These days many folks use handheld devices to assist in managing their lives. Whether it's a PDA or some kind of smart phone, people can be spotted around the globe entering appointments, trading emails or assessing their stock portfolio's performance. So it's not a stretch to say that you can accomplish much with these handy little devices. But could you control an entire civilization? Well, you could if you had a Nintendo DS, because Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution delivers a robust world-building simulator with intuitive controls that is nearly as complex and detailed as its console and PC brethren.

Foreign Aid

Like the console version, Civilization Revolution suffers a bit from overly hostile AI, but the smaller stage truncates the feel of the entire experience into a brief yet volatile skirmish between ambitious rivals that doesn't necessarily detract from its enjoyment. The world map is smaller and the graphics more closely resemble those of the original PC Civilization, so Civ Rev is like a tiny blast chamber that seems ideally suited to no-nonsense warlords who just want a quick taste of victory during a bus ride.

Facilitating this hit-and-run approach to the classic planet-conquering sim are the controls, which seem to be a nearly identical port from the console version and are all the more effective because of their simplicity. Moving units around is accomplished with the d-pad, while city management can be accessed by pressing the right shoulder button. The touch screen comes in handy for finer selections (like if you have more than one unit on a grid square). The use of the stylus is unobtrusive and you can easily play a large majority of the game with just the d-pad and the shoulder buttons, but it's still nice to have the touch option available.

In general, the game has been squashed a bit in scope and graphical quality, but this is perfect for the fleeting nature of handheld play. The world map is smaller so games are typically shorter, but all of the leaders that are in the console version are available and each retains their civilization's special perks that are awarded at the turn of each of the four eras (ancient, medieval, industrial and modern). In fact, most of the console content -- like the extensive tech tree and the library of buildable structures and military and trade units -- exists within this version, which significantly lessens the blow of the muddy 2D graphics.

Fear this man, for he will ruin your civilization and you!

Samurai Warriors

There seems to be quite a disparity between the difficulty levels, because the two lowest difficulties are too easy, while the middle difficulty presents an incredibly daunting challenge. The impact of this is that games played on Chieftain or Warlord will be walks through the park (where walking through the park consists of bulldozing entire continents and reseeding them with your cities) that offer little to no resistance to your conquering armies. But playing on King, Emperor or Deity is an exercise in sadomasochism on a global, civilization-spanning scale. It's too bad, because Civilization Revolution could have offered some very tense moments with just a bit more balancing of the difficulty levels. In its current incarnation it gives an either/or proposition where on one side you have astonishing success and on the other you have a punishing ordeal.

Of course, sometimes you just want a short burst of easily winnable strategy gaming and Civilization Revolution provides a slick interface with which to get just that. While it won't be winning any beauty contests with its barebones 2D graphics, the play's the thing and the combination of solid controls and lots of content in the form of the technologies, units and variegated civilizations make Civ Rev an enjoyable and entertaining romp through the traditionally staid and somber realm of nation management.