Advance Wars

From thecrankyhermit

Advance Wars
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Companies Intelligent Systems, Nintendo
First release date Sept 10, 2001
Original platform(s) GBA
Current official platform(s) Official emulation: VC

War strategy

Advance Wars
Intelligent System's third entry in the long-running Famicom Wars, but the first to be released outside Japan. Intuitive, quick-tempo turn-based gameplay, with clear and fairly simple rules regarding each unit's ability to move, attack, and defend, that nonetheless enable complex, almost chess-like tactics. The campaign is very well paced, and the preceding tutorial mini-campaign does an excellent job of teaching the rules and encouraging tactical thinking. The fact that Intelligent Systems managed to devise mechanics and controls so well suited to a handheld is an achievement in itself. Nintendo's trademark cutesy-ness and bright, rounded aesthetic is expected but at odds with the all too plausible war setting. Multiplayer maps with pre-deployed units move faster than traditional base-building maps, which tend to drag as one side slowly loses to attrition. A smash hit in North America, unexpected by Nintendo, which led to future international releases of Fire Emblem, another long-running, formerly Japan exclusive turn-based strategy series.