Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising Review (no fat)

by Intelligent Systems Platform: GBA Genre: TBS	ESRB Rating: Everyone Release: 2003-06-23	Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising Features: Turn-based strategy 34 missions to complete Save anywhere Unlock secret maps Multiplayer mode with up to four players
	Egamer's Rating: 9 / 10. Reviewed on: 2006-03-07

Game Description

After the events in Advance Wars, which saw the long-sought defeat of General Sturm, as well as his evil Black Hole Army, the Orange Star Army, led by Andy, foolishly thought that was the end of their worries. Their joy was abruptly put to an end when it dawned on them that their enemy has already set up a base elsewhere and that his dreams of invading their precious Cosmo Land was still thriving. It’s up to Andy and his friends to definitely put an end to General Sturm’s activities and to protect Cosmo Land at all costs in Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising.

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising - Gameplay

Although this is the second installment in the Advance Wars series on the GBA, Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising shouldn’t really be treated as a sequel, but rather as an extension of the first game. There aren’t many new features in this release, and even the graphics are a mere rehash of the first Advance Wars. If anything, playing through this title is pretty much the same experience as playing the original.

Black Hole Rising is a turn-based strategy game where your aim is to complete missions that more often than not involve capturing the enemy’s base. Maps are divided into grids and you can move your units over these, as in a typical strategy game. The 19 distinct units present in the game, which range from powerful tanks to helicopters, can move over a certain number of grids. There’s only one new unit, the Neo Tank, which however excels in brute force. You also need to keep in mind that your units can only attack from a set distance, which makes placing them correctly on the map extremely important. Although you do have the option to save at any time, the battles are actually very demanding and necessitate a good dose of strategy.

In addition, each unit has its particular characteristics, and you’ll soon find out that one unit will be more effective against a certain type, but rather useless against some other unit. Finding out each unit’s strengths and weaknesses is thus primordial, as this knowledge will make battles easier once you know how to take out your foes in just a few turns. The helicopter is thus exceedingly efficient against a tank, but will however be rapidly destroyed by a mere jet fighter. This second installment also boasts a handful of new Commanding Officers, whom you will soon learn to loathe due to their abilities, but you’ll need to unlock them before you can use them.

Black Hole Rising relies on a new campaign that follows your quest to get rid for General Sturm. While this huge campaign mode, with its 34 missions, constitutes the game’s core, there are nevertheless a couple of additional modes that seek to add more replay value to the game. By beating the campaign missions, you can earn points, which you can then use to buy new maps. The better you perform, the more points you receive. You can also simply buy design your own maps once you’ve unlocked all the extra ones. Furthermore, there is the inclusion of a multiplayer mode, which can actually be run from a single cart or from multiple carts, where up to four gamers can battle. Again, you may then unleash your army on your newly acquired maps as well as your ingenious creations.

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising - Visuals

It’s no surprise that Black Hole Rising graphics’ have been shamelessly lifted from the first Advance Wars. The game has an enticing anime art style with excellent designs and a lush color palette. The backgrounds are bland, but the smooth animation, regardless of the number of units on-screen, is breathtaking. The game moreover uses an array of dazzling special effects that add a nice touch to battles.

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising - Sound

The game uses the same soundtrack as its predecessor, which is not such a bad thing considering the good quality of the first game’s music. They can nevertheless get repetitive later on in spite of a couple of new tracks that do a very good job of making the battles more frantic. The sound effects, which range from your weapons to small explosions are generic and sparse, but they are exceptionally sharp.

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising - Overall

Although Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising is an excellent title, its lack of new features means it will appeal to hardcore fans of the first installment. Those who have never played the original Advance Wars should however not pass it up, as Black Hole Rising is genuinely one of the finest strategy titles on the Game Boy Advance. It’s a collectable…even if you played your prequel to rags.

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising - Cost

The game currently retails for $24.50.