A beginner’s guide to Advance Wars

While the Fire Emblem series has been experiencing a renaissance, the same couldn’t be said for its longtime compatriot, Advance Wars. The other strategy franchise from Intelligent Systems has been dormant since 2008. Well… not anymore! And we’re psyched. But until Re-Boot Camp releases, digging back into those older titles is the way to go. Where should you start? Read on.

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A beginner’s guide to Fire Emblem

With its 30th anniversary, a lot of people have been talking about the long-running strategy franchise, and many are being introduced to what it has to offer. So where do you start if you want to get into the series? What’s the next step if you enjoy Three Houses or mobile hit Fire Emblem Heroes, and where do you go after that? We’re here to help you answer those questions.

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The troubled history of Famicom Wars

It’s weird to think of Advance Wars as some sort of series for importers. After all, we’ve seen the last four entries in the West, in some cases several years before they’re released in their original Japanese form. The last title, Days of Ruin, was released in the U.S. and Europe in 2008, after a breakneck localization process that saw completely different English names and conversations in the two regions. Japanese players could buy it… in October 2013. As a digital-only Club Nintendo reward. This is just the latest in the Famicom Wars franchise’s rocky, questionable release history, one sometimes affected by real-life conflict.

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Famicom Wars shows companies don’t need to mess with winning formulas

Nintendo and Intelligent Systems’ Wars series has always been one of the best turn-based strategic experiences you can enjoy on a Nintendo console or handheld. Here’s something that will blow your mind and appreciate the entries in the series that were localized even more. Famicom Wars, the very first installment, contains many of the same mechanics we enjoyed years later in Advance Wars. It’s a classic case of not messing with success.

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