Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising refines the series’ signature turn-based tactics with a wealth of new units, environments, and strategic wrinkles. The familiar rock-paper-scissors balance between infantry, armor, artillery, naval vessels, and aircraft remains at its core, but the introduction of the Neotank and Black Hole-specific hazards forces you to rethink your usual approaches. You’ll find yourself juggling combined-arms formations, supply lines, and terrain bonuses to stay one step ahead of Sturm’s forces.

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Every mission takes place on a neatly gridded battlefield, whether it’s a fog-shrouded mountain pass or an archipelago dotted with bases. Capturing cities and factories is as crucial as winning skirmishes, since your income hinges on territorial control. Seasonal weather effects—rain, snow, and sandstorms—further diversify play, occasionally grounding aircraft or slowing down ground troops, making adaptability key to success.

The CO system, long a series hallmark, shines brighter than ever. Each commanding officer has distinct strengths, from increased movement range to boosted firepower or rock-solid defenses. As you press forward, your CO’s power meter charges, eventually unlocking game-changing CO Powers or even Super CO Powers that can turn an unfavorable engagement into a triumphant breakthrough. Mastering the timing of these abilities adds an exhilarating layer of risk and reward.

Multiplayer and challenge modes extend the gameplay well beyond the main campaign. Versus Mode lets up to four players duke it out locally in free-for-all or team-up matches. The War Room’s gauntlet of timed and efficiency-based challenges will test veterans hungry for high ranks, while the built-in map editor unleashes your creativity, granting infinite replay value and fierce custom battles with friends.

Graphics

On Game Boy Advance hardware, Black Hole Rising delivers surprisingly detailed pixel art and vibrant color palettes. Each unit sprite is distinct, with tanks rumbling, artillery firing, and ships sailing across the sea. Commanding Officers appear in expressive portrait art that brings personality to their in-battle quips and animations, creating an engaging visual narrative that belies the system’s technical limitations.

Battlefields pop with environmental variety. Urban centers, snowy peaks, forests, and industrial complexes are all rendered with crisp detail. Terrain effects are both attractive and functional: forest tiles have distinct shading, roads look like tarmac, and bridges even cast shadows. These visual cues help you assess tactical options at a glance, reinforcing the strategic depth without overwhelming the player.

Special effects for CO Powers and explosions add cinematic flair to skirmishes. When a Super CO Power is unleashed, the screen takes on dramatic coloration, units glow with energy, and your forces decimate enemies in a satisfyingly flashy display. Even routine attacks feel impactful thanks to carefully designed visual feedback, which keeps the thrill of battle alive through dozens of hours of play.

Story

Advance Wars 2 picks up immediately after the first game’s events, with the Black Hole Army regrouping under their new, ruthless commander, Sturm. His blitzkrieg against Macro Land’s four nations—Orange Star, Blue Moon, Green Earth, and Yellow Comet—serves as the driving force behind each mini-campaign. Rather than funneling you through a single narrative, the game rotates perspectives, letting you lead different factions and develop empathy for an array of charismatic COs.

Each chapter introduces fresh objectives, from daring defenses and guerrilla strikes to all-out offensives on enemy strongholds loaded with laser turrets and pipelines. The pacing balances tense story moments—such as discovering the full might of Black Hole’s new weapons—with character-driven interludes where rival COs spar through banter and tactical one-upmanship. This interplay of plot and personality keeps the campaign feeling both epic and intimate.

While the overarching storyline is straightforward—repel the Black Hole invasion and restore peace—the game sneaks in moments of genuine drama. You witness the toll of war as cities crumble, then savor the triumph of liberation when you recapture a vital factory. By the end of the final battle, you’ll not only have mastered advanced strategies but also formed an attachment to the officers you’ve guided through victory.

Overall Experience

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising is a masterclass in portable strategy gaming. It strikes a remarkable balance between accessibility for newcomers—thanks to clear tutorials and intuitive controls—and layers of depth that veterans can explore through CO synergies, terrain tactics, and resource management. Few games on the GBA marry pick-up-and-play appeal with deep, long-term engagement as well as this one.

Replayability is a cornerstone of the package. Beyond the main campaign’s 30+ missions, you have War Room challenges to sharpen your skills, head-to-head skirmishes in Versus Mode, and virtually limitless custom maps to free your strategic imagination. You can easily sink over a hundred hours into refining tactics, climbing leaderboards, or crafting the perfect battlefield layout to stump your friends.

In the landscape of handheld gaming, Black Hole Rising stands out as the definitive Advance Wars experience. Its compelling blend of polished mechanics, colorful visuals, memorable characters, and robust multiplayer options makes it an essential purchase for fans of turn-based strategy. Whether you’re new to the series or returning for a nostalgic rematch, you’ll find countless reasons to recruit, deploy, and conquer once more.

Retro Replay Score

8.7/10