Advance Wars: Dual Strike Review

By Nicola Six Published 29 September, 2005

A must-buy handheld classic.

Version tested: DS

Being yet another game to shoehorn a DS-related subtitle into its name, Advance Wars: Dual Strike once again sets out to prove that two screens are, indeed, better than one. But is it really the great, er, Advance we're all hoping for, or another dead-eyed attempt by Nintendo to get us to part with our hard-earned cash in an effort to play the same game on another handheld? Could Intelligent Systems really bring more to the game than had previously been achieved on GBA without ruining the essence that made Advance Wars such an essential offering in the first place?

Short answer? Damned Straight it does.

Dual Strike not only makes clever use of the DS, but beefs up the content while maintaining the ease, simplicity and out-and-out compelling gameplay that previous versions delivered in spades. If you thought either of the previous two versions were good, then it's probably best to acknowledge from the off that the best part of the next few months of your life will be lost to the third handheld incarnation of the classic turn-based strategy masterpiece. It's definitely one of those games.

For the benefit of those of you unfortunate enough to have missed out on the previous classics in Advance Wars series (and the dreadful UK sales figures suggest that's most of you), it's like a genius reincarnation of chess, except you get to move all the pieces (tanks, artillery, infantry, planes, ships, you name it) on the battlefield in one turn. That said, it's better than beardy old chess because you get all of the contemplative lip-biting strategy of mastering your approach and attack, while also getting to see how more than one movement affects the status of the game. Every choice you make counts, from your CO's (Commanding Officer's) strengths and weaknesses to your enemy's foibles. You're in control and each decision can potentially swing the stakes back into your favour, or hand advantages to the opposition.

'Advance Wars: Dual Strike' Screenshot 1

Treasure Hunt

In previous Advance Wars, we met Nell, a happy and chirpy CO with great foresight and the charm of an air stewardess, not to mention the uniform (the only clothes she possesses, it seems), but this time around we're guided by Rachel (Nell's younger sister) who introduces us to the other newer COs - like skater yoof Jake, or our enemy Kindle, the vain luvvie working for the nefarious Von Bolt (the desert-craving old dude with a bad case of asthma). Mix Stephen Hawking and A Team brain candy, then imagine that motley crew were your opposition

Enough about the playground jollities of the slightly throwaway plot and their cartoon antics - where does the dual screen come into play? Simply, the bottom touch screen is the main arena, and where you play out each primary mission. You can use the stylus to move your units if you like, but it's arguably quicker, easier, and more accurate to carry on using the old fashioned d-pad/buttons combination as before. Controlling each unit with an effortless tap of the thumb is still a more reliable and speedy means of commanding your units that drawing wiggly lines on screen - but hey, it's there. Some may prefer using the stylus, but it just seemed like a novelty to us.

The top screen, meanwhile, offers an additional sub plot to most missions. If you like, you can control all the action on both screens of the DS, though you don't have to - for an easier and quicker game you can leave the top screen on auto and watch events unfold between your turns. If anything it just adds another dimension to each mission, but at times it can be a bit tedious waiting for the secondary front to re-jig itself before each day is over. On the other hand, if your COs succeed in completing their task on the top screen, they can come and help you battle things out on the primary front afterwards. Before the end of each day (or turn) you have the opportunity to swap over your COs - which seemed initially like some sort of pointless job share arrangement. But, as it happens, it's a good aspect of the game because you get to apply the merits of two COs, rather than just one. If you lose though, watch out: the enemy will be able to perform a CO swap instead and this advantage places the winner in a much stronger position.

'Advance Wars: Dual Strike' Screenshot 2

Ever get the feeling that you're being watched?

Continuing this new 'Dual Strike' emphasis, if you're lucky enough to have two of them available on the same mission and can manage to get them both up to super power, you are given the option to tag. This means that you get to blast the enemy with your CO super power, take a turn, then change to the next CO, use their super power and take another turn - in effect moving twice. This is handy for a multitude of reasons, such as attacking and retreating, getting closer to the enemy HQ, or simply capturing buildings and bases, which normally take two turns to master. In tagging mode you are under the least amount of threat from the enemy, because not only do you bombard the enemy with all your strengths; you also have the luxury of two days' worth of movement and attack time counted as only one. It really is a great feature because it makes you concentrate on the characteristics of the opposition much more than the previous games ever did.

