Advance Wars
Average Customer Review:
Video Game (13 September, 2001)
list price: $29.99
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Editorial Review

You don't have to be MacArthur to recognize that Advance Wars isone of the best strategy war games for any console. The game pits four fictionalcity-states in a battle for territory. Your job as commanding officer is todefeat the enemies in turn-based combat over land, air, and sea. AdvanceWars has a stiff learning curve, but its interactive tutorials can turn thegreenest GI into agreat leader of pixelated men. AW also offers manymultiplayer options, including the ability to play against a friend by passingthe GBA back and forth. To extend the possibilities, you can also create newbattlefields and trade them with others. Despite cutesy visuals, this is a verydeep game that is also accessible. For GBA generals looking to flex theirtactical muscles or anyone looking for a simply great GBA game, look no further.--Mark Brooks

Pros:

• Clear and informative graphics
• Ideal interface for the tiny GBA screen
• Lots of multiplayer and customization options.

Cons:

• Misleadingly cute box art (this is not a game for tots!)

... Read more

Reviews (230)

Best turn-based strategy I've ever played
You take on the role of a Commanding Officer (CO) in a cartoony world at perpetual war with itself. Easy to get into, and deceptively deep. Advance Wars is strategy at its best. What makes it so special? First, the graphics are great. The animations are instant gratification when a well-timed attack turns the tide of battle, help you visualize battle results in several ways so you know exactly how your units are doing. Second, the options for multiplayer are excellent. Because the game is turn based, 4 players can play together even on only one system. Grab a friend, and enjoy the anticipation of having the system handed back to you and seeing your opponent smirk as you stumble into their trap (playing on seperate systems can be done, but isn't nearly as fun).

The most important facet of this game is depth. Fog of War (where parts of the map your units can't see are blacked out) makes for intensity- you're always trying to calculate what forest or hilltop might contain enemy units waiting for you. The basics of troop movements give way to incredible strategy (delay the enemy tank by sacrifing your troops, or retreat and lure the tank into range of your artillery?). Each CO is completely unique (Max has stronger tanks, but weaker artillery. Sami has tougher troops, but weaker vehicles) and thier individual powers add an extra level of depth to the process.

Advance Wars is an amazing game for singleplayer action. Add in a full-featured map creator, a ton of unlockable COs, and the wealth of options, and this is one of the best multiplayer games on the GameBoy. A must-have.

War Chess
This game is basically chess, with more units, you can move all of your units per turn, and you can create units.It is challenging, but it is very fun.Not to mention its a gameboy game, so you can play it anywhere :)

Another Review To The Other 190 Out Of 229!!!!
Like the REAL people out there said: awesome, thrilling, attractive, exiciting, strategic, "A two thumbs up!", "A never put down until your through!!!", "THE BEST!".

Bum, dum, dum, bum (drum beating for background music). "The best high firepower strategy game yet!!". ADVANCE WARS. Now being bought...SO BUY IT!!!!!

PS: And what boy would not think Sami is sexy?!?
... Read more

Asin: B00005MDZZ
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    3. GBA    4. Action    5. Adventure    6. Strategy (Strategic)   

Golden Sun
Average Customer Review:
Video Game (15 November, 2001)
list price: $29.99
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Editorial Review

Golden Sun is the first original role-playing game for the GameBoy Advance to appear in the U.S. And despite perhaps a too-familiar story line,Golden Sun's jaw-dropping graphics, deep magic system, and uniquemultiplayer arena mode truly show that the Game Boy Advance is capable of aserious RPG.

Game developer Camelot (which also made the legendary Shining Force series forthe Sega Genesis, and, more recently,Mario Golf andMario Tennis for theNintendo 64) designed Golden Sun from the ground up to take advantage ofthe GBA's horsepower, and it shows. Sharp, vivid landscapes, detailed towns anddungeons, and awesome weather effects--it looks like a Super Nintendo game withsome extra zing squeezed onto a handheld system. Fans of Secret of Manaor Chrono Trigger will appreciate the feel of this game.

But the game's greatest strength is its magic system. Your characters each havetheir own latent psychic abilities based on one of the four elements of alchemy(earth, water, wind, and fire). The characters will be called upon to use theirindividual forms of telepathy and telekinesis to solve various puzzles in thegame. Also, you can collect Djinn (elemental spirits) and link them to yourcharacters. Not only can these Djinn be summoned in battle, they can alsobolster or hinder your characters' latent psychic abilities, give them specialattacks, and even change your characters' class. This system is similar toFinal Fantasy VIII's guardian system, though far more intuitive and easyto master.

Golden Sun employs a basic turn-based battle system, but it has amazingspell and fighting techniques that really take advantage of the GBA'stechnology. The game achieves a nice balance between flashy attacks and thebrevity of these same attacks--a lesson the makers of other RPGs should learn.Battles are beautifully and quickly fought, and don't overtax the gamer.

