Advance Wars: Dual Strike
Advance Wars Dual Strike is the third game in the highly praised Advance Wars series. I played a little of the first, but other than that this was new to me. Other than the difficulty, I'm pleased to report this is an all around great game and should be in any DS owner's collection. When you first start the campaign, you watch the Advance Wars version of a cutscene which is really just pictures of the characters faces with text by them. It's nothing ground breaking but it works. The basic story of the game is the infamous Black Hole Army is back and you and several new recruits have to stop them. It uses the timeless strategy of not letting you know the enemies plan until it's nearly too late to stop them. When you finally get to play, you are guided by your mentor Rachael. She tells you what units do and what most of the controls are. The first few levels ease you in very gradually to what you think will be a pretty simple game, but things get rough fast. Almost every mission one or more new units are put in for you to use. This is fun until you are forced to use all of them together. That is when things get frustrating. You have tons of units and you struggle to remember what situations each excels in. This will likely take you several tries to complete and get used to. Once you do though, the game gets a little easier since you know what everything does. You'll know at a glance how far each unit can move and know what each unit is at a glance. This is when the game gets really fun. Another cool feature is the CO's abilities. When you kill enemies the CO meter fills up. When it's full you can do a special move which buffs your units, or if you wait to fill the second bar up you can unleash a power that can turn the tides in a single turn. Depending on which CO you're using the buffs are different. One CO might specialize in close range while the next specializes in long range. This adds even more choices at your disposal to take down your enemies. The graphics are nothing special. In two words, very pix-elated. They could have been done better but in the long run it doesn't detract from the overall experience of the game. The sound is, again, nothing to get excited about. There are very few different songs in the game, but at least the ones you do have are pretty good. It keeps the atmosphere light and upbeat. In addition to the campaign, there are several other game modes. My personal favorite is just like the regular game except in real time. Others include a multiplayer for use with friends and a map editor. This makes the replay value huge. You will most likely be playing this game for months. It is addictive, fun, and well, addictive. If you're a fan of the first two Advance Wars games or a newcomer, this game has something for almost everyone.
Gameplay: 9
Graphics: 9
Sound: 7
Value: 10
Tilt: 9
Overall: 9.0
Nintendogs
I have been waiting for this game since I first heard about it. I wanted it so bad I almost imported one from Japan just to play it. Now it's mine (and in English, I might add) and it's great. The puppies are incredibly lifelike and unbelievebly fun to play with. When you first turn play the game you are told to choose a puppy to take home. Depending on which version you get, you will have a different selection of puppies. All versions are exactly the same except for the dogs types, so it doesn't matter too much which one you buy. When you get your puppy and bring him home there is a tutorial you follow. It teaches you how to train and play with your new friend. It makes use of the stylus and the microphone, so it's a very hands on game. After the tutorial is done you're on your own. It's up to you to train your dog and keep him alive. You have to buy water and food to feed him, and bathing stuff to give him a bath. You can take him on walks and pick up items along the way. After you take him on a few walks his stamina will get better and he will be able to walk farther. On the walks you can stop by the park and train for competitions. Competitions are probably the best part of the game. You can train your dog and take them to compete for cash prizes and their ranks will automatically move to what I like to call the dogs "permanant record". It shows how hungry and thirsty your dog is, as well as how much time he has spent with you, how clean he is, what tricks he knows and what he has eaten. The game is pretty simple and most of the fun comes from just playing with your dog. The game is better played in short sessions as your dog gets tired after a lot of activity. Overall, this is the best game on the DS to date.
Gameplay: 9
Graphics: 9
Sound: 8
Value: 9
Tilt: 10
Overall: 9.2
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