Another new element is the Combat Mode; a simple real-time shooter version of the traditional game, where you move one unit around at a time and try to duke it out with the other units busy scurrying around on screen. Essentially the objectives and rules are exactly the same, but you move around (with the d-pad) to capture the enemy headquarters while dodging bullets. It's something Advance Wars veterans won't be used to seeing on the maps - bullets flying, that is. Although it's a nice enough bonus addition, it's little more than an old school top down shooter with AW rules, so don't get too excited - save that for the campaign maps and the standalone challenges offered in the War Room, or maybe even the new wireless multiplayer battles for up to four players. Maybe you'll even draw your own maps with the stylus and create your own masterpieces to play against your pals. There are literally hundreds of hours of entertainment to be had if you delve deep enough.

Sure, variety and depth are evidently here in abundance, but something that’s so unique and enjoyable about the series is that it offers snappy little missions into the bargain of a chapter-based game. The result is a package that could keep quite feasibly keep you amused for months on end, while never drawing things out for too long. No mission outstays its welcome. It's a game that offers a feeling of resolution because it’s whittled down to a manageable bite-size chunks that make it the perfect handheld companion. It's essentially these elements that make it addictive; it keeps you there and stops your attention from waning. Journeys and commutes whiz by in a blur of combat; the resolution and reward of finishing many short missions in what would otherwise be dead time leads to extended periods of obsessive mission-completion.

'Advance Wars: Dual Strike' Screenshot 3

Not much hope here.

The drill of waking up in the morning, zipping through half a mission before the morning shower and flipping the DS open again on the daily commute is no joke. Mission complete. Save over existing data? Yes please. Setup, deploy troops, off we go again. It's a game that'll even lure you back at lunch, en route to a meeting, or later on the tube home. Your hand instinctively reaches into your bag for the next fix. You. Simply. Can’t. Stop. Playing. If you don’t manage to get a mission in before dinner, you'll undoubtedly make your excuses, and finish up what you began at some point in the evening. You really will ask whether it's strictly healthy to be still deploying troops in the darkness and upon waking in the morning. Your partner will probably imagine you've been at it all night. Maybe you will. It's that sort of a game. Obsessive-compulsive fun.

But what the hell? You've just saved the world from satellite missiles, black sludgy oozium, cloned COs, volcanic eruptions and crimson seas, and been promoted over eighty times, received S and A rank medals of glory, built mega tanks, blasted pipe runners and dodged black bullets. You deserve respect.

Don't be fooled by the simplistically stylised cartoonified visuals, either. While they don't exactly push the DS anymore than they did on the GBA (which isn’t saying a lot either), it doesn't matter a jot. If any game exists today to prove that flashy visuals don't matter on a handheld, Advance Wars Dual Strike is that game. It succeeds by offering everything that the previous games in the series did, but building on the successful formula in an interesting and unique way that don't break anything. Thankfully, if you’ve managed to avoid the series, it doesn't matter. The tutorial's brief but thorough, and you'll slip into the addictive action before you've even realised what's hit you.

It's certainly true enough that Dual Strike doesn't appear to offer much more than the previous versions on the surface, but dig a little deeper and it's obvious there's so much more to it. As long-term fans might expect, Intelligent Systems' uncanny knack of being able to come up with fresh ideas and more challenging maps and missions is the reason we keep coming back. Whether you've played it before or you're a newcomer wondering what the fuss is about, it stands out as one of the finest handheld games ever. Resistance is futile. Buy it, play it, love it.

9 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
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About Nicola Six

Read more articles from Nicola by visiting the Nicola Six archive page.

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Comments (74) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Razz #1 6 years ago

    9/10 !!! my god! that good eh?

  • RabidMonkey #2 6 years ago

    I like the look of this but I've never really played the GBA Advance Wars games.

    Oh well, off to read the review.....NOW!

  • Bitkari #3 6 years ago

    So, how is the multiplayer then?

  • bef #4 6 years ago

    This is game I really want to like. But I already know that I'm too stupid to play it. I've said it before, I suck at strategy games.

