Advance Wars: Dual Strike
Marching behind the GBA sequel (and in step with the GameCube's Battalion Wars), Dual Strike drafts the DS for service in Nintendo's anime-inspired Advance Wars brand of turn-based combat. The game presents overviews and air battles in the upper display, with ground movements and interactive tactical maps in the lower touch screen. Multiplayer warfare is supported wirelessly. A single-player campaign follows a storyline involving both new and familiar "Commanding Officer" characters, and a map editor is included for when the wars have all been won. Dual Strike also offers a real-time mode, designed to reward fast fingers and quick-thinking as well as solid strategy. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide
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Product Details
| UPC: | 045496735869 |
|---|---|
| Release Date: | August 23, 2005 |
| Platform: | Nintendo DS |
| Genre: | Strategy |
| Style: | 2D Turn-Based Strategy |
Review
Mixing anime with turn-based tactical combat may seem like an odd combination, but Intelligent Systems has managed to perfect the recipe with Advance Wars: Dual Strike for the Nintendo DS. Dual Strike's stylized anime graphics and lighter tone belie a game deeper than it appears on the surface while being an awful lot of fun to play at the same time.Picking up the thread left at the end of Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising for the Game Boy Advance, Dual Strike brings many of the same characters out of retirement to battle the same foe, the Black Hole Army. This time, Black Hole is mounting a new attack on Omega Land, which is slowly starting to turn to desert. As the commander of the Allied Forces, it's up to you to beat back Black Hole and uncover the mystery of Omega Land's inexorable withering.
With Dual Strike, Intelligent Systems has created a game that feels refreshingly simple in its design and execution, while at the same time maddeningly addictive. Gameplay itself is as easy as moving your various units, from infantry to tanks to planes, to attack and destroy your opponent's armies. The bulk of the game takes place in the single player campaign, which starts you with the basics and gradually introduces you to new concepts and units with each successive map. Cut-scenes and dialog advance the story during and between battles. Of note is the particularly merciless AI, which will happily mow down poorly-planned or timed assaults.
Dual Strike also adds a number of new dimensions to the tried-and-true format of previous games. Some campaign battles take place across two screens -- a "second front" that can be AI or player-controlled. New units, such as the Stealth bomber and Carriers provide increased tactical options. And new COs, both Allied and Black Hole-controlled, bring with them correspondingly new powers and abilities. The variety of units, COs, maps, and tactics provide a healthy sense of discovery as you plow through the campaign mode.
What's more, the game includes a "Combat" mode, similar to the classic Combat video game for the Atari VCS. Here, most tactical planning goes out the window as you attempt to survive wave after wave of troops moved in real-time. Other gaming modes, such as a "survival" mode and wireless multiplayer, add replayability to the game after you've beaten the campaign on normal and hard mode. It's certainly worth it to re-enlist for another tour of duty with Advance Wars: Dual Strike.
Credits
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Sami [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Grit [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Eagle [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Sonja [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Lash [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Kindle [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Hawke [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Koal [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Jugger [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Jess [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Javier [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Sensei [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Grimm [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Sasha [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Colin [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Jake [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Rachael [Advance Wars] | Character |
| Intelligent Systems | Developer |
| Nintendo of America, Inc. | Manufacturer/Publisher |
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© 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Game Guide®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. 
