Advance Wars 1+2: Re-boot Camp
Switch owners might be getting brain fatigue from the recent glut of strategy games, but is there still room for a revamp of the grandaddy of them all – along with its sequel?
Back in the GBA days, Advance Wars made a name for itself as a kid-friendly turn-based alternative to point’n’click blow-’em-ups like Command & Conquer. And now, Re-boot Camp bundles the original game and its sequel, Black Hole Rising, in one spruced-up Switch package.
Battles in Re-boot Camp are fought on top-down grids with land, sea and air units, which each have their own strengths and weaknesses. These skirmishes play out with each side moving their units in a single turn, as you try to bait the enemy or rush in to gain control. Different terrain increases your defences, while Fog of War obscures unexplored portions of maps until you deploy a recon unit or get a soldier to higher ground.
Your troops are somewhat disposable, so all the personality comes from your commanders. At the start of the campaign you have three: all-rounder Andy, tank specialist Max and the speedy
Sami. Units get certain bonuses and disadvantages with each; the flip side is having to contend with rival COS who also have tricks up their sleeve – such as Olaf, who can slow down your troops with a snowstorm.
While this is two games in one, you can’t jump straight into Black Hole Rising until you’ve completed Advance Wars. But once you’ve unlocked the second campaign, you’re also free to switch between each game’s slightly different rulesets in the other modes. Online and local multiplayer options are both on board, and it’s great that up to four players can be fighting on one map in your living room while passing around a single Joy-con.
While opinions on some of the art choices might vary, there are enough additions to make this revival worthwhile – and while we’ve come to expect more gameplay elements these days, this is still a handsome package of turn-based strategy classics. Alan Wen