  • GuiltySpark #5 6 years ago

    i want a ds!!!!!!!!!

    oh wait
    no i dont

  • RabidMonkey #6 6 years ago

    Why not?

  • Huntcjna #7 6 years ago

    I want north and south to come out for the DS that game was awesome however for now I will have to settle with this roll on tomorrow!

  • tengu #8 6 years ago

    Hmm... if I stopped drinking for a week, I could probably get a DS... Nah, I'd prefer the booze.

  • jiveguy #9 6 years ago

    I've been playing this for the alst week or two (about half way through now I think) and I'm really liking it. Which suprised me, as I had played Advance Wars for the GBA through nefarious means and couldn't really get into it at all.

    bef: Yeah, I felt like that sometimes, but I usually figured something out on the second try :)

  • #10 6 years ago

    \o/

    Yet ANOTHER DS game I'm gonna have to get!

  • sir_tripod #11 6 years ago

    I've got this game. It's ace.

    [edit]In fact, I've had it for a few weeks. Longevity on this is unbelievable. You won't be completing this game in a hurry.[/edit]
    Edited by 1 at 29/09/05 @ 15:58

  • Hicksy #12 6 years ago

    Not big into RTS but still really like this game

    good review :)

  • smelliot #13 6 years ago

    Definitely the best DS game to date. I have the US version, and I love it to bits.

  • Kiigan #14 6 years ago

    It's the worst of the Advance Wars series.

    It's still very good, but overall the dual screen hasn't been used much, the touch screen adds very little (in fact, it frequently detracts from the experience, as it is quite awkward to de-select units and you tend to find yourself accidentally hitting the "menu" button at the top centre of the screen instead of a unit you want to use, and you often accidentally use up a turn for a unit due to an unfortunate tap of the stylus - much less positive and definite than the GBA interface) and the new additions are pretty gimmicky and unnecessary. Also juggling 4 or 6 COs in a single battle is just silly.

    The first Advance Wars on GBA was great - well balanced, chess with cute little soldiers. It's all been downhill since then really. AW2 and AW:DS are both worth playing, but the original is still the best.
    Edited by 1 at 29/09/05 @ 16:15

  • sir_tripod #15 6 years ago

    Not big into RTS but still really like this game

    It's not RTS, it's turn-based. I guess you could call it a TBTS game.

  • Kiigan #16 6 years ago

    "Not big into RTS but still really like this game"

    I expect that's because Advance Wars isn't an RTS then.

  • Hog-lumps #17 6 years ago

    I think I'll be getting this and castlevania first thing tomorrow morning then!

  • justMe #18 6 years ago

    Why not 10/10? I'm still waiting for my copy to arrive, but if it really is better than the original, it deserves a 11/10. Advance Wars is the best strategy game I've ever played.

  • Burton2000 #19 6 years ago

    ive had the american version for some months now and ive completed it and i have to say i tried using touch screen to select units but its just much better and easir to use the gud old D pad. also the second screen is quite gud in it especialy when theres a second front. however something i have do find dif to the other 2 is im not playing it as much before id play it for months on end and unlock everything but for this one ive completed it and aint raely gone back to it. but the campaign is worth playing twice for the endings

  • marilena #20 6 years ago

    Quite an influx of freelancers on EG these days. If the Nicola Six that wrote this review is the same one as this one (safe for work, don't worry), please keep her.

  • Kiigan #21 6 years ago

    "ive had the american version for some months now and ive completed it and i have to say i tried using touch screen to select units but its just much better and easir to use the gud old D pad."

    I'd agree with you, if your spelling was a little better :)

    You're correct though - you quickly finding yourself using the d-pad instead of the stylus for selecting units. A real missed opportunities to adapt the interface to a more natural touch-screen one, I feel.

  • UncleLou #22 6 years ago

    Does anyone know how many missions the campaign has?

  • smelly #23 6 years ago

    Eurogamer are obviously sega fanboys.. how DARE they give a good game a good score?

    :-)

  • Golgo #24 6 years ago

    Dammit!

    Castlevania DS out tomorrow too.
    Can't afford time or dosh for both...
    Gnn...gnn...brain hurts...!

