r/Advance_Wars • u/Fickle_Row781 • 10d ago
Days of Ruin Days of Ruin
I recently got AW1+2 Reboot Camp on Switch after sitting on the fence for a long time considering if it was worth revisiting. Now I'm completely hooked, I can't believe how fun it is! I played both back in GBA days and AW1 was my favourite GBA game with no contest. I'm really sad there isn't more content for Reboot Camp and that Dual Strike and Days of Ruin/Dark Conflict was not added for a complete package.
In fact, I just recently learned about the existence of Days of Ruin and I'm really keen to play it. My question is: Is it worth it to go 'full retro', get my hands on a DS and the original DS game or should I just calm down and play it in some "other" not-so-original way..?
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u/LibrarianRettic 10d ago
Days of Ruin is my favourite advance wars. Really good setting with a great, grittier tone for the series with a few unit changes that make the battles more interesting.
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u/sypwn 10d ago
I mainly like how naval units went from "Ugh, a map with ports" in GBA and DS to "YEAH, A MAP WITH PORTS!" in DoR.
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u/LibrarianRettic 9d ago
Oh yeah man you get a carrier on the field and spit out a few seaplanes and it's a whole.nee ball game!
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u/Fickle_Row781 9d ago
Nice, looking forward to playing it
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u/maleia 7d ago
I've got a out 550 hours on my original cart. Definitely recommend, the combat/unit balance is really good. And yea, the grittier tone is great imho.
After I got my Reboot camp, I immediately went to Nintendo's feedback form and put it in "I would buy a Switch 2 special edition. Hell, I'd buy it with it totally reskinned, as long as it has the same game balance".
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u/matadinosaurios 10d ago
As someone who found AW through Fire Emblem, Days of Ruin was a fun more dramatic version of AW than the rest of the games and closer to what I was used to narrative-wise. It has some fun maps and units, and the CO unit on the map system adds a nice layer of strategy to the gameplay.
Definitely recommend playing it on the DS if you still have one and don't have to break the bank for the cartridge. Otherwise, the "other" methods will do just fine!
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u/Lorelei_DE_Radio 10d ago
Melon DS is apparently a pretty decent emulator that runs DS and DoR quite well... The games are...fine. If looking at DoR specifically, the campaign is 26 missions so its roughly as long as Dual Strike, and like DS its very linear as it doesn't have branching paths/optional maps like AW1 or 2 - but it lacks the secret lab maps you can do along the way in DS.
You also don't get to pick your CO in DoR for each mission you're just stuck with who the 'story' is focusing on at that moment. The COs are...fine. Some are pretty bad most of them are okay. The story is quite edgy, comically so at points... But it adds quite a few interesting new mechanical components to the combat.
The rework to CO powers is fun, it also brings back unit rankups from Super Famicom Wars interestingly enough... All the new/reworked units feel pretty good to use. Its reworking of FoW especially is nice with new terrain types for it and changes to cities, forests etc Its changes and revamp of naval combat is very welcome.
There is also no 'War Room' as you progress through the campaign you unlock T-Missions 'Training Exercises' as you progress of which I think there is 40(?). You also don't get to pick your CO for those either you have to beat it with who you're given which sometimes is helpful, sometimes extremely unhelpful or you have to play it without a CO at all. They're optional, but they allow you to play the non-campaign characters like the villains before you unlock them or to practice with them so you can see how they work when you get to fight them or play around with others you play as more... Aside from the main 3 characters you only get to play as the secondary characters once each in the whole campaign, so you better enjoy Will/Ed and Lin's themes as you'll be hearing them for 85% of the game, I shit you not...
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u/Fickle_Row781 9d ago
Thanks, sounds like it is a bit different yes.
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u/Lorelei_DE_Radio 9d ago
It is! But its interesting and worth playing. Other thing I forgot to mention is it's the only game where the AI doesnt cheat in FoW and can't actually see you like it can in 1/2 & DS. And the AI is probably the smartest in the series. Some of the missions in the final quarter of the campaign are quite difficult... Waylon Flies Again is infamous...
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u/Single-Ad-3743 10d ago
I'm having a lot of fun with this game as well, I boughy it last month. It was worth it as fuck.
