Over the years, Team 17's Worms franchise has really grown into a work all its own, a strategy series that relies just as much on silliness as it does smarts. It may have gotten a little lackluster over the last few releases, thanks its less-than-favorable debut on the Nintendo DS and a few lame-duck 3-D entries. Fortunately, Worms: Open Warfare 2 is one of the best -- if not the best -- in the series.

The gameplay remains mostly the same as other 2-D entries, as players move around a limited set of playfields and blast enemy worms to kingdom come by whatever means necessary. Various favorite weapons return, including the exploding sheep and the awesome-beyond-words ninja rope. The raging buffalo blowing up everything in its path is a must-use and the new boomerang works wonders for clearing out a field of worms ahead of you.

The Campaign mode runs through several different periods of time, starting in the pirate age and eventually working its way into outer space. Each era introduces a fun boss battle as well, where players dispatch a cunning or stronger worm before moving on. Puzzle Mode also deserves a mention, requiring you to defeat worms with limited weaponry and moves. It works brilliantly, introducing a new factor that we wouldn't mind seeing in future entries. There are also a few inventive mini-games to try out, which make fine use of the DS' capabilities. Our favorite requires you to blow into the microphone to keep a worm from dying. Finally, newcomers will get a kick out of Tutorial Mode, which explains the basic rules of wormy combat without overwhelming the player.