  • casualgamer #25 6 years ago

    28, Unclelou.

  • speedjack #26 6 years ago

    This and Meteos are the only two reasons I'd buy a DS.

  • knif3r #27 6 years ago

    when's this coming out on the Gizmondo? I'm getting tired of Typing Tutor...

  • wattoo #28 6 years ago

    A friend bought this, I looked at the multiplayer maps and they're all the ones from my GBA version. This went from a must have to a not at all.

  • Wobble #29 6 years ago

    wasp 29-Sep-05 16:06:11 :

    "Work instead of being on here so you can afford both. "

    I wasn't aware those two were mutually exclusive.

    Oh, you mean actually _do_ work? ... that's crazytalk.

  • UncleLou #30 6 years ago

    28, Unclelou.

    Cheers! That doesn't sound like an awful lot though, does it, especially when it's true what the review says, that they're rather short in itself.

    Where are the months of gameplay coming from?

    Mind, I bought it already, I just wonder how long it'll last me (never had AW1 or 2).

  • eric2k5 #31 6 years ago

    When is the PSP version out?

    (joke)

    9/10 hmmm. Might consider a DS>

  • alco75 #32 6 years ago

    If any game exists today to prove that flashy visuals don't matter on a handheld, Advance Wars Dual Strike is that game.

    Nail.
    Head.

  • Tonka #33 6 years ago

    I love the visuals of AW. I love them so much I want to eat them.

  • Mr_Whacker #34 6 years ago

    Nicola Six and a Motley Crue reference... could this be the infamous bassist himself? Mind you, even he would manage to spell it correctly.

  • tiddles #35 6 years ago

    Nicola Six

    Yes, the quantity and quality of Martin Amis references on this site have been pitiful recently

  • Lukree #36 6 years ago

    I really want this and a DS :|

  • Scimarad #37 6 years ago

    DON'T MAKE ME BUY A DS YOU SODS!!!

  • Derblington #38 6 years ago

    I might get this tomorrow even though I really shouldn't :(

  • joey #39 6 years ago

    err, if you love games then just get a DS, and PSP, both great.

    Reasons to get a DS, in a few weeks it will be £89 in the UK, and with a glut of very good titles (finally!!) and free online play, even the most jaded gamer gotta see that as a good deal.

  • absolutezero #40 6 years ago

    Feel the Magic XX/XY
    Where do Babies Come From?
    Trauma Center : Under the Knife
    Phoenix Wright : Ace Attourney
    Wario Ware : Touched
    Advance Wars : Dual Strike
    Castlevania
    Jump Super Stars
    Naruto
    Bleach (from Treasure no less)
    Another Code
    Lost in Blue

    Want more games?

    Oh and Jake is the most irritating CO of all time ever and Jugger is indeed awesome.

  • absolutezero #41 6 years ago

    I was actually just reeling off the games that I either own or have already pre-ordered.

    Mario Kart online ftw though, and RE and Metroid (both of them) ppssshhh No games my ass.

  • The Old Bill #42 6 years ago

    He meant games already released.

    I think.

  • absolutezero #43 6 years ago

    Feel the Magic XX/XY
    Wario Ware : Touched
    Advance Wars : Dual Strike
    Castlevania
    Jump Super Stars
    Naruto
    Another Code
    Lost in Blue
    Ouendan (japanes only genius)
    Kirby canvas fine platformer
    Meteos

    Removed Pre-orders, so how many games do you want to play at once? Once you've worked your way through those then you can start on the new releases!!

  • tiddles #44 6 years ago

    It's typical Advance Wars goodness, though not too different from its predecessors so far (I haven't got very far yet).

    You guys are missing the most important reason to own a DS... Zookeeper!

    Kirby Canvas Curse is also excellent... but Super Mario 64 DS is RUINED by the control system, and while Meteos is good, I still prefer Lumines... :)

  • justMe #45 6 years ago

    Where are the months of gameplay coming from?

    After you complete the campaign mode you get the advanced campain, same missions but with increased difficulty. Then there is the war room: 100s of maps to unlock/master. The moths of gameplay come mainly from the fact that it never gets old. The analogy with chess is very valid, imo, the more you play the better you get, and there is always a challenge waiting to be mastered. And if you ever get bored with single player, find someone that also knows how to play and explore the endless multiplayer possibilities.