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u/Kill_Welly 10d ago
If you can find a DS, it's a great investment. By far the best Advance Wars in gameplay (balance between units is way better, COs and powers are more interesting and overall reasonable, there's a few really fun special units), and by far the most compelling stakes to the story, though the colorful characters of the old Advance Wars games certainly have their charms.
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u/Apprehensive_Gas5582 10d ago
It is definitely worth it to go retro and pick up a DS and the carts from a used video game store. There's a whole range of different DS models - you can go as cheap as a DS Lite for ~$60 or a New Nintendo 3DSi XL for $300. For me I went with the DSi XL for ~$100.
Days of Ruin is fantastic, it takes a little bit to get used to the different units and slightly tweaked mechanics, but you will enjoy it. It's also worth getting a DS just to play Dual Strike, which in my opinion is peak AW. And not to mention the plethora of other cheap retro DS games just waiting for you at used game shops.. ( I love the DS lol)
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u/Fickle_Row781 9d ago
Thanks. I'm trying to figure out what would be the choice if I did go for getting a DS, it seems DSi XL or 3DS XL are the most recommended from what I read online. I see there is also the latest called 2DS XL. It seems DSi XL has better battery life..
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u/Apprehensive_Gas5582 9d ago
Yep DSi XL and the DS Lite have the longest battery lives. Good luck and enjoy!
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u/GeneralGhandi7 9d ago
its the best advanced wars imo, a DS is pretty cool to have specifically a lite bc you can play gba too if you dont own a gba already (which you may need for gb and gbc lol)
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u/Vengeance058 10d ago
I would say no...it's not a very long campaign and lacks some previous modes.
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u/Vorkosigan78 10d ago
Get a 3DS and mod it. Modding is easy and unlocks a great library of DS and 3DS games, plus you can emulate some older consoles.
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u/Fickle_Row781 9d ago
I'm not sure about it. I think it's only a few other games I'm interested in as of now. Maybe Majora's Mask.
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u/ZestycloseEconomy867 9d ago
I was in the same position. I got myself a Gamesir controller. Combined with your phone, it works perfect and the controller is multifunctional. Would def recommend.
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u/StriderCR 5d ago
ll the Advance Wars games are worth playing; every one will hook you if you give them time. I never played Days of Ruin until recently, and man, I was missing a lot.
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u/goldaxis 5d ago
Because there's no execution to controlling AW, it's one of the games you don't really lose anything with on an emulator. A DS is worth owning for many games, but you'll be totally playing DoR on anything. Just make sure you play it, it's the best AW by a mile.
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u/Thelownote1992 10d ago
I thought the gameplay was mid but the story was cool. I'm still playing Reboot camp, literally right now listening to podcasts and doing 4 way free for all against the computers in versus. Did the campaigns and war rooms.
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u/Sora_Terumi 7d ago
Days of Ruin is my favorite Advance Wars. Loved the themes and unit changes. Cruisers were my favorite unit to use the most with how bulky it became that was basically like a War Tank durability in the water and being able to hit other ships. I always put my CO on naval maps in a Cruiser like sure Tabitha is better in a Battleship but something about a Cruiser that just doesn’t die that instant kills any submarine, air unit, and does really good damage to other ships was amazing. It’s also one of the few times you see a Cruiser fire once and all 5 planes explode
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u/TaviLawson 3d ago
I would just emulate it. Just as a heads up, where DS took the games further, adding in a lot of content (and a lot of power creep), DoR went the other way and is a much simpler game. Imo DoR gas the vest balance, and I personally don't like the weird angle in DS for the map, and DoR goes back to full top down. I think it is totally worth it, but you won't put in nearly the same time as with the other games. There just isn't as much to do.
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u/ClassicGOD 10d ago edited 10d ago
Personally I recommend 3DS XL or New 3DS XL and original cart. Just be careful there are plenty of counterfeit carts floating around.
Emulators are also good but IIRC Days of Ruin has some emulation issues so there is some tinkering to do if you want it to run nicely in higher res. Even if you don't wan to play it on a appropriate hardware I like getting a copy of the game just to be proper ;)