Advance Wars

PRESS START

An Introduction To Today’s Game

Advance Wars was one of those rare games that critics instantly championed. It pulled a 92 on Metacritic, and years later Edge even went back and stamped it with a perfect 10/10, high praise for a humble GBA tactics game.

Fans and critics still call it one of the best handheld games ever made. Sales-wise, it hit around 700,000 worldwide: solid numbers in the West, but softer in Japan, where turn-based strategy had cooled off.

Still, that Western success was enough to change Nintendo’s mind about the genre. It directly led to Fire Emblem finally coming overseas. A handful of sequels hit GBA and DS before the series went quiet after 2008, but its legacy is locked in.

And for me? It’s still one of my favorite handheld games ever.

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BEHIND THE PIXELS

Let’s Dive Into The Game

Advance Wars is a game about careful decision making and smart battlefield planning. It feels a bit like chess with tanks, infantry, artillery, jets, and ships. Every unit has its own strengths, weaknesses, fuel, and ammunition to think about. You take command of the Orange Star Army and fight rival nations on a series of grid based maps.

Each turn you move your units, capture cities, and engage enemy forces. Victory usually means either defeating all enemy units or capturing the opposing headquarters. The basic rules are simple, yet the number of possible strategies is enormous. Some missions reward slow and steady expansion, while others encourage bold and risky plays that strike directly at the enemy base.

One of the reasons Advance Wars became so loved is its approachability. The Field Training tutorial introduces the fundamentals through friendly characters and small, clear scenarios.

As the story progresses, the game gradually adds fog of war, new terrain types, and more complex unit interactions. The fog of war can feel a little unfair at times. The enemy often seems aware of your positions even when you cannot see its units, which creates tense moments and forces you to scout carefully.

If you never got into turn based tactic games, this is a good one to start with.

Commanding Officers bring another layer of strategy. Each one has a distinct personality and a unique ability. Andy heals his units, Max empowers direct combat vehicles, and Sami excels with infantry and captures.

Others can alter weather or influence terrain. Timing these abilities can completely change the momentum of a battle. It takes a bit to charge them up, so knowing which turn to use them also comes into play.

Advance Wars also shines through its presentation. The sprite art is bright and readable, and the quick combat scenes have a wonderful sense of character. The upbeat soundtrack, complete with themes for each Commanding Officer, keeps the energy high for the most part. My only real complaint is the music does get a bit repetitive after some long play sessions and the variety is lacking. But that’s very minor overall for this amazing game.

The enemy AI is surprisingly sharp. It punishes weak positioning and takes advantage of every small opening. Even losses encourage you to rethink your plan rather than making you feel unfairly punished, despite the fog of war advantage.

Beyond the campaign, the game offers challenge maps, custom skirmishes, and a full map creator. Advance Wars is both welcoming to newcomers and endlessly satisfying for strategy fans, which is why it remains one of the finest games ever released on a handheld system.

WHERE TO PLAY

• The original copy or emulation will be your best bet for tracking this down.

• A faithful remake for the Switch came out in 2023, that features this game and it’s GBA sequel, in Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp.

• Original Copies of the Game (All prices in USD)

  • Loose: $30

  • Complete: $42

  • New/Sealed: $280

GAME INFORMATION

Cover Art

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RETRO NEWS

Here’s a quick roundup of the latest retro gaming news we’ve dug up.

• Analogue’s Long-Awaited FPGA N64 May Finally Be Nearing Release
  After years of silence, new signs point to Analogue’s premium N64 clone edging closer.
  Read more at Time Extension

• Evercade’s Taito Bartop Prototype Delivers a Mini-Arcade Packed With Classics
  Early hands-on impressions highlight a sturdy cabinet loaded with iconic coin-op hits.
  Read more at Time Extension

• Trigger Happy Controller Aims for Retro-Focused Precision Shooting
  A new light-gun-style controller targets modern setups while honoring classic arcade aim.
  Read more at Retro News

PREVIOUS POLL RESULTS

What’s your favorite fighting game franchise?

• Street Fighter - 28.57%

• Mortal Kombat - 28.57%

• Tekken - 14.29%

• Super Smash Bros. - 14.29%

• Other - 14.29%

We will have to rerun this again at a later date to get a winner.

Reader comments from the poll:

(Street Fighter) “Have to give it to the OG fighting game - I don’t think any arcade game in my teen years ate as many of my quarters as Street Fighter. One memories of groups gathered around the machine, waiting for your turn to take on (and beat?) the best person currently playing” - Shen

(Other) - “Soulcalibur!” - Jenica

(Mortal Kombat) - “Gót MK for Christmas from the grandparents despite the evil step mother forbidding them to do so. She got so upset she flew into a rage and said to my dad he had to send me away before I became a killer from video games… so I took off my face and blew fire out of my skull and sent her to hell.”

GAME OVER

Why You Should Play This

If you’ve never played Advance Wars, it’s absolutely a game worth powering on today. This little GBA gem offers an evergreen blend of charm and challenge. Even in an age of mobile apps and sprawling PC strategy epics, Advance Wars’ tight design holds up brilliantly.

There’s also never been a better time to play: Nintendo’s Re-Boot Camp remake on Switch makes it easy to experience (or re-experience) the first two games with a fresh coat of paint. But even playing the original on a GBA (or emulator) is a joy, thanks to the game’s timeless pixel art and snappy gameplay.

In the end, Advance Wars is more than just a nostalgic trip, it’s a masterclass in game design that remains engaging today. So rally your troops, charge up that CO Power, and give this classic a go. You might just discover that commanding an army of cartoon tanks is as rewarding in 2025 as it was in 2001.

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