Advance Wars: Dual Strike

With a review score of 9.7 out of 10, Advance Wars for Game Boy Advance remains one of the highest rated games on NZGamer. It was a fantastic game not because the levels were as large as Grand Theft Auto or the graphics as jaw dropping as Halo, but because it pushed the boundaries of the Game Boy Advance. Beyond the deceptively simple battle system and cutesy 2D graphics, nestled a hundred hours of raw strategy addiction.

Needless to say it was a sleeper hit, and spurred by the success Nintendo quickly gave Intelligent Systems the green light to design a sequel. Unfortunately, Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising for Game Boy Advance was mostly a rehash of its predecessor. Now, fans still famished for a true Wars sequel may finally find deliverance in Advance Wars: Dual Strike for Nintendo DS.

For those unfamiliar with Advance Wars, players take turns strategically positioning and attacking each other to destroy the opposing army or capture their headquarters. Combatants will fight over land, sea and air in a destructive array of tanks, ships, and planes. Savvy commanders will utilise the terrain for defensive cover, deploy infantry to capture cities to earn money, manufacture new military units, and call upon destructive CO powers to turn the tide of battle.

While seasoned players will feel right at home in Dual Strike, Intelligent Systems have twisted the formula so they won’t get too comfortable. The first few levels in the Campaign Mode will introduce new and old players to the game’s heavy emphasis on dual COs. In the past, each player pre-selected an individual Commanding Officer to empower their army with a range of bonuses and special powers. As the name suggests, Dual Strike allows players to mix and match COs in new tag team style warfare.

Just as the original Advance Wars stuffed an obscene number of modes and maps into that tiny Game Boy cart, Dual Strike doesn’t disappoint on the Nintendo DS. Campaign Mode will hurtle players across the battlefields of Omegaland in over 20 missions, and follows the fight of the Allied Nations against the nefarious Black Hole army. The War Room is packed with maps to earn points and set high scores on. Survival Mode presents players with a marathon of maps to complete in a limited amount of turns, time or cash. The new Combat Mode lets players move and shoot vehicles in real time, in an experience that sounds more fun than it plays.

The battlefield hasn’t changed as much as the menu or CO line up. Joining the ranks of factories, cities, airports and docks are new Communication Towers that once captured increase the strength of your units. A couple of new weapons have been added, and while they may not deepen the strategy they’re nevertheless fun to use. The expensive Megatank eclipses all land units on the field, and slices through enemy roadblocks like a hot knife through butter. Players will delight in the Stealth Fighter’s ability to sneak behind enemy lines. Meanwhile the new aircraft carrier is a requisite for sustaining planes on gruelling sea assaults.

If it weren’t for the two screens and the slight isometric tilt to the maps, you would be forgiven for confusing the sights and sounds of Dual Strike with its Game Boy brethren. The 2D sprites, the CO artwork, the terrain, and the battle animations are ripped straight from the Game Boy games. While the cartoon look is still attractive, its disappointing Intelligent Systems didn’t crank out more power from the Nintendo DS. The music reeks of familiar Wars cuteness, but fortunately doesn’t irritate even when you’ve been locked on the same map for over an hour.

Completionists will find themselves in heaven amongst Dual Strike’s myriad of rankings and unlockables. Your commanding prowess is ranked on every map in the game, and players will be consumed with the challenge of scoring ‘S’ ranks from Campaign Mode to the War Room. Points earned for skilful play can be exchanged in the Battle Maps store for new War Room maps and other unlockables. An extensive stat system awards medals for in-game milestones, like playing for over 10 hours or producing a certain number of units - there are 300 medals in total and after 20 hours of play I barely had 30. Design Map has returned, allowing players to make their own maps to battle on, or send to a friend. Multiplayer remains a strong returning factor, whether you’re playing wirelessly or passing a single DS around in Versus Mode. With the new dual CO system, there are sure to be some deadly combinations to discover.

The honeymoon period is officially over, and it’s obvious Intelligent Systems are searching for new ways to keep Advance Wars fresh without wrecking the formula. It’s a tricky balance for all developers, and Dual Strike only succeeds this round by a hair’s breadth. The new dual CO system may inject new strategy, but it’s just as fun to play with a single CO. At the end of the day Advance Wars: Dual Strike may not be a revolution in warfare, but it’s polished to a shine and fat with return value, and this shouldn’t be forgotten. Dual Strike may not push the boundaries of the Nintendo DS, but there are few games out there as lengthy or addictive as this one.