This moment, along with Kanbei saving the cities that had no tactical advantage, made me like the character of Olaf and Kanbei so much more. They had both gone from goofy antagonists to character with personality.
only a simbolic one and simbolic objectives are under the right condition much more valuable then any tactical ones there is. think the battle of verdun for example the french army was planing on abandoning the area anyway due to the lack of tactical/ strategic value then the german army attacked there playing on the simbolic value of the place in a delibrate move to try and bleed the french army white by trying to take enough of the ground early on and just hold it from repeating french counter attacks etc. the plan worked early on but failed by the end of it due to massive losses on the german side etc. think of it like that.
@@TheManofthecross sun tzu said that a leader must command the moral authority. That is what having the moral authority means. Gritt also displays it when he admits that while he doesn't care for geopolitics he objects to the brutal occupation that black hole army engaged in.
@@Aman123ace while that may have points as needed when dealing with a foe that will with out hesitation weaponize morals against you, one has to be ready to deny them that card by any means necessary. In the case of gritt he has to be ready for when black hole goes for weaponizing morals against him or anyone else he has to be ready to deny black hole etc that card by any means necessary.
Besides the impact on Olaf, I also like this mission because it looks like Lash just went into the game's level editor and went crazy. Also, you could actually make out the town square, in the lower left portion of the map.
I also think that Toy Box is the mission where you find the location of the Neo Tank Mission for Blue Moon as well. Who's commander is also Lash. So you can figure she was testing out Neo Tanks on Olaf's home town, and then you chase her down to get them yourself.
It also adds to the whole “its just a game to her” angle as while the other maps are presumably left behind on accident, lash says she hid it there on purpose just to make things more interesting
At least Dual Strike acknowledges this event by giving Olaf and Lash the second lowest dual strike bonus(penalty in this case) of 80%, though its undermined by the fact that the lowest score goes to Rachel and Koal at 65% all cause he called her ugly or whatever. I guess having your looks insulted > having your hometown destroyed and potentially the lost of some or all of your loved ones in terms of devastation.
The nicest way I can spin this is that Rachel and Koal are both being overly petulant about it, while Olaf is doing his best to put that aside to get the job done, despite his personal feelings. Lash would have a harder time doing that, except that for her it was never personal to begin with.
@@riluna3695 I really do think it's this. Olaf, for being the hothead he might be, is now the leader of Blue Moon. And he loves his country, and doing what's best for it. Lash's defection to the Allied Forces is, ironically, a boon to them and thus Blue Moon. I think Olaf would accept this as a reality as a professional, as the leader of a country, and understanding the circumstances. But personally, as an individual, he'd never forgive Lash for what happened. He'd hate it. But he'd work through it with gritted teeth. And I think I disagree with the idea that hot-headed Olaf would ever side with Black Hole for the Allied Forces taking in Lash. Olaf knows keenly what Black Hole is capable of, and Lash was not the only snake in a den of vipers.
Y'know, when I played this mission as a kid, It left an impression on me, and I couldn't quite put it into words. For some reason, I felt exhausted, and just worn out, despite winning a pretty fun fight. I think you put that reason into words, Mangs. Seeing this bumbling man who grew from his failures into a respected warrior crumble and lose everything he knew... It made me feel hollow. A hollow victory. What good is power if you've got nothing left to protect?
maybe if the 'clone' had reacted to lash/hawke being on the allied nation's side, then that would give the story more relevance, as a sort of 'what if' scenario, sure the clone worked for black hole during the campaign but imagine if it reacted to lash, saying something about how he wants revenge for what she did to his hometown, and how he never forgave her It would give credence and show that the 'real' Olaf might just be that hotheaded to switch sides if he ever learned the truth, it also would give a reason for why Olaf doesn't come, how could he 'possibly' work alongside lash of all characters, the girl who turned his hometown into a jumbled mess that didn't look like his hometown? Obviously his more calmer side would prevail and so instead would send Grit, someone who is more tempered and can look at the bigger picture to help, because while he'd help he would never be at his 'best' if he had to work alongside her. He knows the Allied Forces can't splinter and fight among themselves, hense why he never shows up to help, but his 'clone' already working for Black Hole would take great pleasure in attacking them specifically to target Lash. Maybe even have it as like a requirement htat 1 of the COs has to be Lash, and the clone specifically targets 'her' forces while he's in charge, and the only reason the black hole units attack the others is when he's not in charge.... man why didn't they use this storyline it makes so much more sense and lets them keep the best of both worlds 'and' include an easteregg that savy players will spot if they pay attention...
I think the reason why they went with a clone Olaf attacking was to avoid confusion. A clone is a lot easier to explain then a revenge plot that would have taken 2 games to finish. If toy box and that chapter happened in the same game I'm very sure they would have made Olaf attack for revenge.
Hi Mangs, I'm sort of a quiet fan of your content. This means, that I tried to watch all your content, if possible. As with a lot of other people, you helped me through very hard times. Because of you, I was able to smile at times, were I would probably rather cry. You being back means the world to me. That is, why I am writing this comment. In the last month, I actually had huge problems watching something different than your videos, so I just decided, to watch most of your Ironmans again and I definitely didn't regret that. Long story short: because of you, Fire emblem is (together with Zelda) my favorite game - franchise and the only thing, I enjoy more than playing those games, is watching a Mangs-video. Thank you so much for all your hard work!!!! By the way, the Advance wars video is great. Glad your back and I hope you stay.
Y'know, I'm not the most avid fan but I really felt a huge egg-shaped emptiness when he announced he'd stop. I'm so glad he came back, to me it felt quite like a friend had died or something close...
I love how each gaming TH-camr has their favorite series. You can tell which ones they're incredibly fond of. This is my first Advance Wars video of Mangs, but I appreciate the love Mangs has invested in its story and characters. Especially since many gamers only care about graphics and gameplay.
There is one carry over between Olaf and Lash, between the 2nd and 3rd games. Some CCs, when you partner them together, get negative bonuses. Having Olaf and Lash on the same team is a bad idea, since they are one of the few pairs that get a negative bonus.
