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Wait, hold up. That title card was too colorful. This is POST-APOCALYPTIC, DAMMIT. Do it again.
That’s better. I don’t make the rules here, I just try to get by in a depressing
wasteland full of heavily armed militants, struggling to survive and scrabbling for what
scant resources remain in the wake of a number of meteor strikes. All of that happy, CO-Power-spamming,
tactical wargaming has... well, it’s been browned down a bit. The tactics are still
there, the COs are still there, but the action is much more gritty and realistic. Well, as
gritty and realistic as Nintendo and Intelligent Systems could fit into an E10-rated game.
The Rubinelle 12th division has devoted itself and its resources to seeking out and uniting
the survivors of the meteor storm, which include enthusiastic cadet Will and walking Wikipedia
Isabella. Through their military might, tactical acumen, and strong sense of justice, they
seek to make sense of a world gone to hell. And they do this by the same Advance Wars
mechanics we’ve come to know and love, with a couple embellishments here and there. Some
new units are introduced, like the Flare cannon for improving visibility, the Duster plane
for... um... dusting, and the anti-tank guns for anti-ing tanks. There’s also a new level-up
system added; as units deliver killshots on the battlefield, they’ll increase their
prestige through three levels, with buffs to attack and defense each time. In this world,
you earn your stripes the hard way. CO powers, on the other hand, have seen a complete overhaul,
with the commanding officers themselves now able to take control of a unit and boost the
morale - and stats - of nearby friendlies.
It’s a dramatic shift in tone, which might rub some players the wrong way... but, hey,
war’s supposed to be hell, right? That’s what Hawkeye and Beej taught me, anyway. Still,
it’s the only Advance Wars released in the last five years. And with the refinements
to the battle system, I’m willing to accept the shift in tone... even if it means no more
completely degenerate Colin/Sasha shenanigans. As usual, multiplayer remains a core element
of the formula, along with the usual map creation options. But, in a first for the series, online
multiplayer is supported over Nintendo Wi-Fi, so you can transmit your maps to the world
or download the creations of other tactical mavens, then engage in long-range combat.
So if you’ve played the paint off of Fire Emblem and need a quick fix... and don’t
mind a world gone brown... Pick up this or Dual Strike. Depends how much you like completely
degenerate Colin/Sasha shenanigans.