Advance Wars Review - GBA

Gameplay

One of the games strongest points is its simplicity. It never tries to be overly complex; never will you struggle trying to do what you want. Unless of course you want to win, in which case, the enemy AI will knock you for six. Every enemy has strengths and a weaknesses, every unit has its own unique abilities. Therein lies the magic. The game is so balanced. Never are you truly outgunned. You can find a unit for exactly the job you want, so long as you have the cash. Winning is never out of reach, but always a fun battle away. Well, not always, some of them are downright devious in design.

The characters in the game are well done and have their own unique personality. Some are fiery, some are mean, some are cute, and some are evil. All the personality types are covered, and each has their own unique style o play. Max has brute force with direct combat units, but can't use indirect units for nuts. Meanwhile Grit is the exact opposite. Andy is your typical all-rounder, while cute tom-boy Sami has excellent infantry units. By now you've probably figured out there are two types of attacks: direct and indirect. Direct attacks are frontal assaults, where the engaging unit attacks first, and if the defending unit survives, it takes a few shots. It makes for some intense battles. Indirect attacks are like snipe attacks. Your artillery/rocket/etc fire from a fixed point and rain fiery death upon your foes. They don't get attacked back in retaliation, but are very weak against direct attacks, and cannot defend themselves, so they need to be protected. See, the well balanced gameplay is already showing. Each unit is stronger/weaker against a certain other unit, and learning the ins and outs takes some time, but once done you can own an enemy force in a matter of days.

There are terrain differences to take into account too. Mountains offer excellent support for your infantry, but only they can get there. Units with wheels or tracks can't drive over mountains. Woods offer good support too, but slow your units down. There are others too, but if you have any taste you will have played this game already. If not, stop reading and get a copy now. They have been discontinued and are soon to become a collector's item. The sheer thought that went into this game is ... (continued next page)