So I'm curious, what actually was found in Olaf's hometown? I know the idea is the obvious, well nothing because the hometown is destroyed. But I wonder if it could also be more metaphorical. Olaf's drive, his humanity, his conviction to fight an enemy that was mostly a Orange Star problem until then. However you could say, hatred, fury, a grudge that would be nursed until Olaf's death. A lot of cool ideas all from a simple question.
Only thing i miss in aw2 is flash animations of the characters when they seen his troops fighting , i dont know why they cut that in the final version of the game.
Hector is probably talking about the little animations in the first game where a CO is reacting to a battle primarily the win and lose animation (like Max laughing with a win and wipeing under his nose for a lose if i remember right
Well, this is exactly why Advance Wars turned into something much darker with Dark Conflict. (BTW Dark Conflict was really good as long as you kept your nostalgia for kids-friendly wars aside)
@@Tr0lliPop The American and European translations of the game were done independently; hence why each one has a different subtitle (the Japanese title is "Famicom Wars DS: Lost Light"). The American translation is MUCH better; Days of Ruin gives the COs a lot of personality and character, while Dark Conflict has a much flatter script that just does the bare minimum to advance the plot.
I'm a elementary school teacher... I USE many elements en the Advance Wars series (characters, nations, story) to teach my students valuable life lessons. Been doing it for 17 years, TILL NOW.
i never thought about the "what if those weren't clones" but you now made me WANT to see a scenario like this. i'm just honestly glad to see something again, it feels like a dream come true, i always thought toybox was a good example of gameplay and story lining up because it looks completely messed up and unnatural, which leaves your imagination to fill in the blanks as to what exactly happened, which imagination can be better than the real thing in certain cases.
@@carlphilippgaebler5704 Sturm bribed Andy with new tools to work for him and put a clone in his original position so that orange star didn't suspect a thing. I like it. :D
i would have split the difference and had the clone not realize it was a clone, and those be the motivations they had programmed into it to make it turn on its "allies". They do have that really unsettling moment where the Andy clone has the existential crisis, knows it's dying, but gets some comfort in knowing the real Andy has people who love him (which is honestly my favorite part of the entire series, and one of my all-time favorite moments in a video game period), so having all the clones be capable of morality and thus having to be programmed in a way to make them actually want to fight their former allies would be cool.
I have a similar story, of a huge missed opportunity in the series. In game 2, "A Mirror Darkly", Lash meets Sonja for the first time, and gets soundly defeated by superior strategy. For someone who prizes her intellect, it's a serious blow, but she gets off one parting shot by scaring the hell out of Sonja before she leaves. "You enjoy war like a good game of chess." It's very clear from Sonja's reaction that she cannot easily deny it, and that the thought that she may be so similar to Lash disturbs her. ....And that's it. It's never mentioned again, not even once you start pairing the two together in Tag Battles in the next game. I didn't notice much at the time, but in hindsight it really bothered me. I would idly play around with the concept in my head when I was bored, wondering where it could potentially go. And once I developed my passion for writing, it gained new life as an entire story, exploring the psychological warfare between them more than the literal kind. And then the concept absolutely exploded after one specific thought: What if Sonja lost? If everything went south, and she came to embrace that love of war that she's been so desperately repressing, what happens then? And that was the moment the story gave rise to an entire game. Dubbed "Advance Wars: Supernova", it features the rise of a new group, created and run by Sonja and Lash, serving as antagonists to the Allied Nations. It's the same basic concept you wished for in the clone Olaf, seeing how the group responds to one of their own having switched sides. It also features some COs of my own creation to fill out the new group's roster, as well as a couple new concepts here and there. It's only a shame that I lack any creative skill besides writing stories and dialogue, and so am completely incapable of executing my own concept. But it's great fun to think about and to discuss with others, if nothing else.
@@92nicu17 I'm flattered you're interested! I don't have any official sources I can link you to, but I'd still be happy to talk about it if there were a good way to do so. Somehow this doesn't feel like the right place, but I have no better ideas D:
You could just make some google docs and make them accesable. From personal experience I can tell you: Nearly no one executes their owk concepts alone. Find others to cover your weaknesses.
I'm not a frequent commenter, but I wanted to say that I recently lost my dog, and watching your old videos has really helped me. I'm glad you're back, and don't let anyone stop you from making great content.
Same here. I was always under the impression that advance wars was just FE without actual characters or a proper story (which is what drew me to FE in the first place) just a a bunch of faceless wars. Will have to give it a go sometime soon.
Clones kinda run the same risk of lazy storytelling as “just a dream” scenarios or time travel, imo. When used well, they can be a phenomenal way to explore a character in a different context. But Dual Strike, and arguably AW1, use it a bit as a cop out for mistaken identity, since the clones don’t seem to be used as characters as much as plot events.
My favorite moment in Advance Wars 2: Blackhole Rising was the mission Tanks!!!. It's where Adder tries to attack Blue Moon Land under guard by Grit. At first, Adder elaborated to him that he didn't seem to care if Black Hole decides to capture the territory or not since he thought it was a waste of time and doesn't care who he works for. Adder even tried to recruit Grit to Black Hole, but of course he mucked it up by mentioning that he used his army of tanks to destroy and terrorize the citizens on during his trip here. As soon as Grit heard that, he was actually angry at what he just said that he doesn't care who captures who's territory, but hurting innocent people who having nothing to do with the war is crossing the line. And then, he says one of my favorite lines: "You, Adder, are now my number-one enemy". This moment cemented Grit as not only my favorite character gameplay-wise, but also story-wise.
