Game Boy Advance

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising

February 12, 2006

Game Boy Advance / Reviews / by Chris Massey /

[i]Advance Wars[/i] was a killer app for the Game Boy Advance back in 2001. Sadly enough, it didn’t receive much attention from many people, and became what is well known throughout the gaming community as a sleeper hit. [i]Advance Wars[/i] is back for a second run though in [i]Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising[/i]. The second installment contains all of the things that made the first one great, including a wide assortment of units, easy to use interface, and complex challenges in the war room and campaign. Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a sequel if they didn’t add something new into the mix. [i]Advance Wars 2[/i] delivers, and hard at that.

[i]Advance Wars 2[/i] contains all of the game modes included into the previous game, including the war room, battle maps, and the design room. The campaign returns as well, and is probably the most significant update from [i]Advance Wars[/i]. In [i]Advance Wars[/i], you would play through the entire campaign as Andy, Sami, or Max, Commanding Officers in the Orange Star Army. There were other C.O.s like Eagle and Kanbei, but they could only be accessed after unlocking, and then only be used in the other battle modes. This time around, you play through four different campaigns, each one being under the four armies in the game. This allows the player to play under every army and C.O. at one point in the campaign (save for the enemy C.O.s and a few unlockables), and makes the campaign much more enjoyable this time around with a wider range of C.O.s to play as.

The story unfolds after Sturm ([i]dvance Wars[/i] veterans will remember him from the final battle in [i]Advance Wars[/i]), cuts his losses from his first defeat and rebuilds his army (the Black Hole Army), complete with four new Commanding Officers. Together with his army, they begin to invade the four continents of Wars World, including Orange Star, Blue Moon, Yellow Comet, and Green Earth territories. Through the campaign, you progress through each continent, and as you defeat the Black Hole Armies in one country, you will move to the next. You are also able to choose from many different missions at a time, which improves from the progressive line of missions [i]Advance Wars[/i] made you go through.

[i]Advance Wars 2[/i] adds in a good number of new C.O.s to choose from. You still have Andy the mechanical wizard; Eagle the aerial ace, and all the other C.O.s from the previous [i]Advance Wars[/i]. In fact, some of them like Kanbei have received a different look. In addition to the already hefty 11 C.O.s, the game adds in eight new C.O.s, like Sensei, the expert on copters, and Colin, whose units cost much less than usual. Each new C.O. fits into the game well, and their powers each balance out well with the existing C.O.s. Another new feature is an updated C.O. Power system. In addition to the normal C.O. Power, which many might remember being special powers individual C.O.s could use once their meter charged, you can now use Super Powers, which take longer to build up than normal C.O. Powers, but have a much more devastating effect. Meanwhile, some C.O.s have been downgraded a bit, the most apparent being Eagle, whose C.O. Power has been upgraded to a Super Power and replaced with a less devastating power.

One might think that in addition to new C.O.s, the game would add in some new units to play around with. The truth is though, there is only one new unit in the entire game; the Neotank, which is essentially a heavy tank. Some may be turned off by the fact that there are no new units, but in reality, the original units from [i]Advance Wars[/i] were so balanced that there isn’t much room to add anything else. While there are no new units, there are plenty of new spots on the battlefield. One such is a pipe, which is impossible to penetrate and can only be passed by breaking the pipe’s seam. Other things include missiles which target and damage units in its radius, and then in campaign mode, there are different defensive units to get past like cannons, lasers, and black cannons. Everything from [i]Advance Wars[/i] returns to the battlefield as well, including forest and mountains that give units defense, and the various bases that allow you to deploy air, sea, and land units.

Some of the various game modes have been spiced up a bit, but for the most part, they remain the same. The challenging war room returns, with new maps as well as old ones introduced in [i]Advance Wars[/i]. The design maps mode also returns, but this time, you have the option to color the various C.O.s to your liking as well. Each C.O. has eight different color schemes, so it’s not fully customizable, but it’s a nice feature to spice up your favorite C.O. [i]Advance Wars 2[/i] still has all the great multiplayer options the first one had, including the single game link up, and the “pass the GBA” while assigning the different players to the same GBA.

