Nintendo Wars
Encyclopedia
The Advance Wars series, known as in Japan as , and often (yet unofficially) referred to as "Nintendo Wars" when referring to all the installments internationally, is a series of military turn-based and real-time strategy
video games (See wargame
), usually developed by Intelligent Systems
and published by Nintendo
. The series debuted in Japan on August 12, 1988. Like another Intelligent Systems series, Fire Emblem
, earlier installments of the series were released only in Japan; Advance Wars
(2001) was the first to reach the North American and European markets. Advance Wars was released in the USA on September 9, 2001, but put on hold in Japan and Europe due to the subsequent terrorist attacks
in the USA. Although released in Europe in January 2002, neither GBA game was released in Japan until the Game Boy Wars Advance 1+2 compilation on November 25, 2004.
In 2005, Advance Wars: Dual Strike
was released on the Nintendo DS
platform, which follows the basic form of its predecessors. That same year Battalion Wars
, developed by Kuju Entertainment
, was released for the Nintendo GameCube
in Japan under the title "Totsugeki!! Famicom Wars", where it is considered a spin-off from the main series. Battalion Wars is a 3D
action real-time strategy game, as opposed to the turn-based strategy of the main series.
(CO) in an army, usually of a country called Orange Star. In the most recent title, Days of Ruin (Dark Conflict
in Europe), it is replaced by a nation called Rubinelle (Laurentia in the European release). In the single-player campaign of the Advance Wars games, each level consists of a new map and opposing CO to defeat. Victory is achieved when all of the opponent's units have been destroyed, their HQ
is captured, or another victory condition has been met. COs take turns recruiting and commanding units on grid-based maps. Units available include infantry
, tank
s, artillery
, bomber
s, and many other military units. Each turn, a unit may move around and/or perform an action, such as attacking or capturing a property. Certain actions, such as capturing, diving, or loading may only be performed at certain instances throughout the game.
; each square is adjacent to six other squares, instead of four. Game Boy Wars also features a different opposing army called White Moon. Otherwise, the rules remains identical, and only in Game Boy Wars 3 were unit levels and a new resource introduced. Super Famicom Wars, the sequel to Famicom Wars, introduced Yellow Comet and Green Earth, bringing the number of armies playable at once to four. It returned to the basic square grid-based map style of the original game.
that can affect the battle in different ways, giving the CO a temporary advantage over the other COs, such as providing allied units with increased firepower or causing damage to opposing units. Black Hole Rising introduced Super CO Powers, and Dual Strike introduced Tag CO Powers. Conditions such as Fog of War
, rain, and snow affect the abilities of units to reveal the map and move around. Days of Ruin removed many of the features added to previous Advance Wars games, greatly weakening CO Powers and reintroducing a unit level system.
series of games, along with the far lesser known Game Boy Wars 3, include map editors
, giving them increased replayability. In the original Famicom Wars, two players were allowed to play; in Game Boy Wars, players could play hotseat
multiplayer games. The Advance Wars series on the Game Boy Advance
allowed link-play using link cables. Online
multiplayer was originally planned for Dual Strike, but was only later implemented in Days of Ruin.
Battalion Wars 2
introduced online multiplayer over the Wii
's WI-FI connection. The game had 3 modes and 16 maps to play on. The multiplayer section was well received but was criticized for not supporting Voice chat
.
Strategy
Strategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct from tactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked...
video games (See wargame
Wargame (video games)
Wargames are a subgenre of strategy video games that emphasize strategic or tactical warfare on a map, as well as historical accuracy.-History:The genre of wargame video games is derived from earlier forms of wargames...
), usually developed by Intelligent Systems
Intelligent Systems
is a Japanese first-party video game developer and internal team of Nintendo Co., Ltd. It has its headquarters in the Nintendo Kyoto Research Center in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture....
and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. The series debuted in Japan on August 12, 1988. Like another Intelligent Systems series, Fire Emblem
Fire Emblem
is a fantasy tactical role-playing video game franchise developed by Intelligent Systems , the maker of Advance Wars , and published by Nintendo...
, earlier installments of the series were released only in Japan; Advance Wars
Advance Wars
Advance Wars, known in Japan as is a turn-based tactics video game developed for the Game Boy Advance by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. It was released in North America on September 10, 2001, but put on hold in Japan and Europe due to the following day's terrorist attacks in the USA...
(2001) was the first to reach the North American and European markets. Advance Wars was released in the USA on September 9, 2001, but put on hold in Japan and Europe due to the subsequent terrorist attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
in the USA. Although released in Europe in January 2002, neither GBA game was released in Japan until the Game Boy Wars Advance 1+2 compilation on November 25, 2004.