My favorite moments of the entirety of Advance Wars 2 are #1The fortress in the Sea: The moment Eagle has with his troops is one of my favorites and it is uniquely tragic to lose units in a pre-deployed map when the CO even considers retreating for their safety. It was the first map that made me want to make sure as little harm came to my units as possible. #2 Kanbei's city rescue: It's very straightforward, but the fact that you're doing it for the people who desperately need your help is all the motivation I could ask for. # 3 Tanks!?!: Grit going from sympathetic to dead serious, is something I will never forget, and it's the "why" he turns serious that makes it one of my favorite moments. He doesn't want to fight, he doesn't care about the lands, but he cannot in good conscience allow them to go unchallenged when they subjugate his people and destroy their livelihoods
I agree--a missed story opportunity in Dual Strike. But Dual Strike does at least acknowledge Olaf and Lash's past with their Tag Power being less effective than other CO pairings.
Mangs, I'm one of the quiet fans. I've discovered you through your playthrough of FE6, you made me laugh, made me want to play this game. I've always loved the way you play and I spent a lot of hours watching your videos. Advance Wars and Fire Emblem are some of my favorite games and it's always a pleasure seeing you playing these games too. Sometimes, when life hit hard, watching your videos helped me getting through. I needed help too, and you were part of it. I understand these times are hard for you but there's a lot of people behind you, I'm one of them. I'm glad you're back and that you're getting the help you need. Take care and keep up the good work !!
Before I start the video, this put a big smile on my face when I saw the notification damn, that would be such a badass plot twist, I'd be absolutely fine if IS decided to remake AWDS with this in mind. also, side note, Lash is the only CO who doesn't have a clone skin variant. It's funny to think Lash cloned everyone and started a war with herself.
My favorite moment in Advance Wars is at the beginning of the Tanks!! Map. We know Grit could change the Nations he works for in the first game. And in the second, he suggests to surrender before a fight start. He doesn't care for Nations, nor territories. As he said it on the Spanish translation: "For me, everyone would get together and have a BBQ." But the moment he hear about Adder and Black Hole destroying cities like nothing, he declares Adder to be his one-biggest enemy, and just destroy a ton of Medium Tanks like nothing.
Thank you mangs, ngl because of this vid now im really interested in advance wars and i started to watch your other playthrough and it looks super fun. Thank you
wow not only an AW2 video on your return but you knocked it out of the park presenting it like a story with editing. I remember you playing AW2 years ago and talking about this part in the story. Seeing an actual minidocumentary on such a small but cool thing was great.
Loving the new AW content. This mission in particular added a sentimental tone to the Blue Moon theme. Hearing that theme fade in as Olaf is reminiscing about his hometown really made the scene shine.
Holy shit, almost shed a tear when Olaf was reminiscing about his home town. Never played advance wars but man, I love Olaf already. Gotta try the game out some day
The wounds and scars may never heal, but there is value in separating art from the artist. I missed your energy, commentary and heck, even your brand of storytelling intrigued me even though I'm not an Advance Wars fans. Thank you Mangs, for your perseverance and decision to care for your audience. You may never find forgiveness for your actions and any apology you make will likely get torn to shreds, but at least you made the effort to try. May your continued career be fruitful
Heck yeah! Now I'm excite. I am so glad you're back to making content. You sound so much happier when you're doing so, and I think it makes us all feel great. Thank you!
A way that dual strike could have done something for olaf similar to Andy as during the Andy clone mission at the end, before the clone faded away, there was a kind of heartfelt moment in the conversation with clone Andy and the orange star COs. Something similar definitely could've been done for olaf and lash since the clones likely still held the feelings of the originals and that'd also keep the cloning shenanigans black hole loves so much
I love these videos where you explain a character and their story, or at least an interesting part of their story. They always have this feeling similar to a documentary, just makes me want to learn more. Glad you're back mangs.
Is Cyan back under your employment, or are these leftover graphics? Just curious, I know Cyan was looking for a job so I dunno if he's back under your employment or not.
I have a headcanon that isn't contradicted by anything in the games. I say Orange Star is undergoing a decolonization period, much like the British Empire. Olaf's hometown was in the region that became Blue Moon so he betrayed Orange Star (it's clear he and Nell aren't on the best of terms and he didn't leave on a high note). Notice that no one explicitly talks about any of the nations having a long history or tradition, so some of them could be new. You might say the HQ building of Orange Star looks like the Empire State building while Blue Moon's looks like a cathedral from Russia (well that architecture is also seen in Estonia, Armenia, and some were even in Germany pre WW2 before they became rubble), so you could say Orange Star and Blue Moon could have never been part of the same country, but it could be in universe the area that would become Blue Moon just had different architectural styles, just as the British Empire didn't all have European style buildings.
That's an interesting headcanon. I myself suspect more of a warring kingdoms state of affairs, where China (or Macroland, IIRC) have broken down into smaller states. That's why we have detailed heraldry for their alliance, the COs know each other, their units are all roughly the same, etc. It's of course completely headcanon too.
Wow...didnt think Id miss seeing one of your videos that much...its really nice to see youre back. I dont usually watch advance wars videos but today Ill make an exception ^^
This gives me Super Eyepatch Wolf vibes, which is definitely a good thing. I would love to see more character analysis videos like this done for Fire Emblem.
Hi mangs! I've been watching your content for a year now and well, I lost my grandma at the start of this year. I lived my whole life with that amazing lady and when she passed, I was devastated, I felt defeated but your content and specially your streams always put a smile on my face and made (and still makes) everything bearable. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I wish you the best and I'll follow you until the end.
great to have you back man. Don't let anyone stop you- look at the past a lesson- I rather see you for who you are to me in the present then what you were in the past. Anything can change! that being said you mention youtube as the primary platform moving forward- Do you see yourself doing livestreams of FEH new hero showcase etc. and all that jazz some point down the road? but tbh I just miss seeing your daily uploads lol.
Blue Moon is my favorite nation of Advance Wars, precisely because of the contrast between its CO. Good video, I think it's funny that the first time I found this mission funny, because I thought it was some joke with the map editor, but now that i'm replaying I understood what really happened there.
1:02 Can you imagine the feeling of sacrificing a unit? In real life? And yes! You're back! 3:50 Yeah. Olaf with his arrogance(?), Grit with his lazyness and Colin with his hand firmly stuck in a salute position.
