Play Advance Wars: Dual Strike Online

Summary

Advance Wars: Dual Strike expands the classic turn‑based tactics of the series by letting you command two COs at once. The "Tag Power" lets their Super CO abilities fire back‑to‑back, essentially giving you two turns in a single round, and you can swap between them to cover each other's weaknesses. The DS’s two screens are more than a visual gimmick: the bottom screen hosts the main battlefield while the top can show a second front or detailed intel, letting you shift units between fronts for a layered strategic experience.

Seven brand‑new units spice up the roster. The Megatank packs massive firepower but runs low on ammo, the Piperunner zips along pipelines with long‑range indirect fire, and the Oozium glides one space at a time yet annihilates anything it touches. On the seas, the Black Boat repairs nearby allies and ferries troops, while the carrier launches air units and shoots surface‑to‑air missiles. The stealth fighter can vanish from enemy sight, and the Black Bomb self‑destructs for a devastating splash.

Dual Strike also introduces fresh game modes. Survival pits you against endless waves with limited resources, while Combat transforms the turn‑based formula into a real‑time shooter where you control a single unit at a time via the touchpad. Both modes support local wireless play, and the traditional Versus and Link battles let up to eight players clash across a variety of maps, even sharing custom maps created in the editor.

Critics praised the title for polishing the series’ formula without sacrificing its charm. Reviewers highlighted the depth added by dual COs and the DS’s dual‑screen layout, calling it a benchmark for handheld strategy games. Awards from IGN, GameSpot and several publications cemented its reputation as a must‑have DS experience.

Storyline

Advance Wars: Dual Strike continues the saga of the Black Hole Army’s resurgence, this time under a new commander named Von Bolt. After the Black Hole forces suffer another defeat, Von Bolt sends his COs to invade the newly introduced Omega Land, draining its energy with massive Black Obelisks to achieve eternal life and to power a slime‑based bio‑weapon called Oozium 238. The Allied Nations—Orange Star, Blue Moon, Yellow Comet and Green Earth—respond with new protagonists: Jake and his advisor Rachel from Orange Star, Sasha from Blue Moon, Grimm from Yellow Comet, and Javier from Green Earth.

During the conflict, former Black Hole officers Hawke and Lash notice the energy theft and, after being betrayed by Von Bolt, are rescued by the Allies. Their insider knowledge helps turn the tide, leading the coalition to a showdown in the Crimson Sea where they destroy the final Black Obelisk and face Von Bolt’s giant creation, the Grand Bolt. In the climax, Hawke (or Jake, depending on player choice) shatters Von Bolt’s life‑support chair, seemingly killing both, while the chair’s power later allows Hawke to revive Omega Land and escape, leaving Von Bolt’s fate ambiguous.