Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6309 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Nintendo
• Model: PS2 ACT 81033
• Released on: 2005-09-30
• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Platform: Nintendo DS
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .75" h x 5.00" w x 5.50" l, .24 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
In a nutshell:
The greatest strategy game in portable history maneuvers onto the DS with new units, new COs (commanding officers), new game modes and the most addictive gameplay this side of Tetris. It may not have much in the looks department but in gameplay terms this is the supermodel of turn-based combat.

The lowdown:
Mixing chess-like complexities with an anime plotline, Advance Wars is one of gaming’s most unlikely heroes. This marks the most significant overhaul of the series yet with six new units and dozens of new features, including a real-time mode. The stylus control and dual screen display are really just gimmicks though, and it’s the new dual strike attacks that are the most interesting idea, with COs double teaming for some battle turning super moves. COs can also gain "experience", as in a role-playing game, allowing you to fine tune your army’s abilities like never before.

Most exciting moment:
A tense four way battle against friends that ends in a double whammy duel strike from hell.

Since you ask:
The Advance Wars series has been going since 1988 in Japan, where it’s known as Famicom Wars. The first to make it to the UK was Advance Wars 1 on the GBA in 2002. Advanced or not, war has historically been viewed as a bad thing.

The bottom line:
The best DS game yet and probably the best Advance Wars ever.
Harrison Dent

Manufacturer's Description
On the heels of its last defeat, the nefarious Black Hole Army has fallen under the control of a deadly new commanding officer. He has sent its new COs to attack the nations of Wars World once again, and it's up to the allied armies of Orange Star, Blue Moon, Yellow Comet and Green Earth to put an end to Black Hole once and for all.

Advance Wars: Dual Strike uses both screens: the touch screen for battles and the top screen for special information, from unit and terrain details to special conditions in each battle. In special DS Battles, players fight on the top screen as well, commanding both battles and redeploying units from one screen to the other. The Map Editor now uses the stylus, so that players can draw their maps right on the touch screen. Players now can trade their maps wirelessly too. Players also can use the stylus to give orders to their units; from moving to attacking, they control everything from the touch screen. Each time Commanding Officers win a battle, they gain experience--over time, they can learn new battle skills that increase their strengths or boost a unit's abilities. There are more than 40 battle skills. Each of the COs has two separate special powers: a CO Power and a Super CO Power. These powers can freeze the battlefield, boost the attack range, rain bombs on enemies and much more. Now COs can team up for Dual Strike attacks with even more impressive results. New playable units include hulking aircraft carriers, invisible stealth fighters, devastating omni-missiles and insanely powerful megatanks.

Key features

Customer Reviews

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.

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.

Well designed gameplay
In a nutshell, I have found Advance Wars DS to be a well planned and balanced strategy game, which for some reason gets addictive after a while.

I was new to this series, so I can't make a comparison against earlier releases of Advance Wars. I have, however, played many PC strategy games and you could say I am a fan of strategy, real time or turn based. Advance Wars DS actually reminded me a bit of an old game called History Line which I played on the PC back in the early 90s when I was a teenager, so you may find the whole concept of Advance Wars a little dated. What is interesting, however, is the way Nintendo has implemented and executed the whole game play and its experience.

It's a gripping stuff. On one hand it has a very simple rule set with simple game mechanics, yet on the other hand the strategy necessary to play well is extensive. The beauty of it seems to be that you could have a sloppy game (and sort of win), if you wish, but it also accommodates those who want to think hard. You can do this either way, depending on what you are like. Sometimes I'm mentally tired and end up winning in a sloppy game (and at times getting slaughtered), but others times I take my time planning my moves and pull off a wonderful strategy which leads to a crisp and satisfying victory.

Another strange thing about this, as I found out the more I played, is that somehow it manages to feel fresh and new. It doesn't feel like a game which has dated game mechanics (which it does, technically speaking). The designers have done a great job implementing the gameplay while making sure players are hooked to it strategically.

It's not a fast paced Real-Time strategy, but a Turn-Based strategy. So I'm sure there are preferences depending on what sort of strategy you like. For what it is, Advance Wars DS is well worth the money, time and effort even in this day and age. Don't let its rather simplistic and youthful screenshots fool you - it is a well written game.