During a recent Nintendo “Developer Interview” with Intelligent Systems (the developers behind Fire Emblem: Awakening) the studio mentioned that they are interested in making a new Advance Wars strategy game for the 3DS.
Masahiro Higuchi, the project manager for Fire Emblem: Awakening, revealed the potential good news, saying:
“Well, whether it’s Fire Emblem or the Advance Wars, we never want to put an end to any series we’re involved with. We always want to make games that provide a lot of fun to gamers, so if we have the chance, we’d certainly like to make another [Advance Wars] title.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Higuchi revealed that there are no current plans to add a third round of downloadable content to Fire Emblem: Awakening (two DLC add-ons have been release for the game in Japan so far). While not a confirmation, this statement seems to indicate that the studio’s main staff does have some time on their hands to begin work on a new Advance Wars title.
The last game released in the popular turn-based strategy franchise was 2008’s Advance Wars: Days of Ruin for the Nintendo DS. Prior to that title, Intelligent Systems released Advance Wars: Dual Strike in 2005 (also for the DS) — which means that another entry in the series is long, long overdue.
Advance Wars is by far one of my favorite handheld franchises, and to this day I still bust out the old DS Lite on an almost daily basis for a little Days of Ruin skirmish. While the series has always maintained a lighthearted art style, it is also surprisingly deep and very well balanced. Every unit (whether land, sea, or air based) has its own strengths and weaknesses, which can result in very large and complex battles.
Here is hoping that all this new Advance Wars talk is more than just idle chit chat, and we get a new 3DS game announced soon. We will keep our eyes out for any further hints, and let you know as soon as anything turns up.
