"Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising" is a video game released for the Gameboy Advance in 2003 by Nintendo. It is a turn based trategy game and the second in a series of the same name. In the United States, the game received a rating of "E" by the ESRB panel which deemed it suitable for all ages.

Black Hole Rising features five different armies who the player can opt to play as, and are all on the same mission. The premise states that each faction's purpose is to promote unity but the game itself comes across as being domination. Gameplay handles very much like the popular "Warhammer" table top game. The player is able to control an army to his or her specification and can include land, sea and air forces. The map is presented as an overhead grid and players move their units from square to square. Also like Warhammer, depending on certain distinctions the player's units may only attack within a certain range or in a certain direction. Artillery cannons, for example, may not attack any unit in the same area and is ineffective at targeting units in the sky. The game ends when the opposing army has been fully eliminated or if their headquarters are destroyed in battle.

The graphics of this title in the overhead very are very simple but can be easily distinguished. Colour is a clear guidance in this title with each faction being designated a certain colour. It is also easy to clearly see what terrain one is navigating on ranging from road or dirt, as these sections will impact on movement slightly. An interesting feature of this game is its in-game map creator where the player can create certain scenarios and further test them in single player action. The game itself supports up to four players by link cable but appears most geared for single player competition. The audio is of an excellent standard though is clearly taken from the original "Advance Wars" title. That is not a criticism in the slightest, as the first featured excellent sound effects and musical scores.

Overall, Black Hole Rising is a game I would recommend to prospective buyers. The strategic element is not one which is overly used on a handheld system and this title makes for excellent playing throughout.