Due to previous disappointments with DS sims, I was incredibly wary going through with this purchase.
Anno 1701 is a change of pace and mood for me. The game, quite simply, looks incredible. This game is the best art/graphic combo I've ever seen on a DS, and even on other systems. It mixes in some nice little 3D effects as well--making this game an great looker.
The game also includes some very well placed controls--considering that the game is controlled entirely by the stylis. It's easy to move around and carry out certain commands. The buttons are placed in a standard loop whenever you select a specific building or button on screen.
The most important part of the game is it's gameplay and difficulty level. The gameplay is very smooth and streamlined--and it's easy to tell that the programs (and artists) involved put allot of hard work into making sure this game was absolutely buggless. What I especially love about the game is that there is absolutely no way to take away the challenge in the game. No matter what settings you place the game on, you have challenges to overcome--mainly because the game is so micromanagement heavy.
Anno 1701 is very comparable to Sim City in game style. It includes many seperating elements, but still feels familiar. The game is, by nature, much harder than Sim City or it's older PC based cousins. It provides many features to help and hinder you, but never in an annoying or even pretentious way.
What is fairly disappointing is the mediocrity of story. Fortunately, the difference between this game and any other adventure or story based game is that the story is built around the gameplay instead of the gameplay being based on the story.
The combat system is interesting. It's pretty standard building to building type combat. It's very hard to take over an inhabited island, but it's very easy to defend one. The game almost forces you to take your economy into account, mainly because it costs so much to build an army. Most wars with other colonies will sort of end up being consistant coldwar type battles in which the economy will be the leading factor in the deciding victor. It's all about being richer than your opponent.
In the end, Anno 1701 is a great game, not like most sims on the DS. It's a recommended buy at any price (for me $20 was well worth it).