Nintendo is not a company known for new game franchises. Occasionally a new game published by the Big N will break through and find an audience, but if it does, chances are the franchise won't be around for longer than a console generation or two.
That's what happened to Advance Wars. A brilliant turn-based strategy title that first premiered on the Game Boy Advance, Advance Wars would spawn several sequels before vanishing from Nintendo's arsenal of first-party titles. It's time to bring it back.
What Is It?
Advance Wars is a top-down turn based strategy franchise that began with the release of the original Advance Wars for the Game Boy Advance in 2001. The game would go on to spawn three sequels, one on the GBA, and two more for the Nintendo DS, the latest releasing in 2008. Players maneuver troops and vehicles around a grid-based map in an attempt to defeat their opponent by eliminating all enemy troops or capturing the enemy HQ. Because this is Nintendo, this game about military strategy is all bright colors and upbeat music instead of blood and drama, starring a cast of colorful and eccentric generals, each with unique "commanding officer" powers that can drastically turn the tide of battle.
What Makes It Great?
This is Nintendo we're talking about, and if Nintendo knows anything it is how to craft pixel-perfect gameplay. Advance Wars is no exception. The gameplay, while simple and easy to understand at its core, allows for some truly deep strategy as players maneuver their troops and engage the enemy. Different terrain offers different defense values and certain types of units have advantages or disadvantages over others, meaning players always had several factors to consider when planning their next move. Players looking for a challenge also got their money's worth. Though its kid friendly exterior may looking inviting, Advance Wars is not for the faint of heart, as the later levels in every game are notoriously difficult.
But it isn't only the gameplay that makes Advance Wars great. Much of its success can be chalked up to the game's infectious personality. Every character has their own personal style, from their strengths and weaknesses in combat to their theme music. From the young and optimistic Andy to the laid-back gunslinger Grit, each and every commanding officer is filled with life. Throw in a stellar soundtrack and some gorgeous pixel art to complement the top-notch gameplay, and the Advance Wars games are, to this day, still some of the best turn-based strategy titles available.
Why Does It Need A Reboot?
The last entry in the series, Days of Ruin, was a departure from the series that rubbed some fans the wrong way. While the game still featured a kick-ass soundtrack, distinct characters and the same classic gameplay, gone was the upbeat and inviting atmosphere, replaced by a brand new cast of heroes all struggling to survive in an apocalyptic wasteland.
It was all a bit of a downer. Though the story offered more emotion and depth than any Advance Wars title before it, it just didn't capture the magic of earlier titles. Developer Intelligent Systems went on to craft new entries in the Fire Emblem franchise as well as the upcoming Codename: S.T.E.A.M., leaving Advance Wars a distant memory. But with a new 3DS model on the horizon there has never been a better time for a comeback.
Intelligent Systems has continued to prove they are one of the most talented development teams in the industry, as the critical and commercial success of Fire Emblem: Awakening showed. Its success just goes to show that gamers are still hooked on the turn-based combat Intelligent Systems is known for. If Intelligent Systems could return to what made the series so much fun to begin with by bringing back the iconic characters and upbeat attitude that defined Advance Wars from the start, Nintendo might just find there is a whole new generation of gamers waiting to play at war.
