Customer Reviews

Advance Wars

5 star:		(188)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

A highly valued game in Japan, this game should be great in it's american debut. As a commander, you must control your troops and deploy new ones that will destroy enemies. There are a total of 19 different units that you can build, from the rocket launchers to the submarines and the aircraft. There are other special features, such as Fog of War that will hide units or aircraft that will power them on. After you capture the Headquarters of your enemy and destroy all of their troops, the game is over with a victory under your belt. In Single Player you must play the role of the Orange Star army, and overcome campaigns that focus you against the 3 countries of your region, Blue Moon, Green Earth, and Yellow Comet. There are more special features in the Single Player campaigns, as there are Commanding Officers that will join you with their special powers that could be anything almost. In 2, 3, or 4 player maps, you must stop all the enemies and live to tell the tale. Another Feature is that there are 144 different maps for you to choose from.

The multiplayer on this game is also good. It will be fun to play with 3 different friends simultaniously, a real showdown of skill. A GBA and Game Pak will be required for each of these players however, as this is a very large and complicated game that takes up a lot of space.

Overall, this game should be great, as it will bring a whole new dimension to the GBA: Strategy. If you like Age of Kings or Command and Conquer, this game is for you.

When I first heard of this game, I was a bit skeptical. Although a big fan of real-time strategy, I never much liked turn-based strategy games. Such PC titles as Civilization, Alpha Centauri, and Imperialism just didn't spark my interest when I tried them, and so I didn't think Advance Wars would. Whether it was the eye candy or the higher emphasis on combat over resources, this game has succeeded in completely arresting my attention.

Admittedly, there aren't very many turn based strategy games for any portable console, and few enough strategy titles in general. However, it will be a very long time before anything comes out that's better than this, and I'm sure many will try after the success of this game. It's incredibly addictive, and with the map creator has superior replayability. What's more, the multiplayer mode is actually worth using, unlike with most other GBA games!

The game's mechanics are pretty straightforward- you have to either destroy all the enemy's units or capture their command center. Usually you'll have to at least threaten to do one or the other to accomplish either objective. There are a lot of different units, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. You can repair and resupply units at bases, or ferrying supplies by transport. Advance Wars benefits from an excellent, in-depth tutorial that covers everything you have to know to play, including basic strategy. Once you have learned how to control your army, you can start the extensive single play campaign or go head to head with friends. Due to its turn-based nature, you can even play with friends using a single GBA unit, switching off at each person's turn. Up to four people can play in this manner, on premade or up to three user-generated maps.

If you're into strategy, this is the best mobile strategy game out there so far. Advance Wars is sure to awaken the genre, and is already a classic.

Where do I start? This is THE game to own on your GBA and I will point out some reasons why. First off Advance Wars is part of an ongoing series by Nintendo that just recently was released for the first time in America. It basically puts you in command of a mobile army, which you must give orders to if you wish to succeed. The graphical interface and menus are ingenious much like that of Mario Kart: Super Circuit and they easily lead you to one of the many modes of play. Features include:

-Detailed "Field Training" mode that eases players into the game.
-Sophisticated gameplay with a simple interface allows for depth never before seen on a portable unit.
-Modes of play include "Campaign", "War Room", "Design", "Vs." and "Link Battle" and a place to buy even more battle maps.
-Link play for up to 4-players, Single Game Pak Multiplayer Options, and even a multiplayer mode using one GBA. (You take turns)
-Pick a different CO (Commanding Officer) for each battle, as they will grant a special power on the field.
-Vibrant graphics with beautiful animation.

In a word Advance Wars is outstanding. If you are undecided on what game to purchase for your GBA it should be Advance Wars without question. This is the Super Mario 64 for the GBA. Its depth and charisma are refreshing to say the least and once you turn it on you won't be turning it off. Go do battle now on your GBA like never before!

I have never taken the time to write a game review before, but I feel it is necessary in this case to spread the word so others can enjoy this instant classic.
I have been playing video games for 15 years and this game definitely makes my top 5 list of games I have ever played. Advance Wars is phenomenal because it does everything a great videogame is suppose to do. It does not have the astonishing graphics of a Dreamcast, PS2, or XBox game but that does not matter. Graphics do not make a game great. Advance Wars is easy to get into, has great gameplay, is extraordinarily addictive, and is 'just plain fun'.
A lot of people write reviews and say, "Just go buy the game". In the case of Advance Wars I can not offer any better advice.

I love turn based strategy games, like Civilization, Final Fantasy Tactics, X-Com, and the classic Empire. I'm glad to say that Advance Wars is one of the best strategy games I've ever played and currently the best game for the Game Boy Advance.

Advance Wars is a turn based military strategy game where you fight against another army using a wide variety of military units. Infantry, tanks, artillery, fighter jets, bombers, submarines, battleships, destroyers, and all sorts of transport vehicles are engaged in the battle and each have their own appropriate role in the effort.

Players can choose a persona to play the game that provides the player with different strategic options. Andy, a scrawny super-mechanic, has the ability to heal all of his units when he can use his special move. Max, a giant body builder, has the best close range fighters but his long range attacks are nothing to be impressed by. Sami is a guerrilla infantry leader who commands the toughest and fastest troops in the game. The characters of these individuals is also revealed during the conversations in the campaign mode, where they chatter with each other before, after, and during the battles, each with a distinct voice.

