It’s not often that the seventh game in a video game series is the first to achieve worldwide success, but that’s exactly what happened with Advance Wars. The seventh game in the Wars series of strategy games, which started with Famicom Wars back in 1988, was a smash hit upon its release. Now, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp sees Nintendo and WayForward bring the game and its sequel to the Switch.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is a remake of both Advance Wars and Advance Wars: Black Hole Rising. The Game Boy Advance releases, which are considered by some to be among the best Game Boy Advance games, have been rebuilt from the ground up, refreshing the look of the two-decade-old titles for the Switch and potentially a new audience. Alongside this will come a variety of new features, including online multiplayer for the turn-based tactics titles.
Based on a preview build of Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, it’s shaping up nicely ahead of release on the 21 April. This preview build showcased the first selection of missions from the first Advance Wars, but gives a strong snapshot of exactly what players can expect later this month. Although this build doesn’t include the wealth of new features coming to the final version, so far it’s looking promising after Nintendo delayed the release of Advance Wars.
The Advance Wars games on the Game Boy Advance did not gain their strong reputation by accident. The straightforward approach to turn-based strategy was a perfect fit for the Game Boy Advance, introducing what can be a complex genre to new players or those after a tactics fix on the go. Meanwhile, its vibrant colors and easily identifiable sprites meant that players always knew exactly what was going on, unlike some of the muddier-looking titles on the handheld.
Although Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp has seen some updates here and there, one thing that has remained almost exactly the same is its moreish gameplay. Even after over twenty years, it’s still an extremely enjoyable experience, tapping into that itch to outthink an opponent as new mechanics get steadily introduced. Those who played the original games will certainly clock the first Advance Wars from the off, based on this preview build.
There are bits and pieces that have been refreshed, of course. The sprites, character models, and maps have all received a graphical upgrade, although everything still matches the tone of the original and each unit type is still recognizable as what it was in the original game. Indeed, the character designs of the Commanding Officers themselves are wonderfully updated, comparable to the original game but this time with a crispness that helps match their personalities well.
There have been a few tweaks here and there, with a noticeable change being the ability to fast-forward through the animations that play in combat interactions and through enemy turns. It keeps things quick if the player so chooses, although these animations never last too long anyway. Meanwhile, the music of the original game has been given a reworking, and there are also some unlockables to be found back on the main menu.
So far, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is gearing up well. It will be intriguing to see how the title handles the second game in the Advance Wars series, and equally so the additional content such as its custom map generation due to arrive with the full release later this month. But for now, the game is shaping up as something that fans of the original title will certainly recognize and enjoy.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp will be released on 21 April 2023 for the Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant was provided with a Switch download code for the purposes of this preview.