Olaf is the boy, we must protect the boy. Also, got back into advance wars because of your deathless playthrough. Can't wait to legally play advance wars 1 and 2.
Despite all the drama and bad events that have happened over the past few months, I'm glad to have you back mangs. Seeing a new video from you fills me with a feeling of peace, like everything's gonna be okay again. Just a daily reminder that you can do anything to improve upon yourself and that improvement is a constant process. Don't stop just because you've gotten this far. I've missed you.
Lash and Olaf have a higher team bonus than Rachel and koal. Lmao. Destroy a guy's town? No problem. You can even have coffee together later! Call a lady a cheerleader? She will stab you in your sleep!
I'm not typically good with comments, but this has to be said; I'm so glad you're back. Not just because of the Advance Wars niche that you fill, but you have a certain wit and charm about how you present your content. This video was a wonderful surprise, and I look forward to seeing more. Welcome back, Mangs.
I am so happy that you are making content again! :) I also liked Olaf a lot while playing Advance Wars. It is good to be based and stand for your country and most importantly - your people.
Infortunately i cannot say deep words or how i missed you, because i just happened to stumble into your channel some weeks ago. :p (Once more, i think? I remember a Memed Up version of Sacred Stones with your commentary...) But i am a firm believer that committing something criminal shouldn't be the end of a person's life. You are atoning for what you did wrong, and you recognized that what you did was wrong. For this, you have my very unimportant approval. And also a subscription. :p
Man, the first time i played that mission in AW2 i didn't feel much, but i'm replaying the game again and played the mission again and... Man, that scene with an olaf totally crushed and with the blue moon ost... That destroyed me
Welcome back Mangs. I really, really hope you are doing nicely. I'm glad to see you back and working towards becoming better. And thank you for sharing your experiences and feelings on this gaming moment.
Now this is something I didn't expect. It's so nice seeing you again! I was just playing advance wars duel strike but this is the cherry on top! Glad you are back!
Man, can you imagine if a they had the tech to make it look like a map was a 3V1, with you controling Olaf, Lash, and another CO going into the fight, only for you to strangely not be able to actually control Olaf, with his turn being controlled by the AI, right up until his super power was fully charged and he unleashed it, damaging all your units, immediately followed by him going into an all out attack against Lash's base, and turning it into a three way battle as Olaf continues to fight the existing Blackhole enemy, while also trying to mow you down as well? That would have been absolutely sick.
This moment, along with Kanbei saving the cities that had no tactical advantage, made me like the character of Olaf and Kanbei so much more. They had both gone from goofy antagonists to character with personality.
only a simbolic one and simbolic objectives are under the right condition much more valuable then any tactical ones there is. think the battle of verdun for example the french army was planing on abandoning the area anyway due to the lack of tactical/ strategic value then the german army attacked there playing on the simbolic value of the place in a delibrate move to try and bleed the french army white by trying to take enough of the ground early on and just hold it from repeating french counter attacks etc. the plan worked early on but failed by the end of it due to massive losses on the german side etc. think of it like that.
I agree, I still remember that mission with Kanbei. The games should have more story missions like that. Felt kinda like 'Saving Private Ryan'
The Kanbei one was definitely one of my favorite ones in the game, but mostly just because I'm a bigger Kanbei fan than Olaf.
@@TheManofthecross sun tzu said that a leader must command the moral authority. That is what having the moral authority means. Gritt also displays it when he admits that while he doesn't care for geopolitics he objects to the brutal occupation that black hole army engaged in.
@@Aman123ace while that may have points as needed when dealing with a foe that will with out hesitation weaponize morals against you, one has to be ready to deny them that card by any means necessary.
In the case of gritt he has to be ready for when black hole goes for weaponizing morals against him or anyone else he has to be ready to deny black hole etc that card by any means necessary.
Besides the impact on Olaf, I also like this mission because it looks like Lash just went into the game's level editor and went crazy.
Also, you could actually make out the town square, in the lower left portion of the map.
I also think that Toy Box is the mission where you find the location of the Neo Tank Mission for Blue Moon as well. Who's commander is also Lash. So you can figure she was testing out Neo Tanks on Olaf's home town, and then you chase her down to get them yourself.
It also adds to the whole “its just a game to her” angle as while the other maps are presumably left behind on accident, lash says she hid it there on purpose just to make things more interesting
At least Dual Strike acknowledges this event by giving Olaf and Lash the second lowest dual strike bonus(penalty in this case) of 80%, though its undermined by the fact that the lowest score goes to Rachel and Koal at 65% all cause he called her ugly or whatever. I guess having your looks insulted > having your hometown destroyed and potentially the lost of some or all of your loved ones in terms of devastation.
You could argue "time heals all wounds" to some degree, but that's the most sense I can make out of that. Yeah, it doesn't really fit, does it?
The nicest way I can spin this is that Rachel and Koal are both being overly petulant about it, while Olaf is doing his best to put that aside to get the job done, despite his personal feelings. Lash would have a harder time doing that, except that for her it was never personal to begin with.
@@riluna3695 I really do think it's this. Olaf, for being the hothead he might be, is now the leader of Blue Moon. And he loves his country, and doing what's best for it. Lash's defection to the Allied Forces is, ironically, a boon to them and thus Blue Moon. I think Olaf would accept this as a reality as a professional, as the leader of a country, and understanding the circumstances. But personally, as an individual, he'd never forgive Lash for what happened. He'd hate it. But he'd work through it with gritted teeth.
And I think I disagree with the idea that hot-headed Olaf would ever side with Black Hole for the Allied Forces taking in Lash. Olaf knows keenly what Black Hole is capable of, and Lash was not the only snake in a den of vipers.
@@PhazonOmega "time heals all wounds"
Try telling that to a holocaust survivor...
LMAO
Lash is a Libertarian. She just hates roads with a passion.
(it's canon too - she gets no defense bonus on them)
"Tee-hee, taxation is theft!"
