One of the best handheld games ever, and the best on DS thus far.
Before I start gloating that this was the best overall strategy game of 2005, behind the godly Civ4, let me get the cons and disappointments and silly niggles out of the way. Firstly, the graphics aren't up there with the best on DS, in fact they're almost identical to the first two. There's a slight scaling slope effect on larger environments, and there's a few added special effects, but virtually the truth is, they're the same as Black Hole Rising, even if they do do the job. Secondly, most of the battle maps are recycled from earlier games, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as these maps are great tactical battlefields, but it would have been nice if there were some new ones to play through. And lastly, I thought playing with the stylus was a bit fiddly, and if you make one wrong move you could well find yourself mowed down by the opposition, simply because your fingers slipped and you moved your prize unit into the range of a rocket launcher.
And that's virtually it. This is a near-flawless achievement on DS, even if there's a fair bit of nostalgia in the mix. There's plenty of new and advanced features to give Advance Wars aficionados a reason to go down to their local game store and pick up a copy of this game; firstly there are new dual-front battles, for example you can control the ground units while a computer CO can wreak havoc thousands of foot in the air with fighters and bombers. Then there's tag battles, where you can swap between 2 CO's to adapt to the situation, and if these are timed right you can easily turn the tide of a gruelling skirmish. And then there's an all-new neat use of the dual-screens, where most of the intel is displayed on the top screen instead of it all untidily stacked up on just the one. To top it all there's the stylus control, which you can use at your own risk, an all-new campaign, which is as Gamespot said a bit too easy for Advance Wars hardcores, and a hefty load of new modes like Survival and Combat. The great Map Editor returns, along with the wealth of multiplayer capabilities and functions that demolished many people's lives on the GBA.
In case you haven't played an Advance Wars game, there's a nice learning curve to it, but it can be a hindrance for players who have been playing Advance Wars since the franchise was born. It lasts throughout the first seven or eight campaign missions and these are simply a wedge of revision for those who are already able at playing Advance Wars. The interface of the game is simple; most of the important information is displayed on the upper screen this time for less confusion. So is the concept; it is literally a simple strategy game when you get stuck into it, but it's one with incredible depth and infinite possibilities for victory or failure. It's an oddly satisfying game, even though when you get down to it all you're doing is moving some tanks, infantry, ships and aircraft around an environment and trying to destroy any other units that are a different colour to you. This game adds loads of new features to an already substantial strategy game without ruining the golden, basic formula that made the series so bloody good in the first place.
So if you own a DS, and you want a great, immersive game with excellent gameplay elements and will last longer than your own lifespan, you really should make Advance Wars your very first port of call. It's a highly addictive, infectious strategy game with a wealth of game modes and multiplayer features that you really should own if you have Nintendo's unique handheld. Highly recommended for n00bs and hardcores alike.