Advance Wars : Dual Strike

Reviewed by Leland Bonaparte
November 4, 2005

Developer: Intelligent Systems Publisher: Nintendo Consoles Available: Nintendo DS Numbers of Players: 1 to 2 players (multiplayer) ESRB Rating: Everyone

When Nintendo announced the touch screen for the next Gameboy, I was puzzled on how it would be incorporated into the games. I've had many friends tell me that the DS is for kids. Well, I'll be the first to tell them that they were wrong. Advance Wars really utilizes the full power of the system. The story takes place several months after the war in Macroland (from previous versions). The army known as the Black Hole was defeated, and the townspeople lived in peace. Unforturnely peace would not last long, as the Black Hole launched a massive attack on the continent of Omegaland.

Advance Wars is a strategy military game that puts you in command of a well-trained army. If you enjoyed Advanced Wars on the Gameboy Advance, you will absolutely love it on the DS. Using the stylus to control units is very easy and hassle free. By simply tapping a unit, you activate your troops with ease. The top screen is mainly used to display menus or show air battles from up above. The cut scenes used to show battles taking place looked good. Manipulating the enemy AI can be a little too easy, but this slight drawback doesn't take away from the overall game.

There are also five different modes of game play that can be played alone or with friends. In normal mode, two to four players can battle, but they will need their own game and system. DS battle mode is for two players and requires the same. One of the best modes I think is the download feature. Only one player needs to have the game and can send it up to seven other players. Sharing is caring; and this is the way multiplayer should be played. There is a multitude of goodies to keep you entertained.

The reason why I gave this game a 9.5 instead of a 10, is the mediocre music and sounds. I would have like to hear the sound of combat and maybe some tank fire blasts to really get me in the mood. Hearing the shouts of artillery commanders screaming ‘fire', instead of just looking through binoculars, would have been a welcome touch. Visuals are as good as it can get on the DS. The addition of new vicars and C.O.'s make the storyline interesting. There are plenty of missions and two difficulty modes, normal and hard. Beating the game in normal mode unlocks many different bonus features.

I found this game very addictive and found myself playing for hours. The replay value is very high. There are many different ways to complete missions and no two ways are the same. You have the option of playing with your friends or completing the solo missions. I hear a lot of people say that this is a kid's game. All I have to say to them is that I'm just a kid at heart.

Screenshots: