| Introduction
I would just like to preface my review by saying
that I am not what you would consider to be a hardcore
strategy game fan in anyway shape or form. I have played
them here and there but not in any capacity to consider
myself a huge strategy gamer.
With that out of the way, let me just say that you
should just run out and purchase this game. I was hesitant
on even writing a full review for this game due to all
of the hype out there for this title, but, since I'm
not a traditional fan of this type of game, my views
might actually be useful to someone out there.
The game is a full featured, turn based strategy
game shrunk down into a tiny battery backed up cart
to be played in that little gaming gem I like to call
a GBA. For hardcore strategy fans, you may be left feeling
a little empty compared to some of the dizzying titles
available on the PC platform. Realistically speaking,
you really are not going to find a strategy game on
the GBA that will beat the features possible on a supped
up PC. However, for the overall strategy fan all the
way down to the beginner, this game is for you.
The general storyline follows Andy, your middle of
the line, all around good at everything commanding officer
(CO). Throughout the game in the Campaign Mode,
which contains the story part of the game, you meet,
fight, join up with and use other CO's, each with their
own abilities and even special CO powers that can be
used once in a while. Overall the story isn't anything
to write home about, however, it gets the job done and
is not going to make you sick either.
GamePlay
Gameplay is what this title is all about. Being a
strategy game, the most important factor, in my opinion
at least, is having balance. The game really never seems
to feel out of balance (in the normal gameplay modes
at least). The amount of units is not overwhelming and
there is always a way to complete each mission. The
standard rules of a war based strategy game apply. You
are not going to have much success using a standard
foot soldier against the powerful Medium Tanks. Of course
you are not going to be creating Medium Tanks right
away since they are pretty expensive. There are also
defensive bonuses that you can take advantage of due
to the terrain around you, but, some of the better terrain
to hide in will also impede your movement. Supply management
is also important since you will need to pay close attention
to fuel and ammo during longer missions. Resource management
is especially important in mission where you need to
take control of cities in order to generate money for
new units.
In the campaign mode alone, you will encounter many
mission types. Some missions will have multiple ways
to complete while others will have a specific objective,
such as lasting a certain number of days or capturing
a certain number of cities. There are also the dreaded
"Fog of War" missions, which will be the most
frustrating to the newbie strategy gamer. Basically,
Fog of War is a feature of a lot of strategy games that
obscures your field of vision. The entire map will not
be visible to the player at all times. However, you
can strategically place units so that more of the map
is available to your unit's vision. (For example, soldiers
placed on a mountain will be able to see more than units
that are hiding in a forest.) This just adds to the
chess-like strategy of the game.
The cart features oodles of modes to keep anyone
busy for hours and weeks. I haven't even thought of
another game since this was released, and I bought it
soon after its U.S.A.. release. First, you start off
with the Training Missions, which are a godsend to those
who are not hardcore strategy gamers. Old pros may be
a little bored during this part of the game but at perfectly
acclimates a new player to all of the aspects of the
game, and flawlessly at that. You will be left with
very few questions if you pay attention to the Training
Missions. After completing the training, the rest of
the game modes open up. Campaign Mode is the story part
of the game as well as the meat and potatoes of the
package. Through this mode, you will also be able to
unlock the different CO's. The beauty of the Campaign
Mode is that there are many choices available to you
that change the course of action. There are hidden missions
and different paths to take, warranting multiple plays.
Even after you are done, you have the option of playing
insanely hard 'advance' missions in Campaign Mode, which
are basically harder versions of the regular missions.
Vs. Mode is your single cart multiplayer. Options
are fully controllable in this mode such as money available
from the start, mission objectives, fog of war, etc.
You can play against up to four players (human or CPU
controlled.) Link Mode is the Multi-cart version of
Vs. Mode, which can also handle up to four players (providing
they all have GBAs, link cables and the cart.)
Rounding out the modes are Battle Maps, War Room
and Map Design. Battle Maps in the store where you spend
your hard earned coins from missions won. You can buy
extra maps for use in the War Room and Vs. Modes as
well as unlocked CO's from the Campaign Mode. The shop
owner is also good for some advise throughout the game.
The War Room is much like a lighter version of Campaign
Mode, featuring single missions, which you can earn
coins and practice tactics in order to attain the highest
grade of "S" in your missions. Map Design
allows you to make your own creations, which you can
even trade between other users via a link cable.
Controls
The controls in the game are standard fair for a
strategy game. Control is menu and icon driven. It is
very simple, elegant and very effective, especially
for a handheld.
Graphics
Advance Wars features adequate graphics. They use
the abilities of the GBA nicely but do not really test
the boundaries of the hardware. Battle Animations are
actually very nice but you may find yourself turning
them off eventually in the efforts to speed up your
gameplay. Everything is colorful and easy to see. You
might not use this game to show off the graphics of
the GBA, but you are not going to be ashamed of it either.
Sound & Music
Much like the graphics, the sound FX and music in
Advance Wars get the job done. Thankfully, we are not
dealing with the annoying looped bleeps and bloops that
plagued most of the Game Boy Color games. The sound
effects are a lot nicer, featuring machine guns, rockets
and everything else you would expect in a war game.
Everything is solid and does not at any point grate
on your nerves.
Final Comments
I bought this game on impulse, based on the raves
it was receiving on the net. (Well, that and the fact
that is was only $25 on sale.) I was a little hesitant
since I was not a huge strategy gaming fanatic. Not
only did this game live up to the hype, it even surpassed
it, in my opinion. It just features that special type
of gameplay that keeps you coming back for more. With
all of the different modes and maps to unlock, even
the people with lots of time to kill will be busy for
a long time. Add in the multiplayer aspect and you can
be busy for months straight. The only people I would
not recommend this game to would be the types of gamers
who are opposed to the slower paced strategy games on
a molecular level. But, if you are the slightest fan,
or just in the mood for something a little different,
you cannot go wrong with Advance Wars.
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