The graphics are similar to the ones seen in [i]Advance Wars[/i]. In fact, most of the graphics and backgrounds are recycled from [i]Advance Wars[/i]. As in the old [i]Advance Wars[/i], each army has a different look to their units, and all the previous countries have their look from the previous installment. The Black Hole army has a new units style, which seems to be a futuristic look, and adds to the variety in the art style of the game. As mentioned earlier, some of the C.O.s have gotten a complete overhaul in the looks department, but in reality, all the units have been redrawn. Most of the poses are strikingly similar to the ones from [i]Advance Wars[/i], although some have gotten a few changes to them. One thing that is disappointing about the graphics in [i]Advance Wars 2[/i] is that, when in combat, the avatars no longer show expression when their units lose or win a battle. Still, the graphics are quaint and fit the style of the game very well.

Overall, [i]Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising[/i] feels very much like [i]Advance Wars[/i], although that’s not necessarily a bad thing. People expecting a huge overhaul from the first may be disappointed, but [i]Advance Wars 2[/i] is a worthy sequel to one of the GBA’s best games. It’s additions like the new C.O.s, the vamped up campaign mode, and the various new maps and challenges that make this game great. Even though there are probably some who feel it may be a little cheap since it is almost the same game as [i]Advance Wars[/i], most owners of the original will definitely want to pick this up.

Advance Wars

February 12, 2006

Game Boy Advance / Reviews / by Chris Massey /

Turn-based strategy games on the Game Boy Advance have a lot in common with role-playing games for the Gamecube. Both have very few titles on each system, but while there isn’t a whole lot to choose from, the few choices there are excellent titles. This is where [i]Advance Wars[/i] on the Game Boy Advance comes into play. With it’s unique graphics style, great game play, and helpful tutorial systems, [i]Advance Wars[/i] is not only a great turn-based strategy game, but it’s probably one of the best titles to own for the Game Boy Advance itself.

[i]Advance Wars[/i] is really a great title all around, especially for one who likes turn-based strategy games, although people who aren’t even familiar with the genre may enjoy the game as well. While the graphic style may have you thinking it is a simplistic game, there is a lot of depth to [i]Advance Wars[/i], ranging from the different commanding officers to the strategic locations on maps, such as cities and mountaintops. To add to that, the game even boasts a great multiplayer mode, as well as many other ways to keep the player busy. [i]Advance Wars[/i] is probably one of the most comprehensive Game Boy Advance games out right now.

When you first put [i]Advance Wars[/i] into your Game Boy Advance, the game forces you through a tutorial before anything else. While this may seem tedious, the tutorial is actually very helpful in familiarizing the player with the workings of [i]Advance Wars[/i]. The whopping 14-mission tutorial does a good job of teaching the player basic movement, deployment, ground, air, and sea combat, and more. Once the initial training is over, five new modes open for you (before completion, training, versus, and link are the only modes available), which include campaign, war room, stats, battle maps, and design maps.

The campaign mode is the first mode most people will go to before anything else, as in order to access much of the game’s content, you must progress through the campaign mode. The campaign mode follows the Orange Star Army and its C.O.s Andy, Max, and Sami. You progress through the nation of Alara, battling Blue Moon, Green Earth, and Yellow Comet armies along the way. There are a total of 30 different missions in the single player mode, all of which can be accessed in the war room mode after completion. Every time you win a map in campaign mode, you are awarded AW coins, which you can put towards new maps and options in the battle maps room.

[i]Advance Wars[/i] seems like a pretty simple game, and in reality, it is pretty straightforward. Anyone who has observed the tutorial can easily pick up on the game mechanics and different strategic elements in the game. There are a total of 18 different units in the game, ranging from infantry units to air bombers. Each unit has advantages over other units. For instance, artillery units have a wide attack radius, but can’t attack up close and will succumb to enemy tanks easily. Meanwhile, a bomber dominates almost any ground unit, but counter it with jet fighters and they are completely helpless. Each one of your units starts out with 10 hit points. As you attack enemy units, a percentage will show up. If the percentage is at 80, then after the attack is over, the enemy will only have two hit points.

Aside from the enemy, you also have to take the terrain into effect. Mountains, cities, oceans, rivers and more can be placed on a map, and can hurt your advance on some places. For instance, only infantry units can cross rivers and mountains, so your tanks will have to find another way around. Of course, these effects can also help you. By placing an infantry unit atop a mountaintop or inside a city, you gain a huge defense bonus, as indicated by the number of stars when attacking. Besides making for defense, you can also capture cities with infantry units, which in turn, adds more funds into your bank account. Aside from cities, there are also different bases, including land, sea, and air bases, and the funds you receive from your cities can be put towards new units. Lastly, there is also what is known as “fog of war”, which essentially prevents you from seeing the entire map, and has you relying on your units’ line of sight to see things.