The game also has an addictive arena mode in which players can fight monstersthey've already encountered in the game. Players can also link up with anotherGBA (this feature requires another Golden Sun cartridge) and fightagainst another party. While it's not true a multiplayer option, it adds a greatreplay value to the game.

Golden Sun's weakest point, however, is its standard-issue story. Inessence: boy wakes up amidst disaster, meets stalwart friends, and rises to thechallenge to save the day (all while living up to the image of his dear departedfather). The story is a little stale, but the mechanics of the game transcendthis flaw and bring the gamer into a state of handheld nirvana. --BryanKarsh

Pros:

• Vivid graphics
• Deep, intuitive magic system
• Addictive multiplayer arena mode

Cons:

• A plot straight out of "RPG Story Lines 101"

... Read more

Reviews (463)

Good...but too short
I know they're leaving room for a sequal, but I finished in about a week of real time, and I didn't play that much.Plus, since you're stuck in Lalivero after you beat the final battle, there's no replay value.Although it left me eagerly awaiting the second one, it also left me feeling a little cheated.However, overall, this is an awesome game.The storyline didn't bother me, because the number of sideplots the ever-altruistic Isaac and crew feel the need to indulge in kept things varied and fun.Overall, I highly recommend this game, but if you're getting it, buy Lost Age at the same time, or you'll be really mad when you finish.Me?I'm promising myself Lost Age as a reward after I finish Finals Week, and I'm counting the days.

Amazing game
This game is one of the best games I have ever played.

Music 4.5/5 pretty good music

Graphcs 5/5 amazing graphics the summons are awsome

GamePlay 5/5 very fun game

Overall 4.7/5

Overall

Any RPG loving GBA owner should buy this.
Created by a little know developer called Camelot (they made some Mario Golf and Mario Tennis games, as well as Shining Force before they joined Nintendo), Golden Sun is one of the GBA's more exceptional games.

Golden Sun has one major achievement it had for the GBA.It pushed the limits of the system in terms of graphics.While the visuals for wandering around seem rather easy for the system to create, the battles are a spectacular achievement.Even though the characters and enemies are shown as animated sprites.The sprites themselves are not much to write home about, but regardless they are quite convincing and suit the battle setup more than you might expect.The battle screen is sort of a "quasi-3D" setup.The background and sprites are 2D, but they are executed in such a manner that they look 3D.Not only that, battle effects, such as spells and simple attacks, add wonderfully to the setup.The only real problem I can see is that some spell effects slow down the framerates (how fast or smoothly it runs) noticably, but it's all handled so well that it doesn't even seem like a glitch, and out of sheer irony it adds to the effect of some of the spells.

The sound is a mixed bag.The music score part is excellent.Everything from the main menu music, to town themes, and the grand world map music is great both technically and melodically.If any songs do get on your nerves, they either won't last long or are done in such a way that you can tune them out while playing.Sound effects, however, are very standard.A lot of them are recycled so much that it's practically mind numbing.However, none of it seems completely out of place, and there isn't much that will hurt your ears, so that's something to be happy for.

The gameplay itself only has one real flaw in my opinion.The battles are too easy.With the exception of most of the boss battles, regular battles tend to be so easy that the thought of using the run option will never occur to you (they also go so quick that there's not really a time issue involved either).There's also an issue where, if you set all of your characters to attack one enemy and that enemy is destroyed, the characters that attack him later have their attack wasted.This really isn't too much of an issue, though, and Camelot was smart enough to make the character automatically defend if that should happen (which means damage to that character would be halved... though I think that only refers to physical damage).

The story has gotten a lot of bad press in my opinion.However, it should be noted that if you play this game, the story alone may persuade you to buy the next game, GS: The Lost Age (which is already out).While that's not particularly a bad thing, as the combination of the two stories is really awesome, just be aware of the extra expense that may cost for your wallet.Also, it should be noted that this game is a bit on the short side (roughly 20-25 hours), but that's still not much of an issue in my view (just so you know, the second game in the series is roughly 40-45 hours long, so that one is lengthier).

All in all, the game is quite fun.However, there are a few quirks that I mentioned above that may get on some people's nerves, so just know what you're getting into. ... Read more

Asin: B00005OARM
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    3. GBA    4. Role Playing Games (Game, RPG, RPGs, CRPG, CRPGs)    5. Strategy (Strategic)   

Mario Kart Advance
Average Customer Review:
Video Game (30 August, 2001)
list price: $34.99 -- our price: $28.95
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Nintendo's winning streak of rehashing and enhancing classic SuperNintendo games for the tiny GBA screen continues with this surprisinglyaddictive arcade racer. For those new to the Mario Kart game series, Nintendomascots (Mario, Donkey Kong, Luigi, etc.) race go-carts along fantastic tracksthat feature various offensive and defensive power-ups (banana peels andmushroom boosts, to name two). Accumulate enough points and you'll win circuittrophies.