  • Burton2000 #46 6 years ago

    plus you just got to unlock all the characters i got so close on the last 2 only sturm i needed on both but i needed S rank on campaign and i can only get A rank overall. but no one has mentioned the cool rts mini game thats so fun to play and easy point to spend if u play it on higher dificulties.

  • brombeer #47 6 years ago

    Finally! My first DS game that was worth buying! Excellent.

  • smelly #48 6 years ago

    If none of you guys have imported/pre-ordered kirby.. then SHAME ON YOU!

    best game ever!

  • boggissimo #49 6 years ago

    Don't quite see how after such a glowing review, it "only" gets a 9/10. I think it definitely deserves a 10 (and I've just finished the first campaign (S-rank overall), and have been playing AW/AW2 for the last 2 or 3 years pretty much non-stop). It's why I bought a DS.

  • Eraser #50 6 years ago

    I got an import copy from the US and I can say its a bloody fantastic game.
    Does get quite touch once you progress through the campaigns but I guess that's good. Keeps the challenge going.

  • elchuppa #51 6 years ago

    holy crap. that pgr3 video, if real, is fucking unreal. Brought a tear to my eye, so jaded these days, nothing gets me going.. please, please.. let it be real.

  • UncleLou #52 6 years ago

    You're correct though - you quickly finding yourself using the d-pad instead of the stylus for selecting units. A real missed opportunities to adapt the interface to a more natural touch-screen one, I feel.

    Can't quite agree - lazying belly-down on the couch last night, with the DS lying in front of me, I never had to touch a single button, and just needed one hand (ahem). Much more comfortable than holding the DS all the time. Of course, on the train or generally in an upright position, the buttons will work better. :)

  • SlackMaster #53 6 years ago

    Already ordered my copy of Castlevania DS, but not from play.com as they have sold out already. :o

    Really tempted by Advanced Wars but I'd probably trade in some of my other DS games rather than buy it outright.

  • bionutz #54 6 years ago

    Is it possible to play across Nintenetwork? My friends do not play games like this (or anymore, sniff).

  • Kiigan #55 6 years ago

    "Can't quite agree - lazying belly-down on the couch last night, with the DS lying in front of me, I never had to touch a single button, and just needed one hand (ahem). Much more comfortable than holding the DS all the time"

    Ah well, whatever works for you. After nearly a year of ownership I've never yet found a comfortable position for using my DS.

    My point wasn't about physical comfort though, it was about ease of use. If you use the stylus, it is more awkward to de-select a selected unit (especially one with a large range of moment) rather than just pressing a key. It is also rather easy to register an accidental double-tap such that your unit is set to "wait" for a turn instead of what you actually wanted to do. Also, the positioning of the goddamn "menu" button in the top centre of the screen really fucks me off, not least of all when there is a unit near the top centre of the screen that you want to select.

    It's these little touches (or lack thereof) that make AW:DS not as polished as the GBA incarnations. Furthermore the dual-screen moments are few and far between, the new units gimmicky and unneeded, and the excessive CO-juggling really distracting from the core staple diet of play - strategic battle.

    For me personally, I got a lot of play out of AW:DS but it is a 7/10 at best.
    Edited by 1 at 30/09/05 @ 08:32

  • zErOb_cOOl #56 6 years ago

    What?! Nobody has said

    "Better than Halo then."

    yet?

  • Phishy #57 6 years ago

    The DS version of AD is the best yet, and the others were incredible! Also about the note with the stylus and holding positions, I havent had one single problem, and i was a massive critic of it at first, must say Nintnedo...Good Job!

  • Blerk #58 6 years ago

    Oh hang on a minute, I'm not Blerk!

    Are you sure? Really sure?

  • Xerx3s #59 6 years ago

    Played it. LUV IT!!!!!!!!!!! 0wnz! By far the best handheld game EVER! Its even better than AW 1&2! ^_^

    "Not big into RTS but still really like this game" - You mean TBS. :)

    PS: When can we expet a review of FC instincts? Its been out for a while now. -_-

  • MadMirko #60 6 years ago

    New units gimmicky? Dual Screen not used much? CO juggling distracting?

