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Should be an absolute hit.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 54 / 59
Date: July 26, 2001
Author: Amazon User

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.

Is Advance Wars Worth Your Time?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 26 / 27
Date: September 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

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!

Really addictive!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 20
Date: March 28, 2002
Author: Amazon User

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.

One of the Best Console Strategy Games

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 19
Date: September 14, 2001
Author: Amazon User

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.

An Instant Classic - Incredible for a handheld game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 16
Date: September 13, 2001
Author: Amazon User

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.

Advance Wars=Fun, Strategy

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 13
Date: February 09, 2002
Author: Amazon User

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 the best game EVER

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 13
Date: October 14, 2001
Author: Amazon User

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.

The first must-have title for the GBA.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 15 / 19
Date: September 20, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I must say that I am very happy that Advance Wars turned out to be such a huge hit for the GBA. That doubtlessly means lots of great strategy games for the system in the future, which is something I can't help but be excited about. But does this game live up to the hype that now surrounds it? Let's have a look-see.

First of all, just in case you have no idea what this game is about, let me explain the premise behind it. You play an army commander. You have possession of an army of troops, consisting of infantry, tanks, helicopters, ships and airplanes. You are up against an enemy army, which also consists of infantry, tanks, helicopters, ships and airplanes. You and your enemy take turns moving your units and firing upon the other side's troops until one of you is no more. A pretty simple premise, but the game manages to make the most of it in several important ways. Every single unit that you command has its own strengths and weaknesses. For instance, a battleship has more range than any other unit, but is defenseless against a submerged submarine. Submarines, on the other hand, are easy pray for enemy cruisers. This makes the game well-balanced and ensures that there is no such thing as a "killer" unit in the game: it is important to balance your troops out. Sure, a medium tank may be much better overall than a simple infantry unit, but then again it also costs 16 times as much to produce. Thus, a good commander must make choices not only on the battlefield, but also at his/her production facilities, which makes the game even more exciting and addictive. What's more, both the player and the enemy don't play alone, but through different commanders called CO's and each CO has special abilities and powers. One of them can heal his units every couple of turns. Another can summon a powerful blizzard that will slow enemy units down for a turn or two. Yet another gets a defense/offense bonus for all of his units, but they also cost more to produce. This means that you will have to adjust your strategy depending on which CO you play as and which you play against.

Another great thing about this game, of course, is that it has a lot of maps to battle on. First, there's a tutoring campaign, which is pretty long. After that, you can play a normal campaign, which has a cool storyline and a whole bunch of missions, some of which are pretty challenging. Better yet, there are dozens more individual single player and multiplayer maps that you can obtain and play on, and even after you finish those the game lets you create your own maps (unfortunately there aren't that many slots for you to save your maps on). Each map also gives you a ranking, so even after you beat them you might want to revisit and try to achieve a better score.

Even with all these great things in place, Advance Wars is still not a GREAT game. There are many units, but I would have wanted even more. It would also be good to have more space for me to save my own maps. Even so, this game is still the best one available for the system today. Here's hoping for some even more complex and more challenging strategy games in the future for the GBA.

Finally a game that sets a standard!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: September 18, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Advance Wars should be a role model for the perfect turn-based strategy game in ANY console or PC!

Graphics are simple yet practical. The vehicles in the action sequences has a "Micro-Machine" look to it, but nonetheless awesome to watch!

The sounds are nothing short of awesome (especially the music). Treading tanks, soaring jets, flying helicopter blades, firing missiles, and rattling machine gun sounds are fantastic.

The gameplay is what captivated me. I found myself playing this game for hours on end and was forced to buy an A/C adapter so the GBA doesn't run out of batteries! After a few training missions ... I was hooked! The gameplay reminds me of X-Com: Alien Defense and X-Com: Terror from the Deep. The turn-based engine for Advance Wars is so well made! I loved the action sequences, though repetitive, and the ranking system is handy to let you know if you dragged the war on too long (or how you utilized your units). Sure it isn't an RTS like the C&C series, but it doesn't mean that the game is worse either. In fact, this game has many elements that surpass that of any RTS game I have ever played!

The Best Since Tetris

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 16
Date: March 07, 2002
Author: Amazon User

It's very rare that you see an item on amazon.com with over 100 reviews and 5-stars. No matter how good something is; it's usually at 4.5...

Not Advance Wars, though. It's just that good! A turn-based strategy game for Game Boy Advance; it resembles Command-and-Conquer with its tanks, bases, planes; etc.

With several game modes including a campaign to play after you complete the mandatory training ... you deploy troops at bases that capture other bases and fight the enemy. Some maps have ports for ships and/or airports to build planes and helicopters as well.

Holding these bases, along with cities, is how you collect your income at the beginning of each turn. The interface is very slick; you can always find out everything about a unit or square by hitting the 'R' button.

You also get to pick a commander to lead your troops, and they all have strengths and weaknesses as well as special abilities. The Naval CO can unleash Tsunamis on units, but his planes aren't the best in the sky...

All in all, Advance Wars is my favorite Game Boy game since Tetris, and is *the* essential game for the GBA... It's just too much fun!

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