As mentioned before, there are four different armies in [i]Advance Wars[/i], but there is really no difference between the nations, aside from the drawing style of units and color. [i]Advance Wars[/i] takes a different option on variety, rather than having different nations with different abilities. Instead, [i]Advance Wars[/i] has a number of different C.O.s which have different advantages, disadvantages, and powers. Aside from Andy, who is a pretty average C.O., every C.O. has its own specialty. For instance, Eagle of Green Earth dominates with air units, but he lacks with ground units, and Grit of Blue Moon has a larger range with his indirect fire units, but isn’t as good with direct combat units. In addition, each C.O. has a special C.O. power. Andy has the power to heal his units, while Drake of Green Earth’s power damages all enemy units on the map.

The graphic style of [i]Advance Wars[/i] is probably what makes the game stand out the most. All units in your army are color coded, as are units in the other armies. On the map, units appear somewhat cartoonish and are pretty small. When you enter combat with another unit, a split-screen comes up and the armies exchange fire. The COs are drawn anime-style, and you’ll usually get a small cut-scene during campaign mode with the CO on screen, although they don’t really do a whole lot of moving. Even so, the COs and their drawing style make things very enjoyable, even if they are still images.

There a total of 150 different maps to play in [i]Advance Wars[/i]. Most of these are unlocked in the battle maps room by purchasing them with A.W. coins, and the rest are either available to you from the start or you have to unlock from the single-player mode. In addition to maps, you can also unlock and buy C.O.s later in the game after the single-player is complete. If 150 maps isn’t enough for you (in which case, you’re too demanding), then you can even create your own maps with the simple-to-use design maps room. To top things off, you can even compete in the war room against computers to achieve rankings and extra pocket cash.

Even then, you can go further by linking up to other Game Boy Advances and battle against your friends. The game even lets you use a single cartridge to link up, although it’s not too enjoyable since the cartridge can’t hold much memory, so you’re only limited to a certain number of units, and even then, you don’t get the battle scenes that you get in the game itself, so in the end, it’s much more rewarding to link up to several cartridges. Even if you don’t have a link cable, you can still pay “pass the GBA” by setting up a versus match and make your friend control the other army.

Overall, [i]Advance Wars[/i] is probably one of the best games you can buy on the Game Boy Advance. For a GBA title, is has an insane amount of content, options, and some great multiplayer gaming, even if you only have one GBA and one copy of the game. The great graphic style and complex yet easy to learn battle system makes it incredibly addictive. While there are those people out there that don’t particularly care for turn-based strategy, they might like [i]Advance Wars[/i] just as much as fans of the genre. [i]Advance Wars[/i] is really one of the GBA’s triple A titles, and in truth, should be owned by anyone who has a GBA.

Metroid Fusion

February 6, 2006

Game Boy Advance / Reviews / by Monoxide /

Ah, [i]Metroid Fusion[/i]. A well done 2D sequel to [i]Super Metroid[/i]. This game had seen more hype than any other game to hit a Game Boy system. Did it deserve it? Well… lets get to that.

The minute I picked up the game and put it in my GBA, a feeling of nostalgia overcame me. It had everything [i]Super Metroid[/i] had, plus more. I couldn’t get past the fact that I was playing a brand new [i]Metroid[/i] game. I felt like I had warped 10 years into the past.

That night, I played it for 5 straight hours. The only problem was, I beat it in those 5 straight hours. The game was undeniably short. It felt like I had just been teased out of an epic gaming experience. The feeling soon passed, as I started playing again 4 days later. The game boasts 4 separate endings, each of which I’m determined to get.

Now, as far as the game itself. Graphics are excellent. They’ve actually improved on the look of Super Metroid, without making it different, if that makes any sense. The changes are subtle, but there, and they’re good. You see most of the major graphical changes later in the game, with moves such as the Screw Attack, which looks considerably better than it did in Super Metroid. Other than a few new animations to go with Samus’s new found abilities, it’s on-par with its predecessor, and that’s the way it should be. The sound of the game makes great use of the GBA’s otherwise limited sound capabilities. They did a nice job with that.

On to the gameplay. If you haven’t played a 2D [i]Metroid[/i] before, this will all be new to you, and you’ll enjoy it all the way through. If you have played the older [i]Metroid[/i]s, you’ll notice an overall feeling of Linearity throughout the game. You have a Commanding Officer, and discussions through him allow some character development of Samus and her past. I thought that was a nice touch, except for the fact that your CO actually commands you around. It doesn’t have the explore-until-you-find-a-new-door objective, but rather objectives given specifically through the CO. It turns out to be a rather nice system, after you get used to it.

