The war you don't want to ever end.
GRAPHICS: 8
SOUND: 10
VALUE: 10
TILT: 9
ROUGH SCORE: 9.4
FINAL SCORE: 9.5
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The Good:
- includes lots of CO's to choose from
- features a plethora of game modes
- has a very catchy, memorable soundtrack
The Bad:
- NOTHING
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First off, I have to let you all know this is my first AW game. As a result, some of my praise and criticisms may seem a little "newbish".
So with that said, let's get to business here, shall we?
The gameplay of AWDS is great. It's simple enough that after a couple of hours you'll be good to go. The controls are exactly what they should be for a game like this. The best part about the game is the sheer number of things in it. There's SO much to do. There are many modes, many maps, many CO's, many types of units. Personally, I don't think I'll ever be able to say that I've done everything there is to do in this game.
Dual Strike's graphics are, in my opinion, its weakest element. They are very similar to the graphics of the GBA titles in the series. As a DS game, I would have liked to see an upgrade. But, since they by no means look bad and still work for the series, I still gave an 8 in this department.
The sound in this game is OUTSTANDING. Not since Mega Man ZX have I encountered such an extremely catchy soundtrack. There are just so many great tracks here. I actually have several of them stuck in my head! [On a side note, I love that every character has their own theme that plays when it's their turn. That's awesome.] The music is just great because it gets the point across that you're playing a strategic war game, while at the same time, it's upbeat and cherry enough that you get that it's a bit cartoony and all in the name of fun.
And that's why this game is so awesome. It's got such character. It's got that fun, cartoony personality and yet it's a war game, complete with tanks and bombers and battleships. With so much to do, you could play this game forever, so long as you always try something new and/or you have friends to fight against. So, as far as the game's overall value is concerned, you need not be concerned. This game's got replayability and then some.
To close, I'd just like to say that as someone who has only experienced the wacky war-stricken world of Advance Wars for about ten hours, I can't believe I didn't pick up this game sooner. This is by far one of the best games on the DS. It's just a shame it's no longer in print.
(To those reading this that don't yet own a copy, do not be afraid to dish out $30-40 for a copy. That's the standard these days, and it's totally worth it.)