The Game Boy Advance had a truly fantastic library of games, and the two Advance Wars titles were among the best GBA games of all time. A moreish take on turn-based strategy games, their light-hearted approach and memorable characters made for a brilliant choice for strategy on the go. Now, Nintendo and WayForward have remade the classics as Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp.
With Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, players get a ground-up remake of 2001’s Advance Wars and 2003’s Advance Wars: Black Hole Rising. This means the campaigns of the two games, complete with new voice acting, character art, and sprite work, but a wealth of other features too. Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp includes local and online multiplayer, custom map creation, and more to keep returning and new players entertained. It’s a good thing too, since the wider franchise hasn’t seen a game since 2008’s Advance Wars: Days of Ruin.
The gameplay here remains enticing, certainly keeping up with the best turn-based tactics games available albeit with a more streamlined approach than the complexity that sometimes comes with the genre. The key mechanic of the unique skill-set of the player’s Commanding Officer, such as a proficiency for air combat or the ability to repair units, means that there is always a new approach to take when there’s a C.O. change in the campaign. Indeed, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp will have players telling themselves “just one more map” for hours at a time due to just how compelling it is to play.
Those who played the original games will find plenty to love here, with the remakes faithfully recreating Advance Wars and its sequel. The new voice acting perfectly matches the tone of the characters who had previously been written only, with new character art and animations to boot. Meanwhile, the music of the two games has also been re-recorded, and these new versions are just as catchy as the old.
Having both Advance Wars and Black Hole Rising in one place is extremely handy, with the sequel building on the formula of the original in some interesting ways. The levels have more unique scenarios than the first, with restrictions like time limits or unique settings such as funneling enemies through a corridor for attack by ranged weapons. Meanwhile, there is more C.O. variation to be found, taking good advantage of the unique selling point of the Advance Wars games.
It’s worth noting just how effortlessly Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp takes to the Nintendo Switch. It’s a title that excels in a handheld setting, whether that’s lounging on the sofa or taking on journeys, with relatively short individual missions and the ability to stop and pick up again whenever needed. Indeed, this is how best to play Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, rather than plugged into the big screen.
It’s worth noting the other elements that fall outside of the campaigns, too. Versus Mode gives players a suite of different maps to choose from to play one-off battles, either in the style of the original Advance Wars or in Black Hole Rising, complete with C.O. options. Some of these are unlockable through playing the campaigns, as well as some extra pieces of content like in-game music. There’s also the War Room, where the player can go through different challenge maps to try and beat their high score.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp features a custom map creator that is easy and fun to use, with the player selecting tiles and units as they see fit to try and create new scenarios. These can then be played locally as well as online, giving the players something to do if they have exhausted the campaigns and the other options mentioned above. All in all, there’s an awful lot of material to be found in these remakes.
As such, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is a fantastic remake of the Game Boy Advance titles. Those who enjoyed the originals will no doubt appreciate seeing the games reworked in a faithful way, while new players will find a pair of turn-based tactics games that are a great choice for newcomers to the genre or those who want something bright and engaging on the go.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp releases 21 April 2023 for Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant was provided with a Switch download code for the purposes of this review.
