It’s called Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp and it gives the strategy game by Intelligent Systems a more modernized look. It’s out on 12/3 this year for the Nintendo Switch.
Per the announcement, this remake will package the first game and the Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising campaign into one game. Curiously, the landscape still retains the sprite aesthetic from the originals, but the characters themselves have 3D graphics. I’m not sure that it looks very good on the overworld, but that’s a matter of taste.
The animations when units take action, however, do have plenty of charm to them. Apparently this has been remade “from the ground up.” I wish this were a new game in the series, but I’m also just glad that Nintendo hasn’t completely left the series behind. Perhaps if this re-release does well, we’ll get a new entry in the franchise?
The first Advance Wars game was released for the Game Boy Advance way back in 2001, and the sequel came out in 2003. Then, there was a Nintendo DS entry called Advance Wars: Dual Strike out in 2005, along with 2008's Advance Wars: Days of Ruin. This isn’t counting the many titles released for Japan, including the pre-GBA Famicom Wars games. All of which is to say, the franchise is certainly storied, but up until now, it almost seemed dead.
While others have tried to pick up the mantle with other series, nobody has quite done the idea justice in the way Nintendo has. By 2021, I wouldn’t have blamed the average Advance Wars fan for losing hope on the series—which is why this remaster is such a nice surprise at E3. Sure, it’s not as splashy as Breath of the Wild 2, but it feels good to know that Nintendo still cares about its old franchises.
Which also means that this will introduce plenty of new people to the series as well. If that’s you, perhaps this game description will pique your interest:
Command an army in strategic, turn-based combat as a tactical advisor for the Orange Star Army. Your expertise is needed as you move land, air and naval units across the battlefield and unleash powerful CO abilities to turn the tide of battle. Take down enemy squads and capture towns and bases to secure victory and keep the peace. Keep an eye on the game-changing terrain and weather as you lead units across two campaigns.
Ah, already feeling the urge to dig out my GBA.