Overall, [i]Metroid Fusion[/i] is a great addition to the [i]Metroid[/i] series of games. Though it was a little short, the game is so enjoyable that most people don’t have a problem playing through it again. Aside from the replay value, it’s an extremely well polished game. I recommend it to anyone who owns a GBA.

Super Mario Bros 3: Super Mario Advance 4

February 5, 2006

Game Boy Advance / Reviews / by Wayne Phinney /

[i]Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[/i] on the GBA is the way the game was meant to be played. This game is perfect for a handheld, and with the new ability to save the game as you play, it’s quite a good find. Unfortunately, since this is a review of a remake of an old game, it may be short, but I hope there’s at least enough to interest you guys.

Naturally, this game is graphically superior to the original [i]Super Mario Bros. 3[/i], and very well it should be. The sound though is probably about the same unless you are using headphones(since GBA sound is better with headphones). Still, this game doesn’t sell on graphics and sound. This game sells because of how fun it is the play.

This game is good with the fact that after you beat it, you can go back to any world of your choice and finish the levels you missed before, or simply tackle to world again for the fun of it. This is great for those people who love the game, but play on the go. Once you beat it you can simply hop to whichever world you like, and there you are, having fun at the bus stop or what have you.

The problem with [i]SMA4:SMB3[/i] is quite simply that they changed too much in the game in my view. While I didn’t mind them changing what the kings got transformed into, or even making minor alterations to the Spade squares on the game board(they turn to heart squares occasionally which gives you the chance for more lives), I did find that some things got changed that shouldn’t. Most of the changes however the casual [i]SMB3[/i] player will not notice. Only people like myself who have been playing the game regularly since it was released oh so long ago will notice most of these changes. Occasionally extra blocks are added to some platforms to make it easier to land. In other areas, blocks are taken out. Where I was most disappointed with the removal of minor things was in World 8. In the first ship level you practically have to run a gauntlet backwards to get a power up, which you will more than likely use upon trying to exit this gauntlet. I always loved the challenge behind that power up, but it seems they shortened the gauntlet. For a seasoned player like myself, this is somewhat of a disappointment.

Other things they changed are what people say. Specifically the kings when they thank you or Peach when you get her letters. In the letter that normally refers to Kuribu’s shoe, she calls it Goomba’s shoe. What’s wrong with Kuribu??? Also, she blatantly tells you in one of her letters about the whistle at the end of level 1-3. Like anyone needs to be blatantly told that. If they can’t figure it out, there’s always the internet.

Quite simply, this game is really what [i]SMB3[/i] was meant to be in the first place. It’s one of the greatest platformers of all time, and having an updated remake of it on the GBA is more that awesome.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

February 5, 2006

Game Boy Advance / Reviews / by Chris Ingersoll /

“I know that every game has to end. I’m just not ready for it yet.”

That may not be a direct quote from [i]FFT:A[/i], but a very similar one in both words and sentiment does exist in there. After over sixty hours of playing, it was finally time for my quest in Ivalice to end… for the first time, at least.

But I get ahead of myself. Before I dive into this review, however, I would like to add this disclaimer: outside of both [i]Advance Wars[/i] and a brief flirtation with [i]Warcraft 2[/i], this was my first foray into any sort of tactics-based game; it was definitely my first tactical RPG. If previous games in this genre (such as the original [i]FFT[/i] or something in the [i]Ogre Battle[/i] series) are better in your opinion, I don’t want to hear it. I’m reviewing this game, on its own merits. There’s your grain of salt — take it or leave it.

Since this is an RPG, or at least a form of one, I might as well address what should be the most important aspect of the game: the plot. Many people have complained about the story in [i]FFT:A[/i], with specific issues ranging from “it’s nonsense” all the way to “it insulted me every time I forced myself to play this”. Where do I fall in that range? Definitely closer to the former end than the latter. The plot is nonsense — but that’s what makes it a fantasy.

Without spoiling too much, here we go: Some kids at school, each with his or her own quirks/problems that make them outcasts amongst their peers, stumble across an ancient grimoire that somehow turns their town of St. Ivalice into the Kingdom of Ivalice, where humans live alongside four other animal-like races, including the FF mainstay/clichA

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