System: Nintendo DS

Publisher: Nintendo

Reviewer’s rating: ***

ESRB rating: Everyone 10+

Game type: Turn-based strategy

Kind of like: “Command & Conquer,” except you can take as long as you want to think about what to do next.

Best feature: New units include a cool flare tank that illuminates parts of the battlefield.

Worst feature: They’re still calling it “Advance Wars” even though you can’t play it on your Game Boy Advance.

The bottom line: “Advance Wars” is one of the best handheld franchises Nintendo has ever turned out.

Everything about the newest one, “Advance Wars: Days of Ruin,” is done right.

In this turn-based strategy game, you command an army of infantry, tanks, planes, ships and more in a post-apocalyptic world. Each turn, you order your units to move and fire, and then the enemy takes its turn — or his or her turn if you’re playing against one or more human opponents. The game supports four people, either using four different systems and copies of the game, or using one DS and passing it between turns. You can also battle friends using Nintendo Wi-Fi.

You can create your own maps in “Days of Ruin,” and trade maps with your friends.

In “Advance Wars,” while you’re not shooting at enemy units, you also try to capture cities and factories. Factories enable you to build more units in the heat of battle. Deciding what to build is a big part of the strategy, because different units are stronger or weaker against different enemies. Bazooka troops, for example, are strong against tanks but not so great against motorcycle troops.