    Nononono. :)

    2 CO, as well as being able to customize them via their "skills" is a whole new layer of strategy, especially in multiplayer battles on the larger maps.

    The second screen can be used to view the other front, an overview of all COs in a battle and their money (so you can see when you need to prepare for a Dual Strike), and a permanent info screen for the units and their detailed data. All that without switching screens! You can look up unit characteristics and view them in context of the current battle situation. Cool stuff.

    Stealth fighters, MegaTanks, Oozium285, black boats all have unique advantages and disadvantages that add to your possible options.

    This incarnation of Advance Wars is the best yet, it offers customization and more strategic options and more elements to play with as well. If you ever played a 4 player match with 2 COs each you won't look back.

  • MadMirko #61 6 years ago

    Oh, and about the stylus: I really don't use it to play when I'm not lying around on the sofa and want to play one handed, but it is good to have as an alternative control scheme.

    But for the map editor it is the only sensible solution.

  • AnotherMartin #62 6 years ago

    This is a must buy for me but I am worried about the adictiveness of it again! The 2nd one the GBA stopped me reading books for about six months as it eat most of my spare time!

  • Genji #63 6 years ago

    I like it... but it stops feeling like a strategy game at some point and more like a puzzler where there's only a couple of solutions.

  • Carrybagma #64 6 years ago

    I looked at the multiplayer maps and they're all the ones from my GBA version

    Really? They've done that again? What about new maps - are there a lot more new maps? Please someone tell me if the war room is full of the same old maps? Multiplayer any good? This review does not satisfy.

    PS. When's the Rebelstar preview?

  • Teeth #65 6 years ago

    Rebelstar? Maybe when it gets a confirmed Europe date... this is Namco we're talking about. Unless they've sneaked out a date under my radar.

  • Kay #66 6 years ago

    From all the reviews I've read this is no expansion pack like AW2 was. For once it's actually got a whole bunch of new game modes, as well as CO's and units. However, it's the whole 'levelling up CO's' part of the game that has me intrigued, making me think that this probably will be the deepest AW yet.

    It's disappointing however to see that they've included the same War Room Maps again...but's that's probably because it gives you a chance to play them with the new CO's and try to earn an even better score.

  • justMe #67 6 years ago

    I like it... but it stops feeling like a strategy game at some point and more like a puzzler where there's only a couple of solutions.

    Just like chess end game puzzles, those situations serve to teach specific tactics that can be used to overcome bigger strategic challenges.

    About the inclusion of old (AW1/2) maps, I like it, new units and new COs (or slightly different starting conditions) can make the same map a very different game.

  • pete33 #68 6 years ago

    Bought Advance Wars DS yesterday,...buy it! It's awesome! Have been playing it nostop. Such a crafy little game. Takes a while to get into it, but once you're past the basic training missions, you're sweet to go!

  • towser #69 6 years ago

    Just bought my copy. cant wait to get home tonight and give it a right good thrashing!

  • justMe #70 6 years ago

    My thumbs hurt, been losing sleep, I see little tanks when I close my eyes...

    I'm addicted all over again, great great game!

  • Frozen_Pike #71 6 years ago

    Anyone here also use the stylus?

    I don't see what th issues with the touch screen are - I find it more more efficient to use the touch screen. I suppose it can be a little fiddly...

  • justMe #72 6 years ago

    I never even tried to use the touch screen, I'm too used to the gamepad interface from the previous games, fast and efficient.

  • Shroomman #73 6 years ago

    I've just gotta say this game is the digital equivelant of crack cocaine! The reviewer hit the nail on the head-- You just cant. stop. playing. I've racked up around 25 hours in little over a week and I too see little tanks and stealth fighters when I close my eyes! Without a doubt the best strategy game Ive played since the X-com games of the mid-90s.

    Anyone know of any other fun, easy to pick up turn based strategy games of this ilk (apart from, obviously, the prequels which I will duly purchase)?

  • justMe #74 6 years ago

    Of this ilk, none that I know. Advance Wars is, imo, the ultimate turn based strategy game.

    There is an online clone and some other good GBA offerings, like FF Tactics and Fire Emblem.