-INTRO-
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Advance Wars came in under everyone’s radar as a highly addictive 2D
turn based strategy game (Which was the GBA port of the classic, Gameboy Wars) about a year ago and can arguably be called the best game of the GBA's large amount of games. The balance of its challenging gameplay and great replay value made it a nearly perfect game.
Advance Wars 2 is now finally deploying to shelves and while it still contains the same addictive gameplay and strategy, it feels more like an anticipated expansion pack than a sequel, since much of the gameplay retains the feel from the original. Even so, the subtle, yet effective improvements on the already impressive game as well as the "new package" look and feel make it vastly better than the first installment.
-PLOT-
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In the original campaign, the Black Hole Army waged war on the
four different armies of Wars World by turning them against each other with you, the player beating back the other factions while controlling the armies from Orange Star. The Black Hole Army is back once again, and is now taking the more direct approach. They return with even greater numbers and their own highly skilled COs to take on the other armies and seize control of the all the lands that make up Wars World. The battling army factions from Wars World must unite and stand together against this common threat.
-GAMEPLAY 10/10-
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New features:
-Super CO power
-New unit: Neotank
-New Black Hole enemy and Wars World COs
-Enhanced AI
The sequel certainly doesn’t mess with the what it had going on in the original, and even though it is "lacking" in major innovation, the small improvements stand out enough to definitely make this the better version of the 2. Advance Wars 2 is still, at its core, the same addictive 2D turn-based strategy game.
Advance Wars 2 is jam packed with the same modes that the first had; all the single player modes (Design Maps, Battle Maps, War Room, and Campaign) as well as the multiple player mode. The Orange Star CO Nell is back once again to hold your hand through a brief tutorial which covers the aspects of game for those players that are new to the Advance Wars realm As you progress through Campaign mode, instead of being awarded coins, you are now awarded points from 0 to 100 in the three main categories:
Speed, Power and Technique an a letter rank based on your overall total. These points are then used in the Battle Maps mode to purchase special maps, as well as the ability to pick a color scheme for your COs at the shop that can be used outside the Campaign mode, something that is new to AW2.
The Campaign Mode is the very heart of the game and this time around in AW2 you are given a main world map of Wars
World with each continent belonging to one of the four countries. Once you defeat the simple training campaign in Orange Star, several missions of the other armies becomes unlocked, letting you choose which army and mission you wish to complete, in whatever order you want.
The world is made up of three other rival countries: Blue Moon, Green Earth and Yellow Comet that, this time, are all battling against the invading forces of Black Hole.
The missions are setup on a 2D overhead map block grid that displays miniature pieces of each unit available that move just like you would in say, Risk or Axis and Allies. Each unit is a group of 10 vehicles, soldiers, bombers, etc., that can move a certain number of grid spaces and attack at a varying ranges. Depending on what type of unit it is, some can only fire while adjacent to the enemy and some can only fire if the enemy is outside of a minimum distance.
Each turn you have allows you to deploy, move, engage and supply units with important resources such as gas and ammo. There are a number of different factors in every battle which will affect your strategy, including the enemy CO, terrain, weather and the number and type of units available. Terrain serves up an important defensive bonus that helps your troops take less damage when attacked and is a key to winning missions. AW2 missions are even more challenging due to the addition of new structures such as blocking pipelines, missile silos, and large stationary cannons with extremely generous range that come down on you during battle.
For those of you who haven't played any of the previous "Wars" games, you achieve victory by either wiping out all enemy forces or capturing the enemy's HQ. Occasionally, you get a random objective, such as, hold out for 14 days, or capture the most cities and bases. To aid in meeting that objective, each different CO has a particular area of expertise such as indirect or direct combat, or aerial combat and has a special ability that enhances their area of expertise.
Your COs also still have their special powers, but now they're controlled by a new power-up meter. Once the little stars fill up your can use your CO's power but if you save it and wait for the big stars to all fill up you can use it as a Super Power. The Super Power is a step up from the basic power. For example, Sensei from Yellow Comet has a power the creates a 9 strength Infantry unit in each city you control. When you use the Super Power, it upgrades to a 9 strength Mechanized Infantry unit. This is important because if you combine two 9 strength armies, you'll get 80% of the unit cost back. 80% of 1,000 credits is 800. But 80% of 3,000 credits is 2,400. A substantial difference...worth waiting for? It's just one of the things you'll have to decide during the course of a battle.
There are now 19 different units available in AW2 and they all have certain weaknesses and strengths that the players must also be constantly aware of. For example, you don't want to take an Anti-Aircraft unit up to shoot at Md Tanks. AW2 introduces only one new unit, the Neotank, a large spider like tank that is superb on defense and on offense. It does cost 22,000 credits, which may seem like a rather steep price, but it can really help your cause.
When you get deeper into the Campaign Mode things get even more complex when you are given your own bases, ports, and airports to purchase and deploy whatever units you like. To acquire new units from bases they must be purchased from the funds the properties you own supply. Every turn you hold the city, your coffers increase, as do the number of cool goodies you can pick up.
