Advance Wars: Dual Strike (Nintendo DS)

In a nutshell:
The greatest strategy game in portable history maneuvers onto the DS with new units, new COs (commanding officers), new game modes and the most addictive gameplay this side of Tetris. It may not have much in the looks department but in gameplay terms this is the supermodel of turn-based combat.

The lowdown:
Mixing chess-like complexities with an anime plotline, Advance Wars is one of gaming’s most unlikely heroes. This marks the most significant overhaul of the series yet with six new units and dozens of new features, including a real-time mode. The stylus control and dual screen display are really just gimmicks though, and it’s the new dual strike attacks that are the most interesting idea, with COs double teaming for some battle turning super moves. COs can also gain "experience", as in a role-playing game, allowing you to fine tune your army’s abilities like never before.

Most exciting moment:
A tense four way battle against friends that ends in a double whammy duel strike from hell.

Since you ask:
The Advance Wars series has been going since 1988 in Japan, where it’s known as Famicom Wars. The first to make it to the UK was Advance Wars 1 on the GBA in 2002. Advanced or not, war has historically been viewed as a bad thing.

The bottom line:
The best DS game yet and probably the best Advance Wars ever.
Harrison Dent