Each mascot has a ride that handles and accelerates differently, yetthe controls for each racer feel very tight and precise. The highly detailed,cartoony locales of Mario Kart Super Circuit show visuals that are bothvery sharp and fluidly animated. Though not nearly as fast, Mario Kart SuperCircuit looks better and can be more intense than the vaunted F-Zerolaunch title.

If you perform well enough and collect enough coins in atournament, you can unlock a plethora of bonus tracks--some of which are fromolder console Mario Kart titles. The fun multiplayer options includehead-to-head racing and a balloon battle mode, in which you blast other racerswith power-ups in a huge arena until there's only one driver left. --MarkBrooks

Pros:

• Bright graphics that are both fast and fluid
• Multiplayer battle mode is loads of fun
• Many, many tracks!

Cons:

• May be too cute for some

... Read more

Features

• 20 all-new tracks.
• Fast-paced driving action.
• Pick from many characters out of the Nintendo World.
• Up to 4 players can race with the Link Cable.

Reviews (257)

Think before you spend your money!!
I really enjoyed this but its just 2 LITTLE KIDDISH! I really recommend this for kids under 7 who have great balance but not if you actually want to kill your opponets I mean all you can do to really hurt them is to shoot them with shells. But if you get this I totally recommend to use Yoshi or Toad.

...
So you like Mario? You like the Mario Kart games? You wish you could play Mario Kart while on the road? Here is your wish: Mario Kart Advance. What a great game this one is, with new levels, sharp graphics and sound, the same characters, and massive fun. Though it is more similar to the SNES version of Mario Kart, you can not complain about this game in any way. It is hard or easy depending on the speed you play it at, and this game is just a rush...

There is one flaw with this game though that stood out to me. Whoever the first 4 players to win the first round of the series of races, are the same 4 players that will be in the top 4 the rest of the series, UNLESS you play on 150 cc , or possibly 100 cc. That aside, this is a great game, nonetheless.

"Mario Kart" for the Game Boy Advance
The game is very simple.You choose which mode you want to play, with your options being one-player, multi-player, and something called a "Ghost Exchange" that I've never tried but would guess is similar to the "Pok'emon Crystal Version" thing where you can press yours and your friend's Game Boys together and each get a gift from each other.In one-player mode, you can choose from the mode where you race the computer, a mode where you race yourself to see how fast you can get your time, and a mode that I believe is the older set-up of "Mario Kart" (without the coins and points).Then you choose the level of diffuculty, and pick your character (Mario, Luigi, Peach, and you know the rest.)Afterwards, you battle it out on interesting, colorful tracks, trying to rank high and (except in the timed mode) win a trophy.Like I said, it's simple, but it's also very addicting, and the graphics are fantastic! ... Read more

Asin: B00005MDZY
Subjects:  1. Jet (Jets)    2. Sports (Sport)    3. Outdoors (Out Doors)    4. Racing    5. Flying    6. Video Games    7. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    8. GBA    9. Racing (Race, Races)    10. Flying (Fly)    11. Car (Cars)    12. Auto (Autos)    13. Plane (Planes)   

Hexcite
Average Customer Review:
Game Cartridge (24 September, 1999)
list price: $29.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (11)

challenging
This is a fun but mind stimulating game that makes you think about how you can outwit your opponent even if its the computer!!My children and I like to take it with us everywhere.

A throwback--a clever but simple strategy game
If you can pick this up cheap, and you have either a Game Boy Advance or Gameboy Color, get it.Its a fairly clever puzzle game similar to those tile puzzles many of us had as kids where you had to drop geometric shapes into a frame.Certain shapes block other shapes from being dropped, and points are awarded for filling spaces and deducted for left over tiles.The computer opponent is hard (perhaps too hard... which is why I only gave 4 stars) and occasionally takes too long to move. But the game is fun, and yet elegantly simple, at the same time.

Best strategy game ever
I got this as a present last Christmas, it's a game I'd never heard of.I was instantly addicted.I especially enjoy the Level Game play, where it records your progress and gradually makes the game harder.You can customize your play - how many rounds per game, whether you want to use the timer, etc.The only thing that is aggravating is that when playing against the computer sometimes the computer takes a long time to decide on a move if you don't use the timer.Anyone who likes strategy games such as tetris has to try this one.I enjoy tetris too, but this is even better. ... Read more

Asin: B00002970F
Sales Rank: 11117
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Board Games    3. Strategy Games    4. Nintendo Game Boy (Gameboy)    5. Strategy (Strategic)    6. Classics (Classic)    7. Puzzle