Post by Brian-RN on Aug 29, 2005 16:20:11 GMT -5
Advance Wars: Dual Strike
Since the dawn of the GBA, Advance Wars has been a popular series. Mixing the strategy genre with a war theme isn’t necessarily new, or innovative in any way, but the way Advance Wars presented it self and the way the story flowed right along with the gameplay. Dual Strike manages to transfer all of these things onto the DS flawlessly, while also improving on the core gameplay making the game even better than before.
If you’re too lazy to read this review, just let me sum it up for you: Nintendo and Intelligent Systems have made one of the best strategy games of all time even better. The main reason for saying this is the touch screen. No longer must the player go through numerous blisters involving the d-pad. The stylus makes gameplay much swifter and user-friendly. Those fans that enjoy the d-pad can still use it, but the touch screen makes things much easier.
The touch screen improves not only gameplay, but everything in general. The menus are much easier to navigate, CO powers are quicker to access, and Combat mode (which will be explained later) is much easier to control. Although sometimes the touch control can be frustrating, as the screen won’t always pick up/click on the right thing. So, while making things incredibly easier, it can also make them frustrating at the same time. So, it balances itself out pretty well.
But, the gameplay itself hasn’t changed much except with the addition of the second screen and a few other things. With the second screen comes another front, or battlefield. This means that there is either one CO fighting on each front, or a tag team fighting on both. Generally, the computer character controls the battle on the second front, leaving only the first front for the player to worry about. If the CO on the second front wins the battle, it affects the first front, and vice versa. Although one might want to only concentrate on their own battle, watching both screens is a good idea, because if something goes wrong, the player can switch control over to themselves and take matters into their own hands.
Another new addition is the Tag power. Pretty much, if the player is doing a Tag Team battle, they get to use both of those CO’s Super Powers consecutively. It can turn the tide of battle very quickly, and need to be planned for when playing against another Tag Team. Each person has their own Super Power which fits their personality. For example, Colin is prone to spending money, so his power gives him more money to buy weapons. So, they player will want to plan accordingly. Generally there are certain characters that stick out that would work well together, while some don’t.
Each character in the game has their own unique personality. For those gamers who have been fans since the GBA days, knows each of the old characters back stories. But for those players who are new to the series, Dual Strike provides enough back story for players to understand exactly who/what the CO is. This is good for new players, as knowing what CO’s are like will help them in battle, because certain situations call for certain CO’s.
There are three types of battles in Advance Wars; land, sea, and air, just as a real battle. Some units of each type can attack one another, but not all of them. Each of the types has their own base, which can be captured or are available at the start of the battle. Certain units cost more because of power or mobility. The units are priced fairly well. No unit it too much, and no unit cost so little that they can be mass produced. Money can be earned by capturing neutral or enemy cities. Every turn, funds will be added to the player’s bank. This is an important part of the game, which is generally overlooked.
Fighting has always been one of the highlights of the Advance Wars series. Whenever the player engages in battle, the screen zooms into a cutscene where the battle is played out. The winner is usually obvious, and eventually the cutscenes become rather obnoxious. Thankfully, they can be turned off and the player will only see the outcome of the battle. Not only does the attacker do damage to his/her victim, but the victim also attacks back. Both units may have the same amount of health, but one unit will do more damage than the other. It all depends on who’s attacking and which unit is where. For example, if one unit is attacking on a plain, and the other is inside a city, the unit inside the city will have more defense, giving them somewhat of the upper-hand. It’s all in the strategy.
Generally, Advance Wars has always been about strategy. Not this time. Along with all the strategic modes of Dual Strike, is a real-time action game, subtitled simply; Combat. The player starts with a certain amount of fund, in which they must buy units to use on a map. What’s really cool about Combat is that it’s not like a regular Advance Wars game. Instead of turn-based attacks, the player simply taps the screen where they want their unit to fire and run around using the D-Pad. It’s rather fun, but it can be annoying, as they units have to last the player not just one round of battle, but three or four. If it’s a new experience the gamer is looking for, this fits the bill perfectly.
