If you don’t like Strategy Role Playing Games (SRPG) then you may as well stop reading now. They are an acquired taste. Directing a small amount of units around a grid in turn based battles doesn’t appeal to everyone. So if you don’t like Advance Wars, Final Fantasy Tactics, Ogre Battle or Fire Emblem this isn’t going to be the game for you. But for those who love them, keep reading, as this is one of the best.

If you don’t know how Advance Wars plays, here’s the basic lowdown. You start with some Cities, Factories, and possibly some Communication Towers. Each City produces funds, enough for an infantry unit (1000 monetary units). Factories also produce 1000 gold, but they can also produce units. The units are divided into three categories: land, sea and air. Each has a certain type of factory needed to build and launch them, Factory, Harbour and Airport respectively. Every unit moves on a grid and has a limited movement range and limited options. For example, tanks have six movement range and can only attack another unit positioned next to it. Where as infantry are far weaker and can only move three spaces. But they can move on any terrain other than the sea and can capture buildings. Tanks are weak against air and sea units and have trouble moving through woods. Air units can go anywhere and are generally mobile and powerful, but need constant refuelling. Sea units are all unique with different abilities… you get the picture.

The original Red vs Blue

Then there are indirect units which can’t move and shoot in the same turn or shoot units directly next to them. And for every unit, there’s another one which has an advantage against it. Transport vehicles can load and refuel units and some units can hide. There is also the new Com Towers which boost offence and with one CO, defence. Missile Solos make an appearance as well, but they aren’t as all powerful as you’d think. They only do three points of damage to all units in the large blast radius. That’s pretty much it. But then throw in COs that all have unique powers, strengths and weaknesses. Plus you can now swap between two COs tag team style.

There are also missions played out on two screens. Win one and the other falls like a domino thanks to a filled power meter and having two COs versus one. Lose one screen however and you’re, as Bender would say, boned. To win you must capture enemy HQ or destroy all their units. This is as deep and rewarding as it gets, folks.

Insert 300 references here

This edition’s biggest feature is the Dual Strike Powers. When the two COs you’ve chosen to swap between have filled up their power meter, the Dual Strike option pops up. Now you can have two turns in a row with a power increase and a special ability. Strategic use of this in both defence and offence creates a brand new experience. But it comes at a price, an easier campaign. The campaign has a large amount of missions which introduce you to all the different strategies, and features a light hearted story about defending a continent and literally saving the land. Though it really is only training for Hard campaign, Survival modes and War Room.

Survival Mode has seventeen different missions in each of the three different categories. There’s Time (hard as nails), Turn (easy when you know the maps), and Money (stupidly easy with the right COs). All are great fun and I’ve twice lost at the last Time map and now given up. Damn my slow hands!

Then there’s War Room, which has a huge selection of maps with difficulty varying from easy to near impossible. Categories include one enemy Co, two, three and Dual Screen Battles. Generally the maps on the bottom of the selection screen are the hardest.

Included is also a brilliant bonus game, Combat. A live action Advance Wars where you buy your units, then progress through a series of maps until you get the massive point bonus of beating the final map on the hardest difficulty. You control a unit until it blows up and win by destroying all enemy units or capturing the base. The average game featuring all the maps takes just under twenty minutes and you can save between maps.

So peaceful... until everyone starts shooting

Now for Hachi’s Shop. Where you can buy maps, COs and colour combinations.
Every completed game gives you points based on how well you went. It shouldn’t take to long to be able to afford everything in his store, but he does get new stock based on how far you’ve got in campaign and Hard campaign. So it will take an age to unlock the final CO.

Finally, there is one last mode called Design for changing Wall Paper, designing maps, and most interesting of all, the CO costume changes. In the Map Design option, the game can hold two custom maps and you can trade the best ones with friends in your local neighbourhood.

And remember once you’ve had enough and want something different AW: Black Hole Rising on GBA is almost as good. By the time you’ve had enough of that you’ll already have the sequel available. This is as good as it gets for SRPG fans!

Probably the best SRPG you’ll ever play.

By ireadtabloids

Graphics: B+

Sound: B+

Gameplay: A+

Overall: A+

It’s Advance Wars! You won’t regret a single cent.