Nintendo's much-admired Advance Wars series goes all gritty and serious on us in 2008 with the release of Dark Conflict (Days of Ruin in the USA). The keywords are in the title: dark, ruin - oh dear! Never mind though, because this means a new-ish direction for Advance Wars, and a 12+ rating. None of that '7+/Exempt From Classification' lark here, sonny. Advance Wars means serious business this time around.

90% of the world's population has perished thanks to a series of tidal waves, mete ... more >>

Nintendo's much-admired Advance Wars series goes all gritty and serious on us in 2008 with the release of Dark Conflict (Days of Ruin in the USA). The keywords are in the title: dark, ruin - oh dear! Never mind though, because this means a new-ish direction for Advance Wars, and a 12+ rating. None of that '7+/Exempt From Classification' lark here, sonny. Advance Wars means serious business this time around.

90% of the world's population has perished thanks to a series of tidal waves, meteor storms and earthquakes. There are clouds of ash in the sky, and the sun barely shines on the (un)fortunate few who have survived these catastrophes. A dark environment means a dark mood, and the survivors enter into a battle of dog eat dog, the warring factions each striving to move in its own particular direction towards the establishment of a new civilization.

You assume the role of a commanding officer of your own army in your struggle to survive, and have the choice of playing a lengthy single-player campaign or going up against real human enemies courtesy of the DS WiFi facility. In 'Free Battle' mode, players can challenge themselves and up to three opponents on 170_maps. This mode is played at close quarters, with just one console being passed around. The succinctly-named 'Battle' mode enables you to play against up to three other players anywhere in the world via WiFi. Each player must have a copy of the game, mind. There's also a Design Room where you can create your own battle maps - using the stylus and touchscreen, of course - and share them with others. << less