The art direction and interface design in the game is tremendous. The game has straightforward controls and a great tutorial to walk you through the basics in an entertaining manner. The battles between the units are comic scenes where defeated units fly off the screen - it is cute, but it appropriately dramatic when your anti-aircraft guns knock a giant bomber out of the sky.

Advance Wars has tons of options, a great campaign mode, a battle mode where you can take on specific challenges, multiplayer, and a in-game store where you can purchase new maps or characters to play with the coins you collect from winning battles.

The only real issue I have with the game is that some of the campaign missions require the player to know the 'trick' to the level - typically a specific strategy to beat a level. If you don't discover this trick immediately, the game can be very frustrating.

This is a huge game for such a tiny console. Anyone who enjoys strategy games should take a chance on Advance Wars.

You take on the role of a Commanding Officer (CO) in a cartoony world at perpetual war with itself. Easy to get into, and deceptively deep. Advance Wars is strategy at its best. What makes it so special? First, the graphics are great. The animations are instant gratification when a well-timed attack turns the tide of battle, help you visualize battle results in several ways so you know exactly how your units are doing. Second, the options for multiplayer are excellent. Because the game is turn based, 4 players can play together even on only one system. Grab a friend, and enjoy the anticipation of having the system handed back to you and seeing your opponent smirk as you stumble into their trap (playing on seperate systems can be done, but isn't nearly as fun).

The most important facet of this game is depth. Fog of War (where parts of the map your units can't see are blacked out) makes for intensity- you're always trying to calculate what forest or hilltop might contain enemy units waiting for you. The basics of troop movements give way to incredible strategy (delay the enemy tank by sacrifing your troops, or retreat and lure the tank into range of your artillery?). Each CO is completely unique (Max has stronger tanks, but weaker artillery. Sami has tougher troops, but weaker vehicles) and thier individual powers add an extra level of depth to the process.

Advance Wars is an amazing game for singleplayer action. Add in a full-featured map creator, a ton of unlockable COs, and the wealth of options, and this is one of the best multiplayer games on the GameBoy. A must-have.

This game is good. That is clear to me. But why, you may ask?
First, the game's strategy is deep, yet a excellenttutorial introduces the games tatics to you in clear, forthright terms. iT is easy to learn, hard to master, as all great games are.
Secondly, a wide variety of units are avalible. These range from massive tanks and rocket batteries to battleships and cruisers to bombers. Patton would be proud. They all have various strentghs and weaknesses, which must be carefully matched to achieve victory. Thirdly, a large number of gameplay modes mean that you won't be putting the game down soon. In the War Room, you try your hand at a variety of challenging scenarios. In Vs. and Link Modes, two to four players can play on one Gameboy or several connected by link cables. In design Map Mode, you create your own battlefields for use in muli-player matches. Campaign Mode allows you to work your way through a series of battles connected by a story.
A variety of Commanding Officers, each with different stretghs and weaknesses and a special power lasting for one turn, add personaliity to the encounters. In closing, I retiterate upon my opening statement. This game is good.

this is a spectacular Game.

It is the best game for the Game Boy Advance that I have seen.

Don't let the cartoon like graphics fool you, this is a fine strategic war game.

It requires serious creative thinking to accomplish each mission, and then even more to begin each of the different war scenarios.

There is no graphic violence but the suspense is amazing.

A complete mission tutorial explaining how each 'piece' operates with its adherent atrengths and weaknesses is masterfully provided.

If you buy one game for GBA -- Buy this one, it will keep you busy for a long long time in gaming bliss.

Some of these reveiws seem really 'seeded'. Comparing this game to Red Alert is a bit of a stretch. This is for the most part a copy of the console turn based classic Miltary Maddness and suffers the same problem. The AI is predictable. You know for the most part where and how it is going to move and attack. The AI also 'cheats'. Things like fog of war do not affect it and make those battles frustrating. The AI will tend to always have more troops than you which makes playing those maps with another player very one sided. Do no get me wrong.... I tend to judge portable games on the amount of time it kills without being boring. Advance Wars is a time eater and lots of fun in the process and very long. Good game for a trip or sitting around.

Advanced Wars is everything you could ask for in a strategy game. If you're like me and you love turn based strategy then look no further, Advance Wars is definately up to par with the host of other tactical RPGs for GBA. While it's not an rpg by any means i can't see anyone who likes Final Fantasy Tactics not falling in love with this game. I love turn based strategy and Advance Wars is definately pretty high up on the list of must owns for the genre.

The lack of an RPG element (which has pretty much taken over turn based strategy games in recent years) is somewhat of a blessing. Don't get me wrong i enjoy building up characters but it's definatly a nice change of pace to be able to just jump in and start playing without worrying about much else.

It's also worth mentioning that Advance Wars is fairly difficult. The extensive tutorial while somewhat annoying in its length is probably necessary for the vast majority of gamers. There are quite a few battles where one mistake will easily put you out of commission.

Advance Wars definely deserves 5 Stars