A terrific turn-based strategy game that does not dissapoint.
While the Advance Wars story isn't quite as involved or impressionable as the very similar Fire Emblem games, there is still a strong enough plot to keep you entertained. Its not excessively complex, but it still delivers. It also has a few surprising twists and turns that make you wonder, and keep playing.
Advance Wars 2 is a turn based strategy game that involves many different units and other factors that decides who wins. You will not only have to think to win but also use the Co's powers correctly.The gameplay is just like the original game, destroy your opponent without getting destroyed! Except in the new Advance Wars there are new black canons, pipes, missile silos, and more. There are many indirect combat units like artillery and rockets, and direct combat units like neotanks or battle copters. There are also naval units and air units along with many different types of terrain that greatly effect the battle. In the old Advance Wars there were several Co's or characters for each country, and now there are even more. Co's can use their Co powers to turn the fight in their odds, or brand new super Co powers that have even a bigger effect than the normal power. After each Campaign battle or War Room battle you will also get ranked and get points. You can then use those points to buy new maps and sometimes even new Co's or other good stuff.
The graphics are great! There even especially good for a GBA game. It is easy to make out the different units and the lines are not cluttered together. Everything is well defined, and the graphics are very crisp and clear. There is also a nice amount of detail on the soldiers and the many vehicles in the game. The explosions are also done very well, and they look realistic. I must say that this game is definately not lacking in the graphics department.
The music from Advance Wars isn't too bad. Each Co has a different song, for when its their turn. So depending on the amount of players, in one turn you could hear a lot of different music. Some of the characters (in my opinion) have cool music, while some can seem a bit annoying. The many different sound effects are also really good. Whether your blowing up enemy tanks, or gunning down enemy infantry with Anti-Air, you will hear it all. Just like the graphics, the sound effects are crisp and clear, and greatly add to the game.
The multiplayer mode is definately the strongest aspect of the game. The fact that up to 4 people can play the game with only one game pak makes it very accessible. You don't have to worry about spending money on connector cords, or hunting down someone who owns a GBA. There are a HUGE variety of maps you and your friends can fight it out on. The objective is just like singleplayer, destroy your enemy. you can also have teams or play against computers. There are also predeployed levels where your units are already picked. Multiplayer will supply you and your friends with hours of fun battling.
This game is nothing short of a 10 in its replay value. You can play campaign mode over and over, and for some of the fights choose which character you want to be. You can also play hard campaign mode after you beat normal. Even after you beat campaign mode, you can play VS. mode with the computer or play War Room levels. You can even build your own map to use in VS. mode. The results are endless, and since when you beat a War Room or Campaign level it keeps your rank, you can try over and over to beat it.
Overall this game is great. If you played the first Advance Wars and liked it or even if you haven't, but like strategy games I highly recomend Advance Wars 2. It is a great game that will entertain you for hours on end. Plus with such sweet multiplayer, your friends will be able to join in on the fun. If your a fan of strategy/action games you definately need to pick this one up!