Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising

"Kicking Sturm's Fat Hide -- One Man at a Time!"

Once upon a time, an evil alien by the name of Sturm decided that it would be funny to reek havoc across the peace filled Wars World (okay, that pun was half intended). He would have almost succeeded, too, were it not for the brave efforts of several armies, most predominantly the Orange Star Force. Sent back to a life of denial (it seems that being an alien doesn't attract the friends. Wonder why…), Sturm tirelessly began to plan another assault on the free world, one that would bring it under his slimy foot. This planning went on for years, and years, and years until one day an attack came out of nowhere.

Only problem was it wasn't him who was doing it.

Contrary to popular belief, Sturm made a couple of friends during his little exile. To make matters worse, they're all geniuses on the battle field. Backed by this new threat, Sturm managed to start pressing in on the free world, beating back the surprised nations and bringing them to the peace tables. Even with all of his planning, however, Sturm forgot a small detail – to conquer the world, he'll have to take down the very force that sent him packing. They're not very happy with him, either. War is imminent, and this time, they're going to put Sturm in a hole for good.

Saying you're going to do that and actually doing it are two different things, however. It's going to require all of your mental skill, too, because unlike in other war games where you can go on crazy shooting sprees through the bunkers of our hated (overused, cough) enemies, AW2 puts the breaks on. You could almost say that there's a tactical edge to it. And yeah, it may not be as fast-paced or as crazy as some of the war games based in the shooting genre, but it's every bit as fun, probably more challenging, and just plain out better for your brain.

Brain jokes aside (we all know the ill effects of video games, now don't we), AW2 is everything that you'd ever expect from a game set in the tactical genre. Both you and your opponent are placed on a gigantic grid at the start of every battle, and you'll then take turns until either you complete your objectives or the opposing general blows you off the map. Contrasting other tactical games, however, AW2 gives the player a ton of little toys to play with, and they aren't the nice kind, either.

Of course, neither is war. Get used to it.

In war, the prime thing any commander wants are units that are diverse, powerful, and able to get the job done. AW2 delivers that perfectly. Want something exceedingly powerful? Pick a Mega Tank. Those things cost a bunch, though, so how about a cheap regular tank? Those are just two out of dozens of units, and you'll find yourself using many of them since the developers did an amazing job of melding game play elements together. They even made sure to incorporate something that many games miss – regulation. Even if you do have one of the nastiest forces on the planet, you're still only as good as your lowest man. Infantry and Mechs are needed to capture bases, cities, and most importantly, factories. Without these little guys, you'd be up the creek without a paddle.

Making a force is great and all, but let's not forget what the game's really about – kicking the opposing force in their rump. To accomplish that, you'll usually have to complete one of a couple objectives. Some are easy (such as capturing a base, breaking a pipe, blowing down a couple of men), while others have the propensity to be infuriating (get this, attacking a heavily anti-aircraft guarded island – with bombers. Really smart move there). Everything else in-between is really up to you. Whether you want to go for a quick Ko or get your ratings up for bonuses depends on your playing style.

Ratings are something that every player needs to accustom himself with early, because without them, you'll be severely lacking the chance to pick up some of the best characters in the game. Ratings are judged on three levels, power, technique, and speed. All of them are really self-explanatory, but basically power means killing off every man on the field, technique means not losing your own men to Davy Jone's locker, and speed means how fast you can mow down the opposing force and complete your mission. Not that tough, right?

Don't think you'll have an easy time for a second, though. Just as you are fighting for a worthy cause, so is the opposing general. And you'll find working for Sturm isn't exactly the same as working for some nice, laidback joe who drinks a cup of coffee in the morning. They're fighting for their lives in this. Nice cause, eh? Because of that, you'll find them every bit as nasty, conniving, and probably just as ugly (wait, is that even possible…), as Sturm. The developers did an incredible job with the difficulty this time around, and in a sense made the game that much better. The learning curve is great, so you'll never have to worry about being overwhelmed except in the later stages, when you'll get your final exam for what you've learned over the course of the game.

After you've completed the game, you're probably wondering how many more things there are for you to waste your precious life on. You could always replay the game since the developers gave the option for different paths (for example, you can now do whichever level you want in a given area leading up to the boss). Or you can do what most seasoned vets do and take the War Room for a spin. Unlike Campaign mode where the generals all have their little set orders and freakishly predictable patterns, the War Room challenges the potential general like no other. The opponents there are beyond hard, and at the later levels they can truly test the insanity of any person around. Luckily, as you slowly accomplish those levels, you'll earn points that can net you some great characters, extra maps, and even the ability to play in different costumes. You'll need it. Trust me.

For what it's worth, there's also something else that you needed throughout the course of the game. Funny part is you probably never even noticed it. That something else was the graphics and music, and to be quite honest, the game probably wouldn't have gotten off the ground without them. Both are exceptionally well put together, and they compliment the overall game play perfectly. Graphics are colorful, vivid, and sport excellent shading all around, making sure you can see every unit on the field at all times. And even though they don't make the same kind of impact that the graphics do, the music is still right up there with them. Tunes are varied with every Co that you pick (although some are much better than others), while setting the atmosphere for each turn perfectly.

Out of every word out there that you could describe Advance Wars 2 with, none works better than that last one. Perfect. No other tactical game on the GBA even comes close to this. From kicking Sturm's slimy hide to slugging it out in some of the most climactic war battles in history, AW2 never gives you a chance to breath. Make sure you do, though, because you're only hurting yourself to even miss a minute of this classic.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/10/07, Updated 12/22/09

Game Release: Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising (US, 06/24/03)