Civilization Revolution marks an interesting departure for Sid Meier’s successful simulation series. The first one built from the ground up for consoles, Civilization Revolution brings the series’ classic gameplay to a whole new audience. As well as appearances on next-gen systems like the Xbox 360 and Wii, Firaxis Games have created a version for the Nintendo DS.

Civilization Revolution for DS features the familiar conquest-based simulation gameplay of the PC series, coupled with the unique hardware advantages that the DS offers, namely touchscreen and stylus support. While the game isn’t perfect, with a few flaws and shortcomings that can be attributed to the handheld format itself, it’s still a fun simulation game that plays well and would be a nice addition to any hardcore Sid Meier fan’s library.

The basic premise in Civilization Revolution is very similar to the PC version of the game. You must take your kingdom to the top of the political heap through diplomatic means and military might. The game feels like classic Civilization gameplay, and the stylus and touch-screen control makes the experience a lot more intuitive, as you simply need to tap on units in order to select them and then drag the stylus on the screen in order to move them around.

You’ll have the option to either play through a random map, or choose from a list of 10 different scenarios. These vary quite a bit, with options like Apocalypse! and Eternal Kombat offering a wide range of gameplay options. Additionally, the DS version has the Game of the Week feature, allowing you to download maps made by Firaxis in order to compete with other gamers for a high score.

One of the ways that Civilization Revolution separates itself from the PC games in the series is by making the whole experience a lot more user friendly. The game has ample tutorials to help you get used to the overall game mechanics, which helps a lot to bring in newcomers and get them acclimated.

Unfortunately, the game is not without its foibles, as the cramped nature of the DS’s two-screen format narrows the game’s scope quite a bit. You’ll see a limited amount of map, with a much smaller grid than you’d see on a PC screen or a television. While this is more of a system limitation than an demerit against the game itself, it is nevertheless a problem that surfaces often while playing the game. The problem is further exacerbated since there is no way to zoom your camera in or out of the onscreen action.

Also, aside from the cramped screens, the game feels noticeably scaled down when compared to other entries in the Civilization series. Granted, this is a portable entry and that’s to be expected, but the epic scale that is usually attributed to the series is a bit lacking in the DS version.

Graphically, the game is pretty simple, not really the strongest looking title in your DS library, but it works well for the game. The terrain details look decent (albeit cramped, as I mentioned above) and the unit models look pretty good. While there’s nothing here that will dazzle you and the presentation could’ve been done on the Game Boy Advance, it still works well for a simulation title.

Soundwise, the game sounds pretty good, but a bit sparse. There isn’t much in the way of actual sound effects, but the music does a good job of setting the stage for the game.

Civilization Revolution is a solid entry to the series, bringing the experience to a whole new audience. While the DS version loses a little bit in the translation, it’s still worth a look from hardcore series fans looking for a portable version of their fix.

Gameplay: 7.5
Revolution capitalizes on the DS’s strengths with some great stylus-based controls. Unfortunately, there are some problems, as the gameplay feels a bit scaled down and the maps feel pretty cramped.

Graphics: 7.0
Not dazzling by any means, the game is a 2D sprite-based game without a lot of frills, but it gets the job done.

Sound: 7.0
The score is pretty good, but the sound effects themselves are few and far between.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 7.5
The game is impressive for bringing the series to the DS in an effective way, but loses a bit in the translation.

Multiplayer: 7.5
Revolution features support for four-players to take each other on.

Overall: 7.5
Civilization Revolution is a solid entry to the series and takes advantage of what the DS is capable of from a gameplay standpoint. While it falls short in several areas, it still stands as a worthy entry to most hardcore fans of the series.