Civilization Revolution on the Nintendo DS succeeds. I'll get that out of the way first. If you enjoy the Xbox 360 or PS3 version for their game play, you should be happy with this version as well. Although, there are some noteworthy differences.
1. Graphics. Of course a Nintendo DS game won't compare with an Xbox 360/PS3 game, that comes with the territory. In this version, the map is displayed on both screens depending on what you are doing. The map is simple, but you can clearly make out the differences between water, mountains, and land. The different units can also be made out clearly, a catapult looks nothing like a warrior, and a warrior doesn't look like an archer. That said, your warrior does look like your opponents warrior, except for the toga color. And finally, whenever you enter into an altercation, the action is displayed on the top screen. The units fight, and it all looks very clean and un-scripted.
2. Sound. The Nintendo DS does not have music during gameplay. So if you cannot stand a silent battle field, you may need to put on some background music. There are battle sounds. Airplanes flying, guns shooting, arrows twanging. You can hear your troops marching across the ground, and your ships sailing across the seas. But still, no music.
3. No Civlopedia. In case you didn't know, there is a rather large encyclopedia in the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game. This details everything you could ever want to know about anything in the game. It provides a comprehensive history on each of the leaders and techs, and gives an explanation about each unit and even resources and different land types. Many will not find this to be a notable exclusion from the game, but some might.
Aside from these differences, Civilization Revolution is built on the same game engine from the console versions. Therefore it plays exactly the same. You'll find that the A.I. can be very aggressive, especially on higher difficulties, which may turn some people off the game who want to go for victory conditions other than domination. Speaking of victory conditions, there are four.
Domination: Destroy the other civilizations.
Technology: Build the space program and launch it to Alpha Centauri.
Economic: Build the World Bank.
Cultural: Build the United Nations.
There are lots of scenarios for you to try, and plenty of Civilizations to play as. As far as turn based strategy games go for the Nintendo DS, Civ. Rev. cannot be beaten, not even by Advanced Wars.
I haven't had the chance to test the multiplayer for the game due to an unreliable internet connection, but for anyone out there, the online multiplayer is bound to add legs.
Conclusion: If possible, I would recommend renting Civilization Revolution on the Xbox 360 or PS3 to be sure that you even like the game. If possible in your area, you may even be able to rent the DS version. For those of you who enjoy games like Civ 3 or 4, Civilization Revolution is a game for you on the go. It's a much simpler version than the PC games, but that's to be expected for a handheld iteration. Whether you're new to the series, or a veteran, it's hard to go wrong with the handheld version of one of gaming's most beloved franchises.