Don’t be fooled by the art in the game, just because the characters look all cutesy and nice doesn't mean that there isn't a vicious and cunning AI waiting to grind your units into dust. Each enemy CO in Campaign Mode uses their Special Ability and is so effectively aggressive that most of your time is spent trying to stay a couple of steps ahead just to avoid crushing blows to key units. The computer is such a masterful opponent that playing a friend may seem like a cake walk compared to the full effort that the enemy CO dishes out especially since the AI in AW2 has been given such a big upgrade.
If you thought Single Player Mode was detailed and involved, Multiplayer Mode is even more intense as it offers up the ability to have up to four players to jack in at one time via the Link Cable. Can’t find your Link Cable? Well, that’s no problem, since AW supports a single GBA multiplayer hotseat play. Just pass your GBA to whoever's turn is next.
-CONTROL 10/10-
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The movement is basically the same as a simple RPG with a menu system that easily accessible. Units are selected using a small four corner cursor that shows info detailing the unit's current condition. Selecting it highlights the area on the grid showing how many spaces in any given direction that the unit can move with a red directional arrow that expands to the farthest point that the unit can possibly move. When the unit is selected, stats display the current condition of the unit as well as showing the details on the defense ranking of a particular type of terrain. Stats on every unit in play can be accessed using the top shoulder buttons.
-GRAPHICS- 9/10
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The distinctive colorful Anime style contained in the first installment has been literally transposed for the same look in AW2 except for some subtle improvements to the visuals and text. Much of the visuals in AW2 now have that slight coat of polish where the text used in the battles has a bold Italic Arial font type that would seem to be a superficial difference but it gives the game a nice increase in overall production value. The design of the individual Wars World units have stayed the same but the Black Hole Army units now have a distinctive futuristic angular qualities. The main structure of game is set on a simple battle map that represents the terrain and unit in a small mini 3D form that moves across the board pretty fluidly. When the attack takes place, the game switches into a split screen format that displays your forces and the enemy facing off. The details of the backgrounds on the split screen correspond to the environment at your current location and are clean and colorful. The battle animation moves at a smoothly even though there is a minimum amount of motion applied to the game. The character designs of each CO are solid down the board, the old ones have a slight new design and each one still has their own distinctive personality and look.
-SOUND 8/10-
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The audio contained in AW is pretty much the same stuff you're going to find here, a solid affair but nothing that requires you to slap on some noise reduction super quality stereo headphones for. The background music used in the missions are different depending upon which CO you are given or can used at the time because each has their own. The sound effects of each unit are exactly what you would expect in a battle situation, with each unit containing their distinct sound.
-FINAL THOUGHT-
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AW2 is an incredibly fun and addictive turn-based strategy game that even with its minimal improvements definitely overshadows what the original contained. AW2's simple and elegant approach makes this sequel ideal for anyone that wants something that they can just pick up and dive into since no prior knowledge of the game is required, and you're taken care of by the "kid gloves" tutorial from the first set of missions to help get you started. In my book, AW2 is a must have game on the GBA that’s like pixel crack, once you start playing you're not going to want to stop the addiction.
Clayton's Take
(Alkaiser):
I'm digging on Advance Wars 2, as well. I picked up the first one a little before this one was due to launch and I enjoyed both of them.
Not as much as Vormech here did, but still nonetheless, if you like turn-based strategy you're going to have a hard time not liking this game.
A couple gripes, though. First off, the units should totally have experience. You have one Md Tank that just been kicking butt all over the map? Make them Elite or something.
That's what all good strategy games do. Then you're kind of attached to that unit. You give them names like "Thomas the Tank Division", or "Sir Mechs-A-Lot" and then you try and keep those guys alive a lot harder. As it is, you really don't care what happens to Joe Infantry. And that hurts his feelings. He has a family, you know.
Also, what's up with Grit getting the hick music? Grit's probably the most rational character in the game. Doesn't want to lose his life for no reason, and to him, he could care less about which country draws which lines on the map. The only reason he fights against the Black Hole Army is that they're threatening to raze the cities, and Grit isn't going to let them just go out and mess with the civilians. So why the Southern hick music? He's probably got the best grip on reality.
In addition, the AI seems to cheat a lot. While you're affected by Fog of War, the computer still seems to know where your units are...even if you move them. They never get "trapped", and even if your units are in the forest, they somehow really good at going right up to them and finding them. Funny how that works, isn't it?
Why do I have to sit through the Tutorial Mode? In Advance Wars they let you bypass it. But, now that there's a sequel, I have to play through it? What's up with that?
Aside from that, the game's a real blast, and at $30, a real value. I will agree with Vormech, in that, this is a game that pretty much everyone who has a GBA is going to need, and fast. A good game, at a good price. Every gamer's gotta love that...not just the "hardcore".
