Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising is a tactical war simulation. You take control of various forces and troops and deploy them around a set map. It is turn based, meaning you will move your army and then the Black Hole Army will make its move. Think of it as an elaborate game of chess.

Your object, in each map, is to either eliminate the enemy or capture their headquarters. Each map contains unique elements that will either help or hinder you. Different terrains, for example, may provide you better defensive cover… at the cost of reducing the number of spaces your unit can move. There are also cities to take over. Infantry can enter a city on a turn and begin the process of capturing a city. It takes several turns to capture one, but it is crucial to your surivival (as cities provide you with war funds… which is what you use to purhcase new units).Troops come in many forms. You have basic infantry and tanks, but you’ll find that there is much more in the world of Advance Wars. Missle Launchers, Battleships, Submarines, Battle Copters… all this and more are at your command. Each unit comes with a price tag and has a specific fuel and ammo loadout, so be sure to use the right unit for the right job. Sadly, only a few new units make it into the new Advance Wars. You’ve got the neo tank and missle silos, while the Black Hole Army has Lasers, pipelines and cannons. This may bring a few people down, but it isn’t setback, believe me. Units always being with 10 HP, so battles will always start as 10 on 10.

Some units are used to supply vehicles with ammo or fuel. Keep in mind that these units, while costly, are an integral part of the gaming process. You can NOT win without utilizing your forces properly, and this means to resupply as needed. You can also join damaged units together in order to form one complete unit. As units can only number a total of 10, it is a bit limiting.

What really makes the game unique among strategy titles are the abilities to utilize various commanding officers or CO’s. Each unit has a CO with a special ability. Should you CO’s ability meter fill up, the ability can be used. This can easily change the outcome of the game. It can affect how far your units can travel or it can change the combat abilities of your troops. Each country has several CO’s to play with, so experiment. As opposed to the first Advance Wars, this version features far more CO’s to control… and each one now has two different abilities. Keep in mind, while each CO has an advantage, they also have a weakness.

Control is exactly the same as the first. Using a simple menu system, you control a cursor which shows you the unit on the ground. Pick the unit and then choose the action. It’s very simple and is part of what makes the series so damn entertaining. Veterans of RTS games will find the game deep, while novice gamers will simply find a lot of entertainment value. It’s complex in nature, but simplisitc in its approach.

The game itself is simply exhilirating and exciting. The action is part RTS, part arcade. Either way you look at it, Advance Wars 2 will appeal to everyone, not just the strategy gamers. It is an exceptionally fun title that takes minutes to learn and a long time to master!