Advance Wars: Dual Strike (Nintendo Ds)

Fight to the death: In Omegaland.

Herald rating: * * * *

Not many games brought out on the DS have taken my fancy. Nintendogs did some genuinely interesting things with the device's dual screen and voice recognition, but I've been craving a good mix of strategy and action, and Advance Wars: Dual Strike is the first I've come across that delivers.

It's a turn-based strategy game, like Civilization meets Command & Conquer, but with less-complicated graphics.

It has a retro, plastic feel to it, but the game does have depth.

It's set in Omegaland, where the Black Hole army wants to take over the world,but is opposed by a multicoloured band of factions with names such as Blue Moon and Green Earth.

But who cares about the names, because once you're on the battlefield you'll be too busy concentrating on the fight to the death that will test your skills as a general.

The battles play out on a series of maps dotted with cities. Taking control of cities allows you to generate cash and more military units.

Battles can drag on forever. Just when you think you have the upper hand, an enemy-held city will churn out more military units and the contest continues.

Tanks, infantry, armoured cars, missiles, ships and planes can be sent into battle, and battles are presided over by a commanding officer you choose at the start. They have their own super-powers, and can team up to share control of an army.

Commanding officer Colin is wealthy and able to buy more military hardware, while Jake has an advantage when attacking over open land.

You win the game by killing all enemy units or by capturing their base.

One of the DS screens displays the battleground, the other a wealth of information about objects, cities and your units. If the battle is being fought on two fronts, both screens will display the conflicts.

A handy map editor is included so you can design your own maps.

I haven't tried the game in "Versus" wireless mode yet. Each competitor will need a copy of the game , but I imagine it could make for some compelling - if long-winded - multiplayer gaming.

* $80