement
of units and balance of combat. There
are three main types of units: land, sea and air.
The units are classified by what terrain they can move through.
Land units can only move on the ground, sea units on water, and air
units can move everywhere.
 Terrain
is of vital importance in Advance Wars battle strategy.
In the sea, and on land there are differing varieties of
terrain. Mountains,
beach, road, forest, desert, fields, reefs, and open sea.
Each type of terrain has an added defense factor for any units
in the area, and attacking between types of terrain can have a large
bearing on a battle’s outcome.
An infantry unit in a mountain position will have a large
advantage on a unit out on a road.
A unit hidden in the forest can ambush any unit passing
through. A small unit of soldiers on foot can escape to the mountains
to avoid a tank brigade. A
submarine can hide in a reef when a cruiser passes over.
Air units cannot take advantage of terrain except at an
airport.
Movement
range is next in Advance War’s battle equation.
Movement range can be seen as speed -- how many spaces a unit
can move in a given time or turn.
Air units have the largest unit range per turn and are
unencumbered by obstacles such as mountains, but they cannot take
advantage of terrain for protection nor use it as an offensive
advantage. Sea units also
have a large range of movement but, like air units, use a large
quantity of fuel. Land
units have the least amount of unit range, but they make up for it
with their high terrain protection.
Attack
ability is the last big factor in the game.
Some units have to be in direct contact with another to attack
or defend against an attack. Artillery
units can fire from a distance, making them very effective.
However artillery often has a short movement range and cannot
fire and move on the same turn, nor can artillery defend against a
direct attack.
 All
told, Advance Wars has 10 land-based units, 4 air units and 4
sea units. Unit abilities
vary quite a bit. Tanks
are good in direct attack and pack a heavy punch.
Infantry are lightly encumbered and can travel over the most
forms of terrain and are the only units that can capture bases.
Battleships can attack air and land based units, while cruisers
can carry helicopters and sweep the seas.
Each unit has its advantages and disadvantages in any given
situation. Advance
Wars maintains an excellent balance between units and there is no
all powerful unit or group.
As
the military advisor, you have command over a variety of commanding
officers (COs.) Each CO has a meter that fills a little at the
beginning of each turn. After a set number of turns in a battle a CO
will be able to use their special ability, which resets the meter.
Each CO has a different power that will enhance their army.
COs can extend movement range, firing range, attack power and
other aspects of their armies. As
you progress farther in the game, you will enlist more COs.
Advance
Wars
boasts several modes.
There is a campaign mode in which there is a story-based war
and missions.
There is a general skirmish mode where you hone your skills of
command in preset scenarios.
There is a mode for simply playing out a battle.
There are 2 multiplayer modes and an excellent level editor. Up
to 4 players can link up and battle or pass a single GBA between each
other to battle.
The multiplayer modes are excellent but prepare to spend some
time to battle.
Advance
Wars
begins with an excellent tutorial that, when finished, opens up the
other game modes.
While mandatory, the tutorial is never tedious or annoying.
Each new level in the tutorial teaches the player about the
nuances of a new aspect of gameplay and requires him or her to do
certain actions.
After introducing the new lesson, the player is often given
full control over the army.
In short, the tutorial is informative and as fun as the game
itself.
 The
anime look of Advance Wars is quite distinctive and proves that
hand-drawn graphics still have a place in gaming.
Battle sounds, animation, and music compliment everything and
all fit perfectly. Aesthetics
-- both visual and aural -- are a plus for Advance Wars, and
the music and animation can be turned off at any time.
The ability to save at any time is also very handy since long
battles can be spread out over several gaming sessions.
Advance
Wars is
almost the perfect game for the Game Boy Advance.
It has lots of options and levels of play, great multiplayer
modes and the ability to save at any time.
Great presentation and an overall feeling of fun pervade this
title.
This is the best Game Boy Advance game yet.
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