Video Games : Advance Wars: Dual Strike (Nintendo DS)

Rating: - A game that will please everyone.
This is my first Advance Wars game, and not my type of game at all, I hated Command & Conquer, which this is similar to in many ways. The tutorial missions at the start are pretty uninformative, and the complexitities of CO's, Co's abilities, terrains, vehicle attributes and vision ranges are things that make my balls ache and my eyes water. But after playing most of the top titles for the ds, this is the game I am still playing, and still loving.

There's tons to do in this game. A long campaign mode, and lot's of bits and bobs to get plenty of gameplay from. The real beauty of this game however is the depth and variety in gameplay. Once you begin to understand how various CO's and their abilities work, you really get to feel there's a lot more you can achieve. Even if you can't be bothered learning, the instant playability of this game is fun enough to keep you playing until you get it.

I would recommend this game to everyone. There aren't many games on the ds that can appeal to everyone, and even fewer that will last a while. I've never played a strategy game that I could tolerate before, but if this game can win me over, I'm sure you'll love it too.

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Rating: - like chess, only a lot more complicated
This is an exceptional strategy game that does not dissapoint especially in terms of how much gameplay it has to offer. It's a turn-based strategy that see's you deploying units and battling them on a variety of different maps. The main one player mode is campaign mode that is like a story based series of battles having you use different COs for their strengths and weaknesses and believe me from an advance wars veteran- it is absolutely huge. After two weeks of playing it solidly I got on campaign mode what I thought was the final mission but I'm still playing it now. The war room offers even more gameplay at a more advance level as you could be fending of 2 or 3 armies at once. This is whats good about the game, it takes one hell of a player to complete the game.

I'd reccomend this game to anyone

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Rating: - long term gaming
for me my DS has always been for long car journeys, and i bought this game planning to play it on the 9 hour trip to wales. When i arrived i was a few missions into the campaign mode, as well as playing various challenges in war room. The campaign acts fristly as a tutorial and then the main focus of the gam,e following a hardly gripping storyline; baddies invade, goodies untie to beat them back. It is a lot like other advance wars games, with a few brilliant exceptions. firstly wireless multiplayer enabled by the DS, you can play against up to three friends with just your one cartridge, taking turns on just one console, or wirelessly linking four. experiance is enhanced if every player has a cartridge, opening up new maps.

Still based around turn based battles, where you gain funds, and spend them building new units, and then deploying these untis to capture new cities and engage enemy forces. the main change that sets this apart from other advacne wars games is the commanding officers. there is a new "tag team" system, where two co's can swap out and take it in turns. the co attacks that are unleashed when the player has gained enough points (through combat) can turn the tide of battle, creatin tsunamis to cruch the foe, or missiles amongst many others. But with tag team, both co's can unleash both attacks, then your army can move twice in one turn, accomponied by relevant co powers. this adds some real tactics to battles, with some co's working well together, and some not.

i got the game the week it came out, and this week i found a new game mode! survival sees you battling through a series of maps, with either limited funds, time or turns.

i find the game easiest without the stylus, using the dpad and buttons instead, which are all that's neccessary, you being only required to select units/buildings and give them commands.

a great game, and one that will last you a long time, with new challenges emerging every time you play it. limitations are, wireless gaming with only one cartridge there is only basic modes open, and some would find not relying on the DS' touchpad and mic a let down, although like i said, you can play with the stylus, but the mic remains unused. These really are insignificant compared to the real value for money, and playtime. highly reccomended.

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Rating: - awful
Having just bought my nintendo ds with mario Kart (superb) I was looking for something something else that would match it's adictiveness. Having read the rave reviews of Advance wars I decided to go ahead and buy it.

I wanted so much to like this game, I wanted to be addicted and spend hours playing it - but no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't get over the fact that it is, simply, rubbish. Awful graphics, slow moving gameplay, annoying pages of text, I could go on. It's like a very bad, early version of command and conquer - except without the gameplay or graphics.

Very dissappointed.

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Rating: - Best video game quote to date
A really good turn based strategy game, made even better by the immortal quote "you spanked 'em Colin"