Tee-Tee tax invasion
Wasn't Mangs a Libertarian as well
Panzergraf Based Lash
Lash and Yoshi get along surprisingly well.
Y'know, when I played this mission as a kid, It left an impression on me, and I couldn't quite put it into words. For some reason, I felt exhausted, and just worn out, despite winning a pretty fun fight.
I think you put that reason into words, Mangs. Seeing this bumbling man who grew from his failures into a respected warrior crumble and lose everything he knew...
It made me feel hollow. A hollow victory.
What good is power if you've got nothing left to protect?
maybe if the 'clone' had reacted to lash/hawke being on the allied nation's side, then that would give the story more relevance, as a sort of 'what if' scenario, sure the clone worked for black hole during the campaign but imagine if it reacted to lash, saying something about how he wants revenge for what she did to his hometown, and how he never forgave her
It would give credence and show that the 'real' Olaf might just be that hotheaded to switch sides if he ever learned the truth, it also would give a reason for why Olaf doesn't come, how could he 'possibly' work alongside lash of all characters, the girl who turned his hometown into a jumbled mess that didn't look like his hometown?
Obviously his more calmer side would prevail and so instead would send Grit, someone who is more tempered and can look at the bigger picture to help, because while he'd help he would never be at his 'best' if he had to work alongside her. He knows the Allied Forces can't splinter and fight among themselves, hense why he never shows up to help, but his 'clone' already working for Black Hole would take great pleasure in attacking them specifically to target Lash. Maybe even have it as like a requirement htat 1 of the COs has to be Lash, and the clone specifically targets 'her' forces while he's in charge, and the only reason the black hole units attack the others is when he's not in charge....
man why didn't they use this storyline it makes so much more sense and lets them keep the best of both worlds 'and' include an easteregg that savy players will spot if they pay attention...
I think the reason why they went with a clone Olaf attacking was to avoid confusion. A clone is a lot easier to explain then a revenge plot that would have taken 2 games to finish. If toy box and that chapter happened in the same game I'm very sure they would have made Olaf attack for revenge.
Hi Mangs,
I'm sort of a quiet fan of your content.
This means, that I tried to watch all your content, if possible.
As with a lot of other people, you helped me through very hard times.
Because of you, I was able to smile at times, were I would probably rather cry.
You being back means the world to me.
That is, why I am writing this comment.
In the last month, I actually had huge problems watching something different than your videos, so I just decided, to watch most of your Ironmans again and I definitely didn't regret that.
Long story short: because of you, Fire emblem is (together with Zelda)
my favorite game - franchise and the only thing, I enjoy more than playing those games, is watching a Mangs-video.
Thank you so much for all your hard work!!!!
By the way, the Advance wars video is great.
Glad your back and I hope you stay.
Y'know, I'm not the most avid fan but I really felt a huge egg-shaped emptiness when he announced he'd stop. I'm so glad he came back, to me it felt quite like a friend had died or something close...
NayhnTheFake how is it an awful thing to say? I'm not understanding
I love how each gaming TH-camr has their favorite series. You can tell which ones they're incredibly fond of. This is my first Advance Wars video of Mangs, but I appreciate the love Mangs has invested in its story and characters. Especially since many gamers only care about graphics and gameplay.
There is one carry over between Olaf and Lash, between the 2nd and 3rd games.
Some CCs, when you partner them together, get negative bonuses. Having Olaf and Lash on the same team is a bad idea, since they are one of the few pairs that get a negative bonus.
You know Olaf truly showed you that no matter the unlogical and unnatural a person feels like their still human and can feel exactly like you can
So I'm curious, what actually was found in Olaf's hometown?
I know the idea is the obvious, well nothing because the hometown is destroyed.
But I wonder if it could also be more metaphorical.
Olaf's drive, his humanity, his conviction to fight an enemy that was mostly a Orange Star problem until then.
However you could say, hatred, fury, a grudge that would be nursed until Olaf's death.
A lot of cool ideas all from a simple question.
If I recall correctly, you had to capture the city at the very bottom of the map to unlock the Blue Moon Neotank mission.
Please look at my comment for ideas
Only thing i miss in aw2 is flash animations of the characters when they seen his troops fighting , i dont know why they cut that in the final version of the game.
Where are these animations?
Hector is probably talking about the little animations in the first game where a CO is reacting to a battle primarily the win and lose animation (like Max laughing with a win and wipeing under his nose for a lose if i remember right
Feels weird seeing a new video. The egg is really back. Don't let the hate/dislikes demotivate you.
Surprisingly enough not that much dislikes
You said it.
Василий Сахаров they’ll come eventually once word gets out that Mangs uploaded. I doubt many of those people are subbed to Mangs.
Right now, 1K vs 62 downvotes. He's gonna do just fine!
@@furretthefuzzynoodle3896 are you implying you are a predator? Of course you are.
Well, this is exactly why Advance Wars turned into something much darker with Dark Conflict.
(BTW Dark Conflict was really good as long as you kept your nostalgia for kids-friendly wars aside)
past me: What the hell is Dark Conflict?
present me: Why the hell is Days of ruin's name different in Europe and Australia?
I absolutely hate that cities hide enemy units, makes some maps with chokes an absolute chore to get through.
@@Tr0lliPop The American and European translations of the game were done independently; hence why each one has a different subtitle (the Japanese title is "Famicom Wars DS: Lost Light"). The American translation is MUCH better; Days of Ruin gives the COs a lot of personality and character, while Dark Conflict has a much flatter script that just does the bare minimum to advance the plot.
@@jaimeastorga2000 dang
I'm a elementary school teacher... I USE many elements en the Advance Wars series (characters, nations, story) to teach my students valuable life lessons. Been doing it for 17 years, TILL NOW.
I'm curious about your class :00 would love to have a teacher who did this
Okay cool, give examples
i never thought about the "what if those weren't clones" but you now made me WANT to see a scenario like this.
i'm just honestly glad to see something again, it feels like a dream come true, i always thought toybox was a good example of gameplay and story lining up because it looks completely messed up and unnatural, which leaves your imagination to fill in the blanks as to what exactly happened, which imagination can be better than the real thing in certain cases.
