Like the last title Advance Wars DS here is still a turned based tactical strategy game where you command your cute candy coated armies that range from foot soldiers, tanks, boats, and air units in order to regain land taking over by the enemy. Once you moved and or purchased all your units you can then it's your enemy's turn to strike back (much like in other turn based games like Nectaris). Each of you continue fighting back and forth this until there is a winner.

Your Commanders also play a major role in the game play. Each Commander (or CO) has their own way of doing things like for example; the returning Colon may have weaker units but he can purchase them at a cheaper price so you build a large army faster then anyone else while other guys like Max have stronger overall vehicles but his indirect firing units just plain suck. The game also has a list of new comers like Jake, Sasha, and Rachael as well so there are even more styles and specials to learn and master now. Another new edition to the DS is the role playing elements where characters can gain experience during their battles so you can give your CO up to four special abilities. I tell you this game is jammed packed! That's not it for new features either. Gamers can now use special new units like Stealth bombers, Anti-Air Attack Carriers, the giant Mega Tank and more so you have a lot more to play around with this time. The game not only includes several modes like the returning Campaign and War Room, but you can compete in the new Survival (fight in 11 stages over certain rules) and Combat (the new but very limited real time battle game) mode. If you get sick of fighting the computer you can always fight your friends over cable or wireless corrections which just sky rockets the replay value even further. Perhaps the biggest difference now is once you complete a few levels you can command multiple CO's at one battle. You still have to switch between two CO's per turn but you can use their special abilities to your advantage at the right time. The game can even let you use both characters at one turn if you use the game's new special Tag attack called the Dual Strike. One of the best things about these Advance Wars games here is their controls and interface are amazing. For new players the game can be fairly intimidating at first but once you go through a few of the training missions you'll be a pro in no time. Moving around the cursor is easy enough and it's possible to view everything from the range of enemy fire to movement range just by clicking on a unit. The game even lets you control the action from the touch screen too.

Advance Wars Dual Strike isn't a huge quantum leap over the last game. Both the graphics and sounds are not pushing the limits of the system by any means and most of the turn based game play is the same as well but if it isn't broke why fix it, eh? Advance Wars Dual Strike just gives the fans more of what they love of the last games like more vehicles, more maps, more options, better artificial intelligence and less annoying menu surfing thanks to the two screens. Don't worry fans, it is still insanely addictive game of war but now it's just better on the DS. Not only is Advance Wars Dual Strike one of those sleeper hits of 2005 but it is one of the best games I ever played.