Game: Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (DS)

Advance Wars really is awesomeness in a can. I still think that the first, released on the GBA way back when, as one of my most favourite games ever with two just bringing more of the same. Dual Strike was less special, with the developers unfortunately falling into the trap of using as much of the DS hardware as possible, irrespective of how it may total an otherwise perfect game.

But they seem to have heard us now, and seem to have removed the guff from Dual Strike. I'm not very far and am still in the tutorial sections of the game, but it seems pretty back to basics to me. I think that Dual Strike forced you to use the stylus at some points, where this doesn't. Twin fronts have also gone and co-op powers (and co-op maps) have been removed and the action seems to remain on the bottom screen now. All these things peed me off before in Dual Strike.

It's all just back to basics, but redone properly for the DS. Menus stay where they're supposed to, on the top screen, and all buttons are used for something useful. The story is a bit crap (and there's no Nell any more. Sigh) but that's a minor thing in the general glory of this game.