In 2005, Advance Wars: Dual Strike
Advance Wars: Dual Strike
Advance Wars: Dual Strike, known in Japan as , is a turn-based tactics video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console...
was released on the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
platform, which follows the basic form of its predecessors. That same year Battalion Wars
Battalion Wars
Battalion Wars, originally to be titled as Advance Wars: Under Fire, part of Nintendo's Wars series, is a real-time tactics game for the Nintendo GameCube. A sequel, Battalion Wars 2, for the Wii, has also been released.-Gameplay:...
, developed by Kuju Entertainment
Kuju Entertainment
Kuju Entertainment is an English computer and video game corporation consisting of three studios, two of which are located in the UK: Zoë Mode , Headstrong Games , and one in the Czech Republic: Vatra games...
, was released for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
in Japan under the title "Totsugeki!! Famicom Wars", where it is considered a spin-off from the main series. Battalion Wars is a 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
action real-time strategy game, as opposed to the turn-based strategy of the main series.
Gameplay
The player takes the role of a Commanding OfficerCommanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
(CO) in an army, usually of a country called Orange Star. In the most recent title, Days of Ruin (Dark Conflict
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin is a turn-based tactics video game for the Nintendo DS handheld game console...
in Europe), it is replaced by a nation called Rubinelle (Laurentia in the European release). In the single-player campaign of the Advance Wars games, each level consists of a new map and opposing CO to defeat. Victory is achieved when all of the opponent's units have been destroyed, their HQ
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
is captured, or another victory condition has been met. COs take turns recruiting and commanding units on grid-based maps. Units available include infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s, artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
s, and many other military units. Each turn, a unit may move around and/or perform an action, such as attacking or capturing a property. Certain actions, such as capturing, diving, or loading may only be performed at certain instances throughout the game.
Japan-Exclusive Titles
The original Famicom Wars game consists of two armies, Red Star (which became Orange Star in later international versions) and Blue Moon fighting over square grid-based maps. The two armies could either be controlled by human players, or a human player could play against an AI opponent. The Game Boy Wars series featured a game system to Famicom Wars, except the grid was changed so that the grid squares acted more like hexagonsHex map
A hex map, hex board or hex grid is a gameboard design commonly used in wargames of all scales. The map is subdivided into small regular hexagons of identical size.-Advantages and disadvantages:...
; each square is adjacent to six other squares, instead of four. Game Boy Wars also features a different opposing army called White Moon. Otherwise, the rules remains identical, and only in Game Boy Wars 3 were unit levels and a new resource introduced. Super Famicom Wars, the sequel to Famicom Wars, introduced Yellow Comet and Green Earth, bringing the number of armies playable at once to four. It returned to the basic square grid-based map style of the original game.
International Titles
The Advance Wars games introduced several new elements. The most notable is that COs now have special abilities called CO PowersSuperpower (ability)
Superpower is a popular culture term for a fictional superhuman ability. When a character possesses multiple such abilities, the terms super powers or simply powers are used...
that can affect the battle in different ways, giving the CO a temporary advantage over the other COs, such as providing allied units with increased firepower or causing damage to opposing units. Black Hole Rising introduced Super CO Powers, and Dual Strike introduced Tag CO Powers. Conditions such as Fog of War
Fog of war
The fog of war is a term used to describe the uncertainty in situation awareness experienced by participants in military operations. The term seeks to capture the uncertainty regarding own capability, adversary capability, and adversary intent during an engagement, operation, or campaign...
, rain, and snow affect the abilities of units to reveal the map and move around. Days of Ruin removed many of the features added to previous Advance Wars games, greatly weakening CO Powers and reintroducing a unit level system.
Multiplayer
Multiplayer mode is an important part of the Nintendo Wars series. This allows players to compete against friends, each choosing a Commanding Officer to play and country to represent. The Advance WarsAdvance Wars
Advance Wars, known in Japan as is a turn-based tactics video game developed for the Game Boy Advance by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. It was released in North America on September 10, 2001, but put on hold in Japan and Europe due to the following day's terrorist attacks in the USA...
series of games, along with the far lesser known Game Boy Wars 3, include map editors
Level editor
A level editor is a software tool used to design levels, maps, campaigns, etc and virtual worlds for a video game. In some cases the creator of a video game releases an official level editor for a game, but other times the community of fans step in to fill the void...
, giving them increased replayability. In the original Famicom Wars, two players were allowed to play; in Game Boy Wars, players could play hotseat
Hotseat (multiplayer mode)
Hotseat or hot seat is a multiplayer mode provided by some turn-based video games, which allows two or more players to play on the same device by taking turns playing the game...
multiplayer games. The Advance Wars series on the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
allowed link-play using link cables. Online
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
multiplayer was originally planned for Dual Strike, but was only later implemented in Days of Ruin.