Headcanon: The Andy we play from AW1 IS the clone.
I mean, he's just hearing what an airport is for the first time.
@@carlphilippgaebler5704 Sturm bribed Andy with new tools to work for him and put a clone in his original position so that orange star didn't suspect a thing. I like it. :D
And here we are ladies and gentlemen. Welcome back
Good to see that things have calmed down a bit
i would have split the difference and had the clone not realize it was a clone, and those be the motivations they had programmed into it to make it turn on its "allies". They do have that really unsettling moment where the Andy clone has the existential crisis, knows it's dying, but gets some comfort in knowing the real Andy has people who love him (which is honestly my favorite part of the entire series, and one of my all-time favorite moments in a video game period), so having all the clones be capable of morality and thus having to be programmed in a way to make them actually want to fight their former allies would be cool.
I have a similar story, of a huge missed opportunity in the series. In game 2, "A Mirror Darkly", Lash meets Sonja for the first time, and gets soundly defeated by superior strategy. For someone who prizes her intellect, it's a serious blow, but she gets off one parting shot by scaring the hell out of Sonja before she leaves. "You enjoy war like a good game of chess." It's very clear from Sonja's reaction that she cannot easily deny it, and that the thought that she may be so similar to Lash disturbs her.
....And that's it. It's never mentioned again, not even once you start pairing the two together in Tag Battles in the next game. I didn't notice much at the time, but in hindsight it really bothered me. I would idly play around with the concept in my head when I was bored, wondering where it could potentially go. And once I developed my passion for writing, it gained new life as an entire story, exploring the psychological warfare between them more than the literal kind. And then the concept absolutely exploded after one specific thought: What if Sonja lost? If everything went south, and she came to embrace that love of war that she's been so desperately repressing, what happens then?
And that was the moment the story gave rise to an entire game. Dubbed "Advance Wars: Supernova", it features the rise of a new group, created and run by Sonja and Lash, serving as antagonists to the Allied Nations. It's the same basic concept you wished for in the clone Olaf, seeing how the group responds to one of their own having switched sides. It also features some COs of my own creation to fill out the new group's roster, as well as a couple new concepts here and there. It's only a shame that I lack any creative skill besides writing stories and dialogue, and so am completely incapable of executing my own concept. But it's great fun to think about and to discuss with others, if nothing else.
I'd be potentially interested in reading some of those documents.
@@92nicu17 I'm flattered you're interested! I don't have any official sources I can link you to, but I'd still be happy to talk about it if there were a good way to do so. Somehow this doesn't feel like the right place, but I have no better ideas D:
@@riluna3695 Huh, never occurred to me until today that TH-cam doesn't have a private messaging system. Hm.
You could just make some google docs and make them accesable. From personal experience I can tell you: Nearly no one executes their owk concepts alone. Find others to cover your weaknesses.
@@riluna3695 I'm also very interested in reading this
I'm not a frequent commenter, but I wanted to say that I recently lost my dog, and watching your old videos has really helped me. I'm glad you're back, and don't let anyone stop you from making great content.
I did too dude :/ I had to put him down because he was super old. Good luck to you
@@-lord1754 Thanks man. Good luck to you too
Andys adventure!!!
Gonna let the ads play in full and watch the video til the end. Never been into advance wars much, but Olaf looks pretty cool.
Hm, okay Mangs, you've finally convinced me..
Im off to go play an advance wars game for the first time.
Is it for the story or war room?
@@vodkawhisperer3923 Probably story
Same here. I was always under the impression that advance wars was just FE without actual characters or a proper story (which is what drew me to FE in the first place) just a a bunch of faceless wars. Will have to give it a go sometime soon.
Same here.
@@husk_of_yusuke have fun then
Clones kinda run the same risk of lazy storytelling as “just a dream” scenarios or time travel, imo. When used well, they can be a phenomenal way to explore a character in a different context. But Dual Strike, and arguably AW1, use it a bit as a cop out for mistaken identity, since the clones don’t seem to be used as characters as much as plot events.
My favorite moment in Advance Wars 2: Blackhole Rising was the mission Tanks!!!. It's where Adder tries to attack Blue Moon Land under guard by Grit. At first, Adder elaborated to him that he didn't seem to care if Black Hole decides to capture the territory or not since he thought it was a waste of time and doesn't care who he works for. Adder even tried to recruit Grit to Black Hole, but of course he mucked it up by mentioning that he used his army of tanks to destroy and terrorize the citizens on during his trip here. As soon as Grit heard that, he was actually angry at what he just said that he doesn't care who captures who's territory, but hurting innocent people who having nothing to do with the war is crossing the line. And then, he says one of my favorite lines: "You, Adder, are now my number-one enemy". This moment cemented Grit as not only my favorite character gameplay-wise, but also story-wise.
My favorite moments of the entirety of Advance Wars 2 are
#1The fortress in the Sea: The moment Eagle has with his troops is one of my favorites and it is uniquely tragic to lose units in a pre-deployed map when the CO even considers retreating for their safety. It was the first map that made me want to make sure as little harm came to my units as possible.
#2 Kanbei's city rescue: It's very straightforward, but the fact that you're doing it for the people who desperately need your help is all the motivation I could ask for.
# 3 Tanks!?!: Grit going from sympathetic to dead serious, is something I will never forget, and it's the "why" he turns serious that makes it one of my favorite moments. He doesn't want to fight, he doesn't care about the lands, but he cannot in good conscience allow them to go unchallenged when they subjugate his people and destroy their livelihoods
I agree--a missed story opportunity in Dual Strike. But Dual Strike does at least acknowledge Olaf and Lash's past with their Tag Power being less effective than other CO pairings.
Mangs, I'm one of the quiet fans. I've discovered you through your playthrough of FE6, you made me laugh, made me want to play this game. I've always loved the way you play and I spent a lot of hours watching your videos.
