I grabbed it because, y'know,
ADVANCE WARS.
@Secret_Tunnel, I think the series started clicking for me when I got introduced to the maps where you can build your own units in factories and stuff. Pre-deployed maps are fine, but the game's mechanics really feel best in levels where you can build. It makes capturing cities far more valuable and lets you make a lot of big decisions every turn.
I'm about halfway through the AW1 campaign (unlocked the secret
Sonja missions by beating Kanbei quickly enough in his three missions--thanks, old Nintendo Power issue!). Overall, it's as compelling and addictive as ever. Even AW's worst feature, Fog of War, has been mitigated somewhat here since the AI can no longer outright cheat and attack you in woods/reefs with only one unit. The cel-shaded CO models are beautiful and I like everyone's redesigns, and the 2D art is even more beautiful!
That being said, there are some issues too. The field maps are still just okay-looking, made worse by the fact that they stutter a surprisingly large amount (I'm not usually the biggest frame rate stickler but this is a bit much). The voice acting is inconsistent and I don't think the YouTubers they got for some of the characters fit the cast very well. And the online is really barebones, only allowing friend battles and map sharing. I was hoping for a Mario Maker-style map sharing infrastructure, where you basically had access to endless levels. Would've been great!
Oh well, I'm still having a blast and a half because AW is basically the only strategy series I like besides Fire Emblem (and I've been getting a little burnt out on that lately).