Battalion Wars 2
Battalion Wars 2
Battalion Wars 2 is a video game for the Wii console. It is a sequel to the Nintendo GameCube title Battalion Wars. The game was officially announced August 23, 2006 at the Leipzig Games Convention. It was developed by Kuju Entertainment, which also developed the GameCube predecessor, and was...
introduced online multiplayer over the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
's WI-FI connection. The game had 3 modes and 16 maps to play on. The multiplayer section was well received but was criticized for not supporting Voice chat
Voice chat
Voice chat is a modern form of communication used on the Internet. The means of communicating with voice chat is through any of the messengers, mainly Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, inSpeak Communicator or Windows Live Messenger...
.
Games
| Year Released | Game Title | System |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Famicom Wars Famicom Wars is a turn-based tactics military game. Produced by Nintendo, it was released on August 12, 1988 for the Family Computer in Japan and later re-released on the Wii Virtual Console on May 19, 2009. It is the first game in the Wars series.-Gameplay:... |
Family Computer Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987... |
| 1990 | Game Boy Wars Game Boy Wars is a turn-based war simulator produced by Nintendo and Intelligent Systems that was released for the Game Boy in Japan only in . It is a portable follow-up to the Family Computer war simulator Famicom Wars, making it the second game in Nintendo's Wars series... |
Game Boy Game Boy The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on... |
| 1997 | Game Boy Wars Turbo | Game Boy Game Boy The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on... |
| 1997 | Game Boy Wars Turbo Famitsu Version | Game Boy Game Boy The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on... |
| 1998 | Super Famicom Wars Super Famicom Wars is a war simulator produced by Nintendo for the Super Famicom. It was released via the Nintendo Power game service on May 1, 1998 and on the Wii Virtual Console on February 16, 2010 in Japan only... |
Super Famicom Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short... |
| 1998 | Super Famicom Wars BS Ban Tsukinowa-jima | Super Famicom Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short... /Satellaview Satellaview The is a satellite modem add-on for Nintendo's Super Famicom system that was released in Japan in 1995. Available for pre-release orders as early as February 13, 1995, the Satellaview retailed for between ¥14,000 and 18,000 and came bundled with the BS-X Game Pak and an 8M Memory Pak.The... |
| 1998 | Game Boy Wars 2 | Game Boy Game Boy The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on... /Game Boy Color Game Boy Color The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than... |
| 2001 | Game Boy Wars 3 | Game Boy Color Game Boy Color The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than... |
| 2001, 2002 | Game Boy Wars Advance / Advance Wars Advance Wars Advance Wars, known in Japan as is a turn-based tactics video game developed for the Game Boy Advance by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. It was released in North America on September 10, 2001, but put on hold in Japan and Europe due to the following day's terrorist attacks in the USA... |
Game Boy Advance Game Boy Advance The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China... |
| 2003 | Game Boy Wars Advance 2 / Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising, known in Japan as is a turn-based tactics video game for the Game Boy Advance. It was developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo in 2003... |
Game Boy Advance Game Boy Advance The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China... |
| 2004 | Game Boy Wars Advance 1+2 | Game Boy Advance Game Boy Advance The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China... |
| 2005 | Famicom Wars DS / Advance Wars: Dual Strike Advance Wars: Dual Strike Advance Wars: Dual Strike, known in Japan as , is a turn-based tactics video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console... |
Nintendo DS Nintendo DS The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP... |
| 2005 | Battalion Wars / Totsugeki!! Famicom Wars Battalion Wars Battalion Wars, originally to be titled as Advance Wars: Under Fire, part of Nintendo's Wars series, is a real-time tactics game for the Nintendo GameCube. A sequel, Battalion Wars 2, for the Wii, has also been released.-Gameplay:... |
Nintendo GameCube Nintendo GameCube The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia... |
| 2008 | Battalion Wars 2 / Totsugeki!! Famicom Wars VS Battalion Wars 2 Battalion Wars 2 is a video game for the Wii console. It is a sequel to the Nintendo GameCube title Battalion Wars. The game was officially announced August 23, 2006 at the Leipzig Games Convention. It was developed by Kuju Entertainment, which also developed the GameCube predecessor, and was... |
Wii Wii The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others... |
| 2008 | Famicom Wars DS Ushinawareta Hikari / Advance Wars: Days of Ruin/Dark Conflict Advance Wars: Days of Ruin Advance Wars: Days of Ruin is a turn-based tactics video game for the Nintendo DS handheld game console... |
Nintendo DS Nintendo DS The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP... |
External links
- The Wars Wiki - An independently-hosted wiki for the Wars series
- "Nintendo Wars and spinoffs" screenshots and statistics