Issue #56: Finding a Way Forward – November/December 2021

Get ready, Force fans, for the finale of NF Magazine's ninth year! It's amazing that our journey has already brought us this far beyond the point when we had to say farewell to Nintendo Power. And what's even more amazing is that, this far into our run as NF, there are still some classic Nintendo franchises that have never had a chance to step into our spotlight -- since they've been inactive this entire time!

So, ladies and gentlemen, I'm proud to present an issue headlined by Advance Wars! This seminal strategy series has a history reaching all the way back to the '80s, though it didn't leave Japan for the first time until 20 years ago, in 2001. Then it had a solid run of about six and a half years . . . before it went dark in the wake of 2008's Days of Ruin.

It's always a joy to cover Nintendo's newest titles, whatever they may be, but it's especially fun when a franchise that's been asleep for so long finally wakes up and gets moving again! We have the developers at WayForward to thank for that, as they're the ones who've been tapped by Nintendo to revive the brand by remaking both Advance Wars and its 2003 sequel Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising. Their effort, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, is in its final stages of development now, and we'll take a good long look at what to expect from it in this issue.

Before that, though, we've got a double-header in the Features section to set the stage: a look back at WayForward's work of revitalizing and re-imagining other companies' brands in the past, as well as a complete history of the whole Wars series so far. Taken together, you'll be more than ready to enlist and become a capable commander for the Orange Star Army!

We're also thrilled to have an exclusive interview with WayForward's CEO (and Tyrannical Overlord) Voldi Way, exclusive info on Dawn of the Monsters (which WayForward is also working on) and probably some more WayForward fun inside too. Hey, they're bringing Advance Wars back to life! We owe them a debt of gratitude!

Print subscribers, your issues are in production now and will be mailed to you this week. Please note that they'll likely arrive a little later in the month than you might be used to -- since we fit an extra October issue into the yearly schedule right before this one, production on this November/December edition got bumped back just a bit. Not too much, though! We're still getting it finalized officially before the calendar flips to November! 

Digital patrons, keep an eye on your inbox this Monday, November 1. I'll get you e-editions to you that very day!

The Nintendo Force now rolls on! Our next issue, #57, will be our first for 2022. And that year's already shaping up to be something really special! I look forward to covering it all for all of you!

~ Lucas M. Thomas