I would just like to preface my review by saying that I am not what you would consider to be a hardcore strategy game fan in anyway shape or form. I have played them here and there but not in any capacity to consider myself a huge strategy gamer.

With that out of the way, let me just say that you should just run out and purchase this game. I was hesitant on even writing a full review for this game due to all of the hype out there for this title, but, since I'm not a traditional fan of this type of game, my views might actually be useful to someone out there.

The game is a full featured, turn based strategy game shrunk down into a tiny battery backed up cart to be played in that little gaming gem I like to call a GBA. For hardcore strategy fans, you may be left feeling a little empty compared to some of the dizzying titles available on the PC platform. Realistically speaking, you really are not going to find a strategy game on the GBA that will beat the features possible on a supped up PC. However, for the overall strategy fan all the way down to the beginner, this game is for you.

The general storyline follows Andy, your middle of the line, all around good at everything commanding officer (CO). Throughout the game in the Campaign Mode, which contains the story part of the game, you meet, fight, join up with and use other CO's, each with their own abilities and even special CO powers that can be used once in a while. Overall the story isn't anything to write home about, however, it gets the job done and is not going to make you sick either.

Gameplay is what this title is all about. Being a strategy game, the most important factor, in my opinion at least, is having balance. The game really never seems to feel out of balance (in the normal gameplay modes at least). The amount of units is not overwhelming and there is always a way to complete each mission. The standard rules of a war based strategy game apply. You are not going to have much success using a standard foot soldier against the powerful Medium Tanks. Of course you are not going to be creating Medium Tanks right away since they are pretty expensive. There are also defensive bonuses that you can take advantage of due to the terrain around you, but, some of the better terrain to hide in will also impede your movement. Supply management is also important since you will need to pay close attention to fuel and ammo during longer missions. Resource management is especially important in mission where you need to take control of cities in order to generate money for new units.

In the campaign mode alone, you will encounter many mission types. Some missions will have multiple ways to complete while others will have a specific objective, such as lasting a certain number of days or capturing a certain number of cities. There are also the dreaded "Fog of War" missions, which will be the most frustrating to the newbie strategy gamer. Basically, Fog of War is a feature of a lot of strategy games that obscures your field of vision. The entire map will not be visible to the player at all times. However, you can strategically place units so that more of the map is available to your unit's vision. (For example, soldiers placed on a mountain will be able to see more than units that are hiding in a forest.) This just adds to the chess-like strategy of the game.

The cart features oodles of modes to keep anyone busy for hours and weeks. I haven't even thought of another game since this was released, and I bought it soon after its U.S. release. First, you start off with the Training Missions, which are a godsend to those who are not hardcore strategy gamers. Old pros may be a little bored during this part of the game but at perfectly acclimates a new player to all of the aspects of the game, and flawlessly at that. You will be left with very few questions if you pay attention to the Training Missions. After completing the training, the rest of the game modes open up. Campaign Mode is the story part of the game as well as the meat and potatoes of the package. Through this mode, you will also be able to unlock the different CO's. The beauty of the Campaign Mode is that there are many choices available to you that change the course of action. There are hidden missions and different paths to take, warranting multiple plays. Even after you are done, you have the option of playing insanely hard 'advance' missions in Campaign Mode, which are basically harder versions of the regular missions.

Vs. Mode is your single cart multiplayer. Options are fully controllable in this mode such as money available from the start, mission objectives, fog of war, etc. You can play against up to four players (human or CPU controlled.) Link Mode is the Multi-cart version of Vs. Mode, which can also handle up to four players (providing they all have GBAs, link cables and the cart).

Rounding out the modes are Battle Maps, War Room and Map Design. Battle Maps in the store where you spend your hard earned coins from missions won. You can buy extra maps for use in the War Room and Vs. Modes as well as unlocked CO's from the Campaign Mode. The shop owner is also good for some advise throughout the game. The War Room is much like a lighter version of Campaign Mode, featuring single missions, which you can earn coins and practice tactics in order to attain the highest grade of "S" in your missions. Map Design allows you to make your own creations, which you can even trade between other users via a link cable.

The controls in the game are standard fair for a strategy game. Control is menu and icon driven. It is very simple, elegant and very effective, especially for a handheld.

Advance Wars features adequate graphics. They use the abilities of the GBA nicely but do not really test the boundaries of the hardware. Battle Animations are actually very nice but you may find yourself turning them off eventually in the efforts to speed up your gameplay. Everything is colorful and easy to see. You might not use this game to show off the graphics of the GBA, but you are not going to be ashamed of it either.

Much like the graphics, the sound FX and music in Advance Wars get the job done. Thankfully, we are not dealing with the annoying looped bleeps and bloops that plagued most of the Game Boy Color games. The sound effects are a lot nicer, featuring machine guns, rockets and everything else you would expect in a war game. Everything is solid and does not at any point grate on your nerves.

I bought this game on impulse, based on the raves it was receiving on the net. (Well, that and the fact that is was only $25 on sale.) I was a little hesitant since I was not a huge strategy gaming fanatic. Not only did this game live up to the hype, it even surpassed it, in my opinion. It just features that special type of gameplay that keeps you coming back for more. With all of the different modes and maps to unlock, even the people with lots of time to kill will be busy for a long time. Add in the multiplayer aspect and you can be busy for months straight. The only people I would not recommend this game to would be the types of gamers who are opposed to the slower paced strategy games on a molecular level. But, if you are the slightest fan, or just in the mood for something a little different, you cannot go wrong with Advance Wars.