Another new addition to the Advance Wars series is the Survival Mode. It’s just what it says, survival. The player plays numerous battles in a row, until they get knocked out. It’s nothing to rave about, but it’s fun for those hardcore fans out there who like challenges. Also, Dual Strike tracks the player’s stats. How many kills, deaths, minutes played, buildings captured, etc. It’s nice to look back on accomplishments, especially since Dual Strike has a lengthy story.
Besides a few new additions, Dual Strike is a lot like the previous titles. I still has the War Room, which is a plain deathmatch. Multiplayer modes are still as good as ever (and they can be either single or double pack play [Combat is also multiplayer]). Customization options are still there, and as stated earlier, map creation is easier than ever. Maps can also be traded with other Dual Strike owners via Wi-Fi, which is also a nice addition. There are also tons of pre-made maps for purchase, which means the player gets a lot for their money.
Advance Wars has always been a game that looks good. Back in the GBA days, it was a pretty good looking game, but on the DS, its looks exactly the same. Not to say that it looks bad, but it’s nowhere near the full potential of DS’s 3D capabilities. Same can be said of the sound. Although better than the graphics, the sound hasn’t changed much since the second game. Of course, Dual Strike doesn’t rely on looks, but rather straight gameplay, no neither of these really matter that much.
Easily, Dual Strike is one of the best games for the DS. Sadly, its bang-for-your-buck value, lengthy story and improved gameplay will be shadowed by the hype of Nintendogs. If you’re a DS owner and you’re looking for a great game, Dual Strike is definitely up there with the best games on the DS. It sticks to the core gameplay that made it great, and improves on it greatly. Although, Dual Strike is a strategy game, which means it’s not for everyone. So if you’re a fan of the Advance Wars series, this one’s a no brainer. If you’re new to the series, Dual Strike is a great place to start. Overall, Dual Strike is a great game, and easily the best in the series.
Overall 9.3/10
Since the dawn of the GBA, Advance Wars has been a popular series. Mixing the strategy genre with a war theme isn’t necessarily new, or innovative in any way, but the way Advance Wars presented it self and the way the story flowed right along with the gameplay. Dual Strike manages to transfer all of these things onto the DS flawlessly, while also improving on the core gameplay making the game even better than before.
If you’re too lazy to read this review, just let me sum it up for you: Nintendo and Intelligent Systems have made one of the best strategy games of all time even better. The main reason for saying this is the touch screen. No longer must the player go through numerous blisters involving the d-pad. The stylus makes gameplay much swifter and user-friendly. Those fans that enjoy the d-pad can still use it, but the touch screen makes things much easier.
The touch screen improves not only gameplay, but everything in general. The menus are much easier to navigate, CO powers are quicker to access, and Combat mode (which will be explained later) is much easier to control. Although sometimes the touch control can be frustrating, as the screen won’t always pick up/click on the right thing. So, while making things incredibly easier, it can also make them frustrating at the same time. So, it balances itself out pretty well.
But, the gameplay itself hasn’t changed much except with the addition of the second screen and a few other things. With the second screen comes another front, or battlefield. This means that there is either one CO fighting on each front, or a tag team fighting on both. Generally, the computer character controls the battle on the second front, leaving only the first front for the player to worry about. If the CO on the second front wins the battle, it affects the first front, and vice versa. Although one might want to only concentrate on their own battle, watching both screens is a good idea, because if something goes wrong, the player can switch control over to themselves and take matters into their own hands.
Another new addition is the Tag power. Pretty much, if the player is doing a Tag Team battle, they get to use both of those CO’s Super Powers consecutively. It can turn the tide of battle very quickly, and need to be planned for when playing against another Tag Team. Each person has their own Super Power which fits their personality. For example, Colin is prone to spending money, so his power gives him more money to buy weapons. So, they player will want to plan accordingly. Generally there are certain characters that stick out that would work well together, while some don’t.
