Game Boy Advance · Strategy
Advance Wars
Certified classic
| System | Game Boy Advance |
|---|---|
| Released | 2001 |
| Genre | Strategy |
| Developer | Intelligent Games |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Players | 1–4 players |
| Commitment | Weekend project (Roughly 6–20 hours) |
| Series | Advance Wars |
| ESRB | E |
| Legacy | Certified classic · legacy score 19 |
Advance Wars is a strategy game released in 2001 for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Intelligent Games and published by Nintendo.
It belongs to the GBA's earliest wave of games. Other notable GBA releases from 2001 include Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Sonic Advance and Wario Land 4. Among the 22 GBA strategy games in our database, it ranks #1 by legacy score.
It is part of the Advance Wars series; on the GBA you can also try Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising. The series also appears on other systems with Advance Wars: Dual Strike (DS) and Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (DS).
Advance Wars supports up to 4 players, whether that means taking turns or going head-to-head.
Pick it if…
- you want to think and plan
- you have time for a weekend project (roughly 6–20 hours)
- you have a friend to play against
- you want to experience one of the GBA's defining games
Maybe skip it if…
- you want quick action without planning ahead
What playing Advance Wars is like
Strategy games reward planning over reflexes: command armies, manage resources and outthink opponents on turn-based or real-time battlefields.
Tip for newcomers: Read the manual or tutorial if one exists: retro strategy games often assume you know their rules. Save between missions.
Advance Wars cheats & codes
58 codes on file (Code Breaker). Here are a few Code Breaker codes to start with:
| Always Day 1 | 33004420
0001 |
|---|---|
| Infinite Coins | 8201227C
FFFF |
| P1 Infinite CO Power | 8201ABBC
FFFF |
| P1 No CO Power | 8201ABBC
0000 |
| P2 Infinite CO Power | 8201AC24
FFFF |
| P2 No CO Power | 8201AC24
0000 |
Advance Wars walkthroughs & guides
Stuck, or want to go deeper? These trusted sites have full walkthroughs, completion times and more for Advance Wars.
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Playing GBA games today
The GBA is one of the best-value retro libraries around, with deep RPGs and tactics games that suit portable play. A growing selection is on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, and Rec0m88 supports GBA if you own the games.
Advance Wars FAQ
When did Advance Wars come out on the GBA?
Advance Wars was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2001.
Who made Advance Wars?
It was developed by Intelligent Games and published by Nintendo.
Is Advance Wars multiplayer?
Yes. Advance Wars supports up to 4 players.
How long does Advance Wars take to play?
As a strategy game, Advance Wars typically falls into the "Weekend project" category: roughly 6–20 hours. Your time will vary with skill and how much you explore.
Read more about Advance Wars on Wikipedia. Facts on this page are compiled from the open libretro database and Wikidata; "legacy score" reflects how widely a game is documented across Wikipedia's language editions. Spotted an error? Let us know.