Advance Wars and Fire Emblem are some of my favorite games and it's always a pleasure seeing you playing these games too.
Sometimes, when life hit hard, watching your videos helped me getting through. I needed help too, and you were part of it.
I understand these times are hard for you but there's a lot of people behind you, I'm one of them. I'm glad you're back and that you're getting the help you need. Take care and keep up the good work !!
If there would be joke skins in the game, Olaf would definitely have a Santa Claus one and id love it
Andy even mistakes him for Santa in the opening mission.
Check out the original concept sprite work for Advance Wars before it was released: Olaf was literally Battle Santa. He even had a Santa hat!
Before I start the video, this put a big smile on my face when I saw the notification
damn, that would be such a badass plot twist, I'd be absolutely fine if IS decided to remake AWDS with this in mind.
also, side note, Lash is the only CO who doesn't have a clone skin variant. It's funny to think Lash cloned everyone and started a war with herself.
how many clones would it take to do it and how did lash get the DNA of the other CO's to do it.
Love to see you back especially with advance wars content!!! looking foward for more
Welcome back mangs.
MAAAAANGS SO GLAD TO SEE YOURE BACK WITH ADVANCE WARS!!!!
I remember there was a throw away line from either Grit or Sasha that Olaf was busy rebuilding his home town
So glad to have your video notification pop up Mangs. Looking forward to what you have planned next. Please never stop making videos.
what was found in olafs home town?
olaf:oh god....i hope they didn't find my porn stash
My favorite moment in Advance Wars is at the beginning of the Tanks!! Map.
We know Grit could change the Nations he works for in the first game. And in the second, he suggests to surrender before a fight start.
He doesn't care for Nations, nor territories. As he said it on the Spanish translation: "For me, everyone would get together and have a BBQ."
But the moment he hear about Adder and Black Hole destroying cities like nothing, he declares Adder to be his one-biggest enemy, and just destroy a ton of Medium Tanks like nothing.
Mangs back after a month:
*Return of the King*
I can't say what I'm feeling now... just... welcome back mango :)
Thank you mangs, ngl because of this vid now im really interested in advance wars and i started to watch your other playthrough and it looks super fun. Thank you
Time for everybody to just enjoy a bit of distraction again. Let's have some fun.
Yes you’re back! I missed your content.
Me too
And me.
wow not only an AW2 video on your return but you knocked it out of the park presenting it like a story with editing.
I remember you playing AW2 years ago and talking about this part in the story. Seeing an actual minidocumentary on such a small but cool thing was great.
Loving the new AW content. This mission in particular added a sentimental tone to the Blue Moon theme. Hearing that theme fade in as Olaf is reminiscing about his hometown really made the scene shine.
Yeahhh boiiii, you made my day bro can't believe your back
Holy shit, almost shed a tear when Olaf was reminiscing about his home town. Never played advance wars but man, I love Olaf already. Gotta try the game out some day
Mangs, I thank you for coming back, even if the channel won’t get as much attention as it used to, I thank you for trying
To answer the thumbnail question:
It's snow, lots and lots of snow. And a shitload of eggnog, and some schnapps, the fancy kind.
The Return of the King
The wounds and scars may never heal, but there is value in separating art from the artist. I missed your energy, commentary and heck, even your brand of storytelling intrigued me even though I'm not an Advance Wars fans. Thank you Mangs, for your perseverance and decision to care for your audience. You may never find forgiveness for your actions and any apology you make will likely get torn to shreds, but at least you made the effort to try. May your continued career be fruitful
Nah i like him hes a nice guy too
@@ChillstoneBlakeBlast Scars we can't erase show us life's true cost.
Sorry, couldn't help it.
@@jacobg8640 Scars THAT we can't erase show us life's true cost.
Gotta at least get the syllable count right, otherwise it throws off the metre, lol
@@WHYvernmaster I know. I actually did deliberately leave it out lol. Just didn't feel right in the context.
what did he do
Hello Mangs! You have my support! Good vid btw!!!!
Very nicely written. I enjoyed it, even though I only know advanced wars from your channel
I’m glad to be here
Same
feels good to be back
"Where the hell were Olaf and Andy during Duel Strike?"
And they are still the people who start the series and are not in the game, I miss olaf more than andy honestly
Heck yeah! Now I'm excite. I am so glad you're back to making content. You sound so much happier when you're doing so, and I think it makes us all feel great. Thank you!
A way that dual strike could have done something for olaf similar to Andy as during the Andy clone mission at the end, before the clone faded away, there was a kind of heartfelt moment in the conversation with clone Andy and the orange star COs. Something similar definitely could've been done for olaf and lash since the clones likely still held the feelings of the originals and that'd also keep the cloning shenanigans black hole loves so much
The "for me it was tuesday" moment from Lash makes this mission very memorable as well.
Great video! So nice to have you back Mangs!
Glad to see a new video! Keep up the great work!
I love these videos where you explain a character and their story, or at least an interesting part of their story. They always have this feeling similar to a documentary, just makes me want to learn more. Glad you're back mangs.
Is Cyan back under your employment, or are these leftover graphics? Just curious, I know Cyan was looking for a job so I dunno if he's back under your employment or not.
For now I am using old assets I got from Cyan. I have 2+ years of stuff that I paid for, and Cyan is ok with me using them for my videos.
@@Mangs1337 Gotcha. :)
@@Mangs1337 I mean, you paid for them so even if he's not ok he doesn't have his word to say.
I have a headcanon that isn't contradicted by anything in the games. I say Orange Star is undergoing a decolonization period, much like the British Empire. Olaf's hometown was in the region that became Blue Moon so he betrayed Orange Star (it's clear he and Nell aren't on the best of terms and he didn't leave on a high note). Notice that no one explicitly talks about any of the nations having a long history or tradition, so some of them could be new. You might say the HQ building of Orange Star looks like the Empire State building while Blue Moon's looks like a cathedral from Russia (well that architecture is also seen in Estonia, Armenia, and some were even in Germany pre WW2 before they became rubble), so you could say Orange Star and Blue Moon could have never been part of the same country, but it could be in universe the area that would become Blue Moon just had different architectural styles, just as the British Empire didn't all have European style buildings.
