Battalion Wars [GC]

To this day, turn-based strategy war game Advance Wars remains one of the best handheld titles available. The game features easy play mechanics, quirky visuals, endless replay value, and deep, tactical combat. Although upcoming GameCube release Advance Wars: Under Fire is being developed by a different studio and jarringly shifts things to 3D, real-time action, the game looks solid and has retained that peculiar, cartoony-military feel that made the original so endearing.

There's a bit of the strategic PC remake of BattleZone here, a bit of Command &Conquer: Renegade... and believe it or not, a bit of Pikmin, too. Players still have a commander's-eye view of the battlefield, but can collectively order groups of units in a Pikmin style. The difference is that players can also assume direct, zoomed-in control of any individual unit.

Betty of the Orange Star Army -- a favorite military advisor from the Game Boy Advance titles -- will give live-feed intel to whichever tank, soldier, or other unit currently under direct control, while all other units will continue with the orders they've already been given. Should your active unit-of-the-moment be unexpectedly smoked, game control will revert to another live combatant elsewhere on the battlefield.

The units we've seen include all the expected armor and infantry types (regular and mechanized infantry, plus a cool new flame-thrower trooper), as well as new and classic air units. We've also spotted transport and combat copters from the handheld games, and Under Fire will apparently feature some new air units, including jumpjet-style craft for the good guys and zeppelins for the baddies.

We don't have confirmation on various naval units yet, but it's reasonable to assume they'll be present because so much of the original's adversarial structure is intact (the effectiveness of mech-infantry versus tanks, anti-air versus aircraft, etc.) Plus, despite only playing one complete mission, we noticed that there are definitely bodies of water to be patrolled.

In addition, Under Fire promises semi-destructible terrain, which is never a bad thing. Its effect on gameplay hasn't been announced, but it's a nice touch nevertheless.

The game has the same lighthearted, borderline goofy visual tone, making it suitable for all audiences. There's at least one mission where you'll rescue prisoners-of-war from the Xylvanians -- but what exactly constitutes a "war crime" in the colorful Advance Wars universe? Serving sushi without enough soy sauce? The mind reels in horror.

One cool aspect -- surprisingly missing from the Game Boy titles -- is a "veteran" system for units that see combat and live to tell the tale. These units acquire higher ranks and skills, which will give players impetus to pick their fights and preserve their best troops.

Kuju has done its homework, and knows the level of loyal-gamer fanaticism they're up against if they hope to reprise the success of Advance Wars. Despite the developer's unusual take, Under Fire is looking good, and lets fans explore an old favorite from a new, you-are-there viewpoint.

Advance Wars: Under Fire is slated to ship in 2005, so we'll have the battlefield under constant surveillance. Stay tuned to this frequency for updates.