#11 - N-Europe: Let's talk Games (Advance Wars)

[Fused King]

And we're back after a short hiatus!

 

 

It's a god damn classic!

Edited March 30, 2014 by Fused King

[Dcubed]

Someone once described this as crack cocaine in digital form and they were absolutely spot on! It is horrendously addictive!

 

It is just soooo gooooooodddd! Ahh the memories of playing this in school classes, passing the GBA around after taking a turn

 

A wonderful and masterful game, wrapped in an utterly ridiculously silly package (how the hell did Andy ever get a job in Orange Star when he doesn't even know what a bloody continent is!?)

 

The deep and engrossing gameplay, the awesome music, the colourful and charming visuals; it's got it all! This is probably THE defining game for the GBA.

 

Looking back on it, I do have to say that the game is really unbalanced in comparison to its sequel though. Max is a goddamn beast in this game (150% + direct attack!? And that's before be uses his CO Power! HOLY SHIT! ) I do think that most of the balance tweaks with the COs made in AW2 were indeed for the better...

 

But it's still an utterly brilliant game and a different enough experience from it's successors that it is still just as unique and enjoyable as the day it was released

[Wii]

Never played it but I was thinking of getting it on the eShop until Nintendo revealed their prices.

[Retro_Link]

Never played it but I was thinking of getting it on the eShop until Nintendo revealed their prices.

Sell one of your Xenoblade bundles then.

[Jonnas]

One of the most addictive games I've had the pleasure of playing. Who knew a simple, fast, turn-based strategy game could work so well?

 

So, where do this game's strengths lie? It's incredibly accessible, for one. Selecting and moving tanks couldn't be easier. It's a good game to pick up and play, even if you might end up playing for long periods of time.

 

The art direction supports this direction. This isn't gritty, it is no serious story that makes you think. It's a light-hearted game, and we see vibrant colours everywhere. Very charming, in fact.

 

Beyond this, there's a good variety of strategies and units you can use. The different COs allow you to adopt and be effective at several different approaches (Sami is good for "Zerg Rushes", Kanbei is good for those who like to focus on a few strong units, and so on). The different match-ups help prevent the game from becoming stale. It's a game with a good amount of depth. It helps that there is so much content in the game to play for so long.

 

What does this mean? It means that Advance Wars caters for a lot of players. It does not sacrifice depth for accessibility, nor vice-versa. It's a very well-rounded game, and it becomes both a good game to play whenever you can, and one where you can sink your teeth into.

 

The sequels would go on to add more content, more interesting characters, more units, more depth... But it all comes down to the same winning formula: simple, yet deep.

 

Also, pretty good music, huh?

 

Verdict: 10/10 (For the whole series. The first one needed some balancing, so 9/10)

Edited March 30, 2014 by Jonnas

[ReZourceman]

How much is it?

[Hero-of-Time]

How much is it?

 

Just over £6.00.

[EEVILMURRAY]

My first Advance Wars purchase was Dual Strike so I got used to the touch screen action. Finding the original GBA version cheapish somewhere I found it annoying and slow as I had to use the D-Pad to move my shit about. Haven't played it since. Wasn't a bad game though, I just wasn't that good at it.

[Zechs Merquise]

Never played it but I was thinking of getting it on the eShop until Nintendo revealed their prices.

 

The way you're talking is as if Nintendo are charging original full retail for it! It's £6.29! Who cares? it's 30p more than a KFC meal, less than two drinks in a decent bar, less than the price of a cinema ticket and less than the price of a DVD. I also guarantee you'll get more value in terms of hours of enjoyment out of this game.

 

If I spend £6.29 on a game that lasts me 15 hours it's essentially 42p an hour. Hardly worth complaining about.

 

I've never played handheld games before - so I am looking forward to getting my hands on this.

[drahkon]

I also guarantee you'll get more value in terms of hours of enjoyment out of this game.

 

That's a bold statement. :p

 

I've played it and didn't get any enjoyment at all. It's been some time since I've tried it, though, but I doubt my opinion of it has changed.

[Dog-amoto]

If they were releasing this on 3DS rather than Wii U VC, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. For me, it's a handheld, pick up and play kind of game where you can just have a few turns on a train or whatever but then end up on it all afternoon.

 

I actually have it on an emulator on my phone, plus the original game on my SP, so doubtful I will buy for Wii U.

[Zell]

My favourite GBA game! The Advance Wars games are so addictive, I spent hours and hours on these games as a kid. Revisited them all a couple of years ago and found them a lot easier, I was very proud of S ranking the final mission against Eagle in the first game.

 

The music is always cracking:

 

 

 

 

It's been 6 years since the last Advance Wars game. There needs to be one for 3DS. Make it happen Nintendo.

[WackerJr]

I'm so glad Nintendo finally released a game in the 'Wars' series over here when they released this originally. While I still prefer the sequel, which managed to improve and tweak all the minor details, the original is still a ridiculously addictive slab of turn-based action.

 

I hope this sells on the WiiU.

[Fused King]

Thanks for the input guys.

Now, towards another game to talk about!