Lawrence.com

Back in 2001, Game Boy Advance owners were treated to a fantastic turn-based strategy game called Advance Wars. Battles took place on fairly small maps, and players had to use their wits and knowledge of the terrain, units, and strategies to win. A similarly entertaining sequel was released in 2003. After receiving much acclaim from critics and gamers alike, this series has finally landed on the Nintendo DS. But does it stand up to its predecessors?

The answer is yes:.but there are some minor disappointing aspects to Advance Wars: Dual Strike. My main complaint is that the game barely makes use of the unique hardware that the DS possesses. While it's more fun to play with the stylus, it's completely unnecessary. You could have lost your stylus months ago, and you still wouldn't have a bit of trouble playing this game. Games like Kirby Canvas Curse have shown that the stylus can be an incredibly fun tool when implemented correctly into gameplay. Sadly, Advance Wars is basically a point-and-click affair. If it weren't for the fact that some battles take place on two fronts (using both screens), this game could have easily been released on the GBA, and it would have been exactly the same.

With that complaint aside, it's almost all good news from here on out. The excellent gameplay from the previous Advance Wars titles is back in full form, and it's just as intriguing as ever. If you lose a battle, it's directly because of player error. Each map forces you to look over the situation thoroughly before proceeding. Do you take out that battleship first, or should you try to secure a bunch of buildings right off the bat? It's an intricate combination of battleground tactics and fund management, and it can be very rewarding if you play your cards right.

For those unfamiliar with the series, it takes place in the fictional world of Omega Land, and you must defeat the evil Black Hole Army. The game certainly (and thankfully) doesn't beat you down with the storyline, it drops you right into the battle with just enough info to give you a vague understanding of what's going on. You'll control one of many CO's (Commanding Officers), the main character being newcomer Jake. Jake is the typical cocky youngster character seen in so many games, but Nintendo seemed to try too hard to make him 'hip'. He's constantly saying cliche phrases like "Word!" and "You're in MY house now!", and I couldn't help rolling my eyes every time he said the enemy got "owned". Let's leave the message board lingo to the internet, Nintendo.

Each battle is very unique, and you must learn to prepare for many different situations. One map might give you tons of units to begin with, while another will start you with nothing. These are called "deployment maps", and force you to use a lot more strategy. Capturing buildings is very important in order to make funds, and this can only be done by foot soldiers. You'll have to get your priorities straight right from the beginning. Should you build a ton of foot soldiers first, or create an armada of tanks and rush the enemy? The game will punish you for bad decisions, but every loss is a chance to learn new tactics. Battles can usually be won when you complete one of two objectives. You either defeat all onscreen enemies, or capture their HQ with a foot soldier.

New to the DS version is two-front battles. In these, you might have a land battle occuring on the bottom screen, while an air battle rages on in the skies above you on the top screen. Units can be sent to the top screen, and this is absolutely crucial in some missions. If you win the top battle, your CO can come down to the bottom front and help you out. It should be noted that your mission will almost always end in failure if you lose the top front. In these situations, the bottom front becomes a 2-on-1 handicap against the player, and it's almost always insurmountable.

The top screen is actually very handy, as it renders a stat screen unnecessary. Any unit highlighted or selected on the bottom will have a handful of stats available at a single glance at all times. Some missions have unique uses for the top screen, such as the early battle that involves a missile heading towards your continent. In this mission, the bottom screen shows the combat, while the top screen is a world map showing the missile approaching the land.

As you progress through battles, a meter of stars will gradually fill up. When completely filled, you can unleash your CO's super attack. These super attacks usually make your units extremely strong for one turn, giving you a huge temporary advantage over your opponent. Depending on your CO, they'll sometimes unleash bonus attacks, such as a rain of bombs over your enemies' units. If you have two CO's, and both of them have a full meter, you can bombard your opponent with a Tag attack. This allows you to use both of your CO's super attacks in one turn, which can quickly turn the tide in a close battle.

On top of this great single-player gameplay, Advance Wars features enough bells and whistles to keep it fresh for a while. Mapmaker options are available, as well as wireless multiplayer for up to 8 players. Graphics while not extraordinary by any means are bright, vivid, and feature a unique art design. The battle screen features a good layout, and seeing the action onscreen is never an issue. Music in Advance Wars sounds great coming out of the DS speakers, and the tunes themselves couldn't be more fitting. All of the different CO's can level up, and you'll get ranked at the end of every battle in terms of Speed, Power, and Technique. Even if you beat the game with relative ease (which would be surprising), there's plenty of reason to go back and try to get an S ranking on every mission. While it may not make the best use of the unique DS hardware, it's certainly one of the best games on the system, and is well worth a purchase.

Graphics: B+

Sound: A-

First Play: A-

Last Play: B+

Gameplay: B+

Overall: 89% B+