GameTimeline

Release & story order

Advance Wars timeline

Advance Wars from the 2001 western GBA debut through Days of Ruin (2008)—US release dates, the Orange Star vs Black Hole CO saga through Dual Strike, and FAQ for the post-apocalyptic reboot branch, Re-Boot Camp, and Famicom Wars origins.

Updated July 2026

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Release order Story order

Release order

When Nintendo shipped each western chapter—Advance Wars (2001 GBA) through Days of Ruin (2008 DS). Re-Boot Camp (2023 Switch) and Battalion Wars are FAQ-only—not extra Release rows.

  • Classic saga → Story tab: AW1 → AW2 → Dual Strike
  • Newcomers → Re-Boot Camp (2023) remakes AW1+2—FAQ
  • Days of Ruin—optional reboot—different tone
  • Battalion Wars 3D spin-offs—FAQ only
Story order tips

Classic CO saga: Advance Wars → Advance Wars 2 → Dual Strike. Days of Ruin is a separate post-apocalyptic reboot on Release order only—not on Story rows with Andy and the Black Hole arc.

  • Core canon: Advance Wars → AW2 → Dual Strike
  • AW2 continues Black Hole Rising plot from AW1
  • Dual Strike merges CO rosters—play after AW2
  • Days of Ruin not on Story order—separate timeline

Timeline

When each game was released. Click a game for platforms, dates, and where it fits in your playthrough.

Release order

  1. Advance Wars

    Advance Wars

    GBAStrategyMainline

    Advance Wars (GBA) is Intelligent Systems' western debut of turn-based Orange Star tactics—cute CO powers, grid wars, and campaign maps. It is Fire Emblem's sibling studio in lighter clothes.

    Overview
    Commanding Officers with day-to-day powers made abstract wars characterful. Fog, labs, and factory races teach logistics without permadeath stress.
    In-game setting
    Story row one. Dual Strike and Days of Ruin continue later.
    Should you play it?
    Series start—Re-Boot Camp remake FAQ. Play before Black Hole Rising. Sibling vibe with Fire Emblem—different franchise.
    Release date
    US Game Boy Advance launch September 10, 2001 (Japan earlier as Game Boy Wars Advance 1+2 bundle context).
  2. Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising

    Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising

    GBAStrategyMainline

    Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising expands COs, units, and a multi-nation campaign against Black Hole. It is the GBA peak before Dual Strike goes dual-screen.

    Overview
    Super CO Powers and new unit toys deepen the rock-paper-scissors economy. Campaign difficulty spikes teach map control. Super CO Powers and new units spike map-control lessons.
    In-game setting
    Story row two before Dual Strike. Before Dual Strike's dual-screen leap.
    Should you play it?
    Play after AW1 on Story. Re-Boot Camp includes remastered AW1/AW2 campaigns—FAQ. After AW1; included conceptually in Re-Boot Camp—FAQ.
    Release date
    US Game Boy Advance launch June 24, 2003. GBA sequel cart.
  3. Advance Wars: Dual Strike

    Advance Wars: Dual Strike

    DSStrategyMainline

    Advance Wars: Dual Strike uses DS dual screens for dual-front battles and Tag CO mechanics. It is the handheld climax of the classic Wars tone before Days of Ruin darkens the mood.

    Overview
    Two-front maps and CO tagging exploit DS hardware while keeping grid logistics intact. Tag COs and dual fronts exploit DS hardware uniquely.
    In-game setting
    Story row three. Days of Ruin is a soft reboot tone shift—FAQ. Before Days of Ruin's tone reboot.
    Should you play it?
    Play after AW2 on Story. Still the last 'classic cheerful' mainline for many fans. Classic cheerful saga peak for many fans.
    Release date
    US Nintendo DS launch August 22, 2005. DS dual-screen campaigns.
  4. Advance Wars: Days of Ruin

    Advance Wars: Days of Ruin

    DSStrategyReboot

    Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (EU Dark Conflict) rebuilds the series with grimmer storytelling and refined dual-layer combat on DS. Standalone continuity from the Orange Star kids' tone.

    Overview
    Post-meteor setting, unit rebalances, and dual GO/CO command layers modernize Wars without classic CO gallery comfort. Dual-layer command and grimmer writing soft-reboot Wars.
    In-game setting
    Latest original mainline before Re-Boot Camp remaster era—FAQ. Last original before remaster era—FAQ.
    Should you play it?
    Release endpoint; optional on Story for tone. Play after Dual Strike if you want full DS history. Optional after Dual Strike if you want DS completeness.
    Release date
    US Nintendo DS launch January 21, 2008.

FAQ

Release vs story order, reboot branch, remakes, and spin-offs.

Release order

Release order follows US launch dates: Advance Wars (2001) → AW2 (2003) → Dual Strike (2005) → Days of Ruin (2008). Story order is the classic Black Hole saga: AW1 → AW2 → Dual Strike—excluding Days of Ruin, which is a separate post-apocalyptic reboot with a new cast.

Easiest: Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (2023 Switch) covers AW1 and AW2 with modern visuals—then play Dual Strike on DS if you want the Story finale. Full classic: GBA/DS originals in Release order. Days of Ruin anytime as a standalone reboot—different tone.

Story & canon

Days of Ruin (US) / Dark Conflict (EU) is a soft reboot—new world, COs, and mechanics without tag powers. It appears on Release order with a Reboot tag but not on Story order with Andy, Eagle, and the Dual Strike finale. Treat it as an optional side branch.

Remasters & ports

Re-Boot Camp (2023, Switch) remasters Advance Wars and Advance Wars 2—same stories, not separate Release or Story rows. Buy it instead of GBA hardware for the first two chapters in 2026. Does not include Dual Strike or Days of Ruin.

Optional & related

Famicom Wars (NES/SFC) and later Japan-only entries predated the Advance Wars western brand. Our timeline starts at the 2001 US GBA Advance Wars—earlier Japan titles are FAQ only, not Release rows.

More timelines

Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.