Each character in the game has their own unique personality. For those gamers who have been fans since the GBA days, knows each of the old characters back stories. But for those players who are new to the series, Dual Strike provides enough back story for players to understand exactly who/what the CO is. This is good for new players, as knowing what CO’s are like will help them in battle, because certain situations call for certain CO’s.
There are three types of battles in Advance Wars; land, sea, and air, just as a real battle. Some units of each type can attack one another, but not all of them. Each of the types has their own base, which can be captured or are available at the start of the battle. Certain units cost more because of power or mobility. The units are priced fairly well. No unit it too much, and no unit cost so little that they can be mass produced. Money can be earned by capturing neutral or enemy cities. Every turn, funds will be added to the player’s bank. This is an important part of the game, which is generally overlooked.
Fighting has always been one of the highlights of the Advance Wars series. Whenever the player engages in battle, the screen zooms into a cutscene where the battle is played out. The winner is usually obvious, and eventually the cutscenes become rather obnoxious. Thankfully, they can be turned off and the player will only see the outcome of the battle. Not only does the attacker do damage to his/her victim, but the victim also attacks back. Both units may have the same amount of health, but one unit will do more damage than the other. It all depends on who’s attacking and which unit is where. For example, if one unit is attacking on a plain, and the other is inside a city, the unit inside the city will have more defense, giving them somewhat of the upper-hand. It’s all in the strategy.
Generally, Advance Wars has always been about strategy. Not this time. Along with all the strategic modes of Dual Strike, is a real-time action game, subtitled simply; Combat. The player starts with a certain amount of fund, in which they must buy units to use on a map. What’s really cool about Combat is that it’s not like a regular Advance Wars game. Instead of turn-based attacks, the player simply taps the screen where they want their unit to fire and run around using the D-Pad. It’s rather fun, but it can be annoying, as they units have to last the player not just one round of battle, but three or four. If it’s a new experience the gamer is looking for, this fits the bill perfectly.
Another new addition to the Advance Wars series is the Survival Mode. It’s just what it says, survival. The player plays numerous battles in a row, until they get knocked out. It’s nothing to rave about, but it’s fun for those hardcore fans out there who like challenges. Also, Dual Strike tracks the player’s stats. How many kills, deaths, minutes played, buildings captured, etc. It’s nice to look back on accomplishments, especially since Dual Strike has a lengthy story.
Besides a few new additions, Dual Strike is a lot like the previous titles. I still has the War Room, which is a plain deathmatch. Multiplayer modes are still as good as ever (and they can be either single or double pack play [Combat is also multiplayer]). Customization options are still there, and as stated earlier, map creation is easier than ever. Maps can also be traded with other Dual Strike owners via Wi-Fi, which is also a nice addition. There are also tons of pre-made maps for purchase, which means the player gets a lot for their money.
Advance Wars has always been a game that looks good. Back in the GBA days, it was a pretty good looking game, but on the DS, its looks exactly the same. Not to say that it looks bad, but it’s nowhere near the full potential of DS’s 3D capabilities. Same can be said of the sound. Although better than the graphics, the sound hasn’t changed much since the second game. Of course, Dual Strike doesn’t rely on looks, but rather straight gameplay, no neither of these really matter that much.
Easily, Dual Strike is one of the best games for the DS. Sadly, its bang-for-your-buck value, lengthy story and improved gameplay will be shadowed by the hype of Nintendogs. If you’re a DS owner and you’re looking for a great game, Dual Strike is definitely up there with the best games on the DS. It sticks to the core gameplay that made it great, and improves on it greatly. Although, Dual Strike is a strategy game, which means it’s not for everyone. So if you’re a fan of the Advance Wars series, this one’s a no brainer. If you’re new to the series, Dual Strike is a great place to start. Overall, Dual Strike is a great game, and easily the best in the series.
Overall 9.3/10