Next Advance Wars

Mmmm. They\'re taking Advance Wars from GBA and onto Gamecube.  Along the way it\'ll become a real-time 3D strategy game.

That\'s a departure from the 2D, overhead, turn-based style of the GBA games, but it\'s also the kind of change the series needs, in my opinion.

Advance Wars hits Nintendo GameCube, where the award-winning turn-based masterpiece transforms into a real-time, 3-D strategic-action game! Take command of the field of war, breaking your forces into fast-moving squads and charging into battle. Lead the charge atop an armored tank, or race into battle with your best soldiers at your side!

Military strategy makes the move to real time! Command your forces in the heat of battle, but remember, your enemy won\'t wait to make his move!

Take command of a squad of soldiers who follow your every move. Guide them into the action and direct them to attack on your command! As your soldiers gain combat experience, they\'ll receive promotions, increasing their abilities on the battlefield!

Lead your soldiers well -- take your heavy gunners against armor units or guide your infantry into a firefight. You can even lead your men into battle riding tall in a tank or flying over the battlefield in your own gunship!

Game Storyline: Advance Wars makes its way from the Game Boy® Advance to Nintendo GameCube, where the turn-based strategy favorite transforms into a fast-paced, 3-D, real-time combat action game. Players take to the battlefield with dozens of soldiers, breaking them into small squads and directing them into the fray. While you can only command a small number of soldiers at a time, the ones not under your direct control don\'t just stand at ease -- they\'ll respond to enemy attacks and protect any areas to which they\'ve been deployed. Give the orders, and your soldiers will follow behind you wherever you lead or attack the targets you select.

Characters: "Betty," who gives you mission briefings, information and objective updates as you are playing. Flamethrower units, heavy gunners, infantry and other specialized soldiers. Other characters are still in development.

How to progress through the game: Each mission will be built around a series of goals the player must fight to complete. There will also be sub- objectives in each mission. Players take command of different soldiers within their forces and use those soldiers to lead squads into action. Players can change the unit they control whenever they want in order to deploy separate squads or race into the fray alone.

Special powers/weapons/moves/features: Players can command various vehicles, including tanks, helicopters and gunships. Soldiers who survive a mission gain experience and can be promoted over time, learning new abilities in the process. Promoted units might be stronger, more durable or more heavily armed than the standard units.

-Dan

And just when I was thinking about getting the ro^H^H gba to play advance wars.  I favor the turn-based when it comes to console games.  I don\'t how the heck I could play rts w/o my hotkeys and keyboard.

It\'s not exactly an RTS moreso as it is an action game.  I would describe it moreso as Pikmin with guns, tanks, and airplanes.  I have a feeling that because it\'s named Advanced Wars, a lot of people will be turned off from this title, but I have a feeling it will be one of the more quirky and fun Nintendo games coming in the next few months.