The other front
A tank’s immediate target matters less if taking the shot leaves a factory or vulnerable unit exposed. The strength of Advance Wars lies in making those trade-offs legible, then asking you to act before the opponent does. Dual Strike adds situations where the second display becomes another battlefield instead of a reference panel. The extra activity can complicate an already crowded turn, but it gives reinforcement decisions a consequence beyond the visible front.
The 2005 DS game carries Intelligent Systems’ strategy series onto two screens. Nintendo’s product description distinguishes normal battles from DS battles with separate fronts. Campaign play, map editing and a real-time combat mode also give the package different uses; their rules should not be collapsed into one multiplayer player count.
Count the next turn
Read movement and attack ranges before advancing, and count which properties each side will control next turn. Learn the campaign’s basic matchups before adding custom-map complications. The information display is useful only if you pause to consult it.
Why we chose it for Nintendo DS
Balance unit matchups and property captures while a second battle competes for attention.
Explore this console’s game selection ↗Release record
Original worldwide release: 2005. Release records above identify the console editions covered by this collection.
Sources and further reading1 reference
- Advance Wars: Dual Strike ↗Nintendo · Accessed 2026-10-28
European DS release on 30 September 2005, Intelligent Systems attribution, separate-screen battles and map editor. Wii U wireless exclusions are explicit.
