Review: Advance Wars 2 (GBA)

There's no denying that the Game Boy Advance is a versatile console. Where else can you find mindless, pick-up-and-play titles like Wario Ware Inc. on the same machine as a 40-hour RPG like Golden Sun? It's as if Nintendo wanted to keep their pedigree for quality games without alienating gamers looking for a quick play on the go.

So, while the two examples we've given might fit into the "quick play" and "in-depth" categories respectively, these categories certainly wouldn't be interchangeable; no-one is going to play Golden Sun for five minutes at a time, and Wario Ware is probably not going to better 40 hours of committed gaming. You may think that a combination of these two categories fused into one game isn't going to work. Well, in this case, you can think again. Advance Wars 2 is the sequel to one of the most critically acclaimed Game Boy games ever.

The first title featured intense turn-based strategy, innovative gameplay and bright, Anime-styled graphics that snared the attention of portable gamers everywhere. Until now, there was no other strategy game on the Game Boy (original or Advance) that could even hold a candle to Advance Wars. So, it's fitting that Advance Wars 2 should take the crown. For those unfamiliar with the Advance Wars games, they can best be summed up as chess on a battlefield. Instead of pawns, knights and queens, you have infantry, tanks and fighter jets (amongst many other war-time devices). Each unit has a range of movement for each turn, so while infantry units might be able to move three spaces (each level is separated into 'tiles', like on a chess board), a helicopter can move more than double that. Terrain comes into play too, as vehicles like tanks won't be able to cross mountains and rivers, whereas infantry have little trouble. You'll have to think ahead and watch the enemy's movement very closely before you can determine where to move your troops next. But where's the fun in just moving units around in turns? This is called "Advance Wars", isn't it? Precisely! And it's in combat that the true strategy comes into play.

Each unit has advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses when it comes to fighting other units. For example, pitting rocket-launching infantry up against a small tank might do a good amount of damage, while those same infantry will cause nary a scratch to a bomber (and might have a decent-sized headache when that bomber retaliates). Anti-aircraft will tear up planes, medium tanks can destroy the anti-air, and long-range rockets can demolish the medium tanks. It is very much like an involved "rock-paper-scissors" affair, with dozens of options instead of just the three. This gets even more complex when defence comes into play, as infantry on top of a mountain will be considerably harder to wipe out than those on the ground, and units embedded in a city will replenish after each round and have excellent cover to boot. Damaged units can join similar units in distress, and become one strong unit again, ready to fight another day. Infantry units can capture hostile or neutral cities, bases and ports and can be used to the player's advantage.

For those who were looking for a mindless game, Advance Wars was not your best choice. The same goes for Advance Wars 2. This is not a game for the meek. The vast majority of the sequel is very similar to the original, so all the in-depth hit points and damage ratios return. If anything, Advance Wars 2 is more difficult, as it adds a number of different variables into the mix. Two of the most notable additions come in the form of units. The first is a Neo Tank which looks like the massive AT-AT walkers from Star Wars. These things will pretty much demolish anything they come into contact with on the ground, not to mention low-flying planes in the air. To even things out, they do cost a hefty chunk of your savings to build, but they are definitely worth it. The other major unit addition is the missile silo, which is a bit of an oddity.

Basically, some of the maps may or may not have missile silos spread around. If they do, you (or the enemy) are in luck. Bringing any infantry unit to the silo will allow you to launch one missile anywhere on the map, with the capability of damaging up to nine spaces at once. Also, it's worth noting that the silos have no affiliation, so whomever gets to them first gets to use them. This adds an entirely new element of strategy to the game. It's unfortunate that just two units were the only real additions to the roster in Advance Wars 2, but it's forgivable, considering its vast campaign. Unlike that of the first game, the single-player campaign here is fairly non-linear. Each of the five continents on which the missions take place has its own set of around 5 to 7 missions, some of which can just be skipped. Then again, if you're looking to save up enough points to buy some multiplayer maps, you might want to be more thorough. All in all, the campaign is going to take you around 20 to 30 hours to plough through, and that's just the beginning.

As you progress, you'll unlock new War Room maps, which are stand-alone missions that can be replayed for better rankings. Playing through all of these will take another dozen or so hours, so there's no doubt that you'll be getting your money's worth. Multiplayer sees up to four players battle it out using either four GBAs linked up, or taking turns on one GBA, which is a great alternative to link play, especially if your mates don't own a GBA and a copy of Advance Wars 2. However, games tend to get a bit lengthy but thankfully they can be saved after each turn, so that battles can resume at another point in time. This feature lengthens the lifespan even further and can prove to be highly addictive. Advance Wars 2 also boasts a handful of new characters for you to unlock, each sporting two special techniques this time (compared to one in the original game), which can be unleashed upon the enemy after having charged it by destroying enemy units or by taking damage yourself. When this happens, the special attack bar will fill up until it reaches a certain level, which forces you to make a decision; use it this instant or let the bar fill up even more in order to unleash a much more devastating attack? It adds a very tactical twist to the already tense battles.

Making the right tactical choices in Advance Wars 2 (and in the original for that matter) is crucial to a battle's outcome. Those hoping for a visual upgrade with Advance Wars 2 will be disappointed to learn that this looks exactly like the previous game. All the art, save for the new units, is re-used, and the maps aren't exactly gawpish material. That said, seeing playful characters and units battling to the death is a sight in and of itself. And the game is by no means ugly; it's just not impressive. Perhaps Advance Wars 3 will add some proper Mode 7, Final Fantasy-overworld type visuals, but until then colourful sprites will have to do. But even without jaw-dropping visuals, Advance Wars 2 has still found a nigh-permanent place in Gamestyle's GBA-SP.

Strategy gaming came to the GBA with Advance Wars, and it's most definitely here to stay with Advance Wars 2. Though Gamestyle would have liked to have seen more new units, and perhaps some improved visuals, the solid gameplay is still enough to keep you coming back. Having said that, if you haven't played the first game yet, pick up a cheap copy in the bargain bin. Advance Wars 2 all but assumes you've played the original, thus making it pretty difficult to hop into for those who haven't. For veterans though, there should be nothing in the world to prevent you from running to the shops and picking up the magically realised Advance Wars 2. This is portable gaming at its best.

Rating: 9 / 10

Words by Richard Meerman