ANTICIPATION: Advance Wars: Days of Ruin

Is it just me, or does every game around have a subtitle these days?


If you aren't familiar with the Advance Wars series, you are probably not a portable gamer, or just don't care much for strategy titles with slightly quirky, anime-inspired casts. Either way, I think you're missing out!

Allow me to familiarize you: Advance Wars first debuted on the Gameboy Advance and introduced what on the surface appeared to be a simple turn-based military strategy game. You command a small army of infantry, tanks, helicopters, bombers, etc. and try to either eliminate all enemies or capture their HQ. Unlike strategy titles like Starcraft or Command and Conquer, however, everything is done in turns. Think chess, but with far more pieces and much more complexity.

I was hooked the moment I tried the first Advance Wars, and naturally became a sucker for its sequel, as well as the first title on the DS. Each iteration has added new units and features, building on the simple gameplay and subtle tactics one can enjoy in th previous versions. Dual Strike, the DS version (of course), added the use of both screens to survey two simultaneous battlefields, as well as the use of multiple commanders for each army. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention one key thing; CO's, or commanding officers, help you manage your army, but they also add a special ability to the mix. Some can repair some damage to all units, others increase firepower or movement range. There are even some that cause adverse weather conditions to suddenly appear! So much for chess... unless the Queen can call down lightning.


The next version of Advance Wars, subtitled Days of Ruin, will hit the store shelves next week, and it looks very promising. Each version so far has maintained a continuing story to keep the gameplay moving along, and at the end of the last chapter, the entire world was devastated by meteors. It is in this post-apocalyptic setting that Days of Ruin begins, and changes the tone of the game from all previous versions.

Days of Ruin adds new kinds of units, such as motorcycle recons and anti-tank artillery, as well as new strategy features, such as units that can counterattack (before, your unit would simply attempt to defend themselves while the enemy took his turn). The new darker look and feel of the game is a welcome breath of fresh air, even though I liked the old cartoony style just fine.

Needless to say, I'm very excited to see this one when it arrives! I'll be picking it up on day one, so hopefully I can get a review up not too much later. Find more out about Advance Wars: Days of Ruin here.

See some awesome Advance Wars Lego creations here.