We all know that a continuation of the Advance Wars series is going to be a success; both previous instalments have proved to be two of the best titles available on the GBA, and the new DS edition is looking to be no drop in quality. When you take such a popular and consistently good series and radically change it, though, you never know what to expect.

Since it was first revealed back in E3 2004, the Kuju-developed Battalion Wars (then titled Advance Wars: Under Fire) has intrigued me. I was quite a fan of Reign of Fire; while a relatively low-key release and certainly wasn't met with critical acclaim, I had great fun with it. The missions had depth and were frequently quite frantic and exhilarating. Now it appears that Battalion Wars is the closest we'll get to a spiritual successor; you see, turn-based strategy has been ditched for full 3D, real-time action.

It's a far cry from the handheld adventure; instead of every move having to be perfectly thought out, fast-thinking will gain you far more accolades than taking your time in this new quest. You take control over an entire army or troops and vehicles, and at any given time can directly control any unit. While the choice of units doesn't seem quite as diverse as the GBA versions, all the essentials are here; heavy-armoured tanks, airborne vehicles, infantry armed with everything from rocket launchers to flame throwers and many more. There's certainly enough choice of pain to inflict upon the opposition, just not quite as much as Battalion Wars' 2D counterparts.

Already though, it's apparent that those expecting depth on the same level as Advance Wars will be somewhat disappointed; the orders you can give to your army go little beyond that seen in the likes of Rogue Leader, you can get soldiers to follow, stay put and attack. So far, though, things are looking good; there are no signs of action reducing to shallow and mindless button bashing, even though commands are minimal, using them properly is essential to succeed. The only other major worry is the change between units. Changing itself is simple enough, but keeping things smooth and familiar while changing between land and air units could easily become cumbersome and problematic. As previously stated, Kuju have had experience with the likes of Reign of Fire, but with such immediate changes controls must be highly intuitive to work well.

Aesthetically, Battalion Wars does its job, but it's certainly nothing startling. While not quite as cute and distinct as handheld renditions of the series, you can certainly see where this iteration got its style. It's half realistic, half cartooned, and I suppose the simplistic visuals suit this sentiment to a certain extent. You can also be assured that the fire effects will be top notch, so your sadistic need to burn cute little soldiers with flamethrowers will be fulfilled in style.

Things are looking good for Battalion Wars; while certainly not looking to be on the same level as Advance Wars, it's going to be fun in a different way. This title looks to rely on fast-paced action over strategy, and while purists may well want to look elsewhere for their AW fix, it could well end up being great. There are still a few issues that could crop up, but this is one to watch.

And yes, it's fine to be strangely attracted to the extremely short General with no neck (just me then...?).