That's an interesting headcanon.
I myself suspect more of a warring kingdoms state of affairs, where China (or Macroland, IIRC) have broken down into smaller states. That's why we have detailed heraldry for their alliance, the COs know each other, their units are all roughly the same, etc.
It's of course completely headcanon too.
this is high key probably the best video you've ever made
the KING has returned ... you dropped this *crown*
Wow...didnt think Id miss seeing one of your videos that much...its really nice to see youre back. I dont usually watch advance wars videos but today Ill make an exception ^^
This gives me Super Eyepatch Wolf vibes, which is definitely a good thing. I would love to see more character analysis videos like this done for Fire Emblem.
I love Super Eyepatch Wolf, so that is a huge compliment.
7:19 Admit it. You loved that scene whe you first saw it.
Hi mangs! I've been watching your content for a year now and well, I lost my grandma at the start of this year. I lived my whole life with that amazing lady and when she passed, I was devastated, I felt defeated but your content and specially your streams always put a smile on my face and made (and still makes) everything bearable. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I wish you the best and I'll follow you until the end.
he returns!
Y'know, mangs, I hadn't realized how much I missed your content until this video came out. Glad to have you back.
Mentioning dragon age brought back memories. Dude if you lp Dragon Age Origins that’d be dope I’m glad you’re back
I loved Dragon Age Origins, that'd be really cool
Origins is the only good Dragon Age imho. It's a masterpiece
Miles Edgeworth agreed
Glad to have you back sir. I subscribed right before all the twitter stuff went down. glad to hear they can't keep you down! keep up the good work!
Return of the King
To be fair they leaned in more on the war themes with the game that followed up dual strike, days of ruin.
Thanks for coming back, Mangs! We miss you greatly
Egg head back in action LETS GOOO
Welcome back, Mangs. We’ve missed you man. Hope you’re doing well
great to have you back man. Don't let anyone stop you- look at the past a lesson- I rather see you for who you are to me in the present then what you were in the past. Anything can change!
that being said you mention youtube as the primary platform moving forward- Do you see yourself doing livestreams of FEH new hero showcase etc. and all that jazz some point down the road?
but tbh I just miss seeing your daily uploads lol.
Blue Moon is my favorite nation of Advance Wars, precisely because of the contrast between its CO. Good video, I think it's funny that the first time I found this mission funny, because I thought it was some joke with the map editor, but now that i'm replaying I understood what really happened there.
imagine this is one guy preventing the release of advance wars 1+2 reboot camp
I know next to nothing about advanced wars, but this is a really good video man. One of my favourite scripted videos from you. Keep up the good work!
1:02 Can you imagine the feeling of sacrificing a unit? In real life?
And yes! You're back!
3:50 Yeah. Olaf with his arrogance(?), Grit with his lazyness and Colin with his hand firmly stuck in a salute position.
Olaf is the boy, we must protect the boy.
Also, got back into advance wars because of your deathless playthrough. Can't wait to legally play advance wars 1 and 2.
Despite all the drama and bad events that have happened over the past few months, I'm glad to have you back mangs. Seeing a new video from you fills me with a feeling of peace, like everything's gonna be okay again. Just a daily reminder that you can do anything to improve upon yourself and that improvement is a constant process. Don't stop just because you've gotten this far. I've missed you.
Olaf is Perseus. Yuri tried to warn us.
another one of those moments is the first time you defeat a HC/Mythic Raid in World of Warcraft with your friends.
Lash and Olaf have a higher team bonus than Rachel and koal. Lmao.
Destroy a guy's town? No problem. You can even have coffee together later!
Call a lady a cheerleader? She will stab you in your sleep!
I'm not typically good with comments, but this has to be said; I'm so glad you're back. Not just because of the Advance Wars niche that you fill, but you have a certain wit and charm about how you present your content.
This video was a wonderful surprise, and I look forward to seeing more. Welcome back, Mangs.
Keep on keeping on Mangs. Haven't played advance wars in about a decade but seeing this video reminded me how sad this part of the story was.
Maaaaaaaaaaaangs first content video welcome back!
I am so happy that you are making content again! :) I also liked Olaf a lot while playing Advance Wars. It is good to be based and stand for your country and most importantly - your people.
and it starts.... HELL YEAH! Welcome back World Boss
Infortunately i cannot say deep words or how i missed you, because i just happened to stumble into your channel some weeks ago. :p (Once more, i think? I remember a Memed Up version of Sacred Stones with your commentary...)
But i am a firm believer that committing something criminal shouldn't be the end of a person's life. You are atoning for what you did wrong, and you recognized that what you did was wrong.
For this, you have my very unimportant approval. And also a subscription. :p
Man, the first time i played that mission in AW2 i didn't feel much, but i'm replaying the game again and played the mission again and... Man, that scene with an olaf totally crushed and with the blue moon ost... That destroyed me
Welcome back Mangs. I really, really hope you are doing nicely. I'm glad to see you back and working towards becoming better. And thank you for sharing your experiences and feelings on this gaming moment.
Now this is something I didn't expect.
It's so nice seeing you again!
I was just playing advance wars duel strike but this is the cherry on top!
Glad you are back!
Man, can you imagine if a they had the tech to make it look like a map was a 3V1, with you controling Olaf, Lash, and another CO going into the fight, only for you to strangely not be able to actually control Olaf, with his turn being controlled by the AI, right up until his super power was fully charged and he unleashed it, damaging all your units, immediately followed by him going into an all out attack against Lash's base, and turning it into a three way battle as Olaf continues to fight the existing Blackhole enemy, while also trying to mow you down as well? That would have been absolutely sick.
Dragon Age Origins is my favorite of that series and one of my favorite games of all time. Nice seeing that get a mention.