Battalion Wars 2

Battalion Wars II is a video game for the Wii that uses the Wii Remote and Nunchuk attachment. Apart from the single payer campaign, it also offered the possibility for online battles with or against other players around the world, in three different game modes. It is a sequel to the sleeper hit GameCube title Battalion Wars. According to VGchartz, BWii, as it is commonly abbreviated, has been more successful than its GameCube companion. A possible reason is because the Wii sold higher numbers than the GameCube, meaning more people were able to play the game, including the multiplayer.

Gameplay

The game consists of a variety of missions that will have you taking control of a battalion. Only one character or unit can be directly controlled by the player at a time, though you can also command your other units to perform specific actions or simply switch which unit you're directly controlling. The unit you control can be moved by using the joystick on the Nunchuk attachment, while Z will lock target onto an enemy and the b trigger on the Wii Remote will cause your unit to shoot. To choose which target to shoot or target onto, the player must point with the Wii Remote.

While commanding your other units, you can either tell all of your soldiers to attack or perform a certain action, or select a specific type by using the d-pad on the Wii Remote. For example, one type of unit may specialize in performing a certain action, such as burning down barricades. Since having all units attack the barricade will come to no avail, it's appropriate to just select flamethrowers to do the dirty work for you by selecting their icon by using the d-pad. They will then automatically do what they were assigned to do.

Units

Infantry

Infantry are basic soldiers who travel on foot. They are lightly armored, not very fast compared to most units, and most of them are relatively weak against vehicles, aerial units, and naval units, although they are the only type of unit that can capture facilities and occupy nests or towers. They're also very maneuverable, and all of them are able to swim for a while.

• Grunt: Rifle Grunts are basic infantry that are effective against most types of infantry, but they're ineffective against any other kind of unit.

• Bazooka: Bazooka Veterans are powerful against most vehicles, but they're weak against other infantry.

• Anti-Air: Anti-Air Veterans are very powerful against air units, but they're not effective against any other kind of unit.

• Flame: Flame Veterans can easily decimate other infantry in close quarters, but they're weapons are ineffective against other units. The Solar Empire version of the Flame Veteran is the Plasma unit, while the Xylvania version of the unit is the Acid Gas unit.

• Assault: Assault Veterans are effective against other infantry from a distance, and are also decent against lightly armored vehicles, but they're weapons are weak against heavily armored units.

• Mortar: Mortar Veterans are very efficient in flushing enemy infantry from cover, and they're also effective against vehicles.

• Munitions Expert (new, non-playable): The Munitions Expert is equipped with very powerful explosives that are needed to destroy certain weapons or units in some missions. They are completely defenseless in combat however, so you need to protect them at all costs.

• Cleanup Squad (new, non-playable): The Cleanup Crew is a special group with the sole purpose of cleaning the vandalized statue of Colonel Windsor in only one mission. They are each equipped with a Anglo Grunt rifle, and must be defended to accomplish the mission.

• Staff Bearer: The staff bearer is playable, but only in the prologue mission of the game. While he is actually a regular grunt, the staff provides a large buff to both damage resistance and weapon damage. As such, the player, as the staff bearer, is able to take out the Iron Legion's Battlestation in the Prologue.

Ground Units

Vehicular units are manned units that each have a different advantage and disadvantage against certain units. Vehicles can't traverse some terrain such as hills and woods as well as infantry, and they'll take damage if they stay submerged in water.

• Light Tank: Light Tanks are effective against most infantry and lightly armored vehicles, but they're weak against stronger tanks, aerial units, naval units, and groups of Bazooka Veterans. They are however the fastest of all tanks.

• Heavy Tank: Heavy Tanks are more powerful than Light Tanks, but they're also slower. They share most the Light Tank's weaknesses.

• Battlestation: The Battlestation is the most powerful of all tanks, and it's a threat to all land units, but it's vulnerable to aerial and naval units. Its turret works similarly to an Artillery unit's, but it's the slowest of all vehicles, and it lacks maneuverability.

• Recon: The Recon is a lightly armored vehicle that is fast, maneuverable, and effective against infantry with weak firepower, but they're vulnerable against tanks, Bazooka Veterans, aerial units, and naval units. The Recon seems to possess the Light Recon's speed and the Heavy Recon's armor and firepower from the previous game.

• Artillery: The Artillery is very efficient at attacking enemy units from a long distance, as well as destroying enemy emplacements, like nests and towers. However, it has to stay still in order to aim properly, and it's practically defenseless in close combat.

• Anti-Air Vehicle: The AA Vehicle devastates aerial units with its missiles, but it's not effective against other types of units.

Air

Air units are the fastest of all units, and are able to fly through the air freely, but most of them can't stay still, and have to keep moving.

• Air Transport: These helicopter-like vehicle's sole purpose is to transport infantry and ground units. With only one or maximum two machine guns as armament, it is not suitable for use in combat. While is has a moderate speed, it is vulnerable to most air units and anti-air vehicles.

• Gunship: Gunships fulfill the close air support combat role, like present day assault helicopters on which they are based. They are the only aerial units that can stay still in the air and strafe around targets. They're effective against most ground units, most naval units, and other gunships, but they're weak against fighters, and units that specialize in anti-air combat.

• Fighter: Fighters are the most agile of all air units, and the fastest unit overall. They're also the only air unit that can barrel roll, which allows them to avoid some anti-air missiles. Fighters are very powerful against other air units, but they're ineffective against any other type of unit.

• Bomber: Bombers are effective against most land and naval units. They're slower than the Fighter, but they're more heavily armored. However, they are vulnerable to other air units, frigates, and units that specialize in anti-air combat, as they arre not able to dodge incoming AA-fire.

• Strato Destroyer: The most powerful of all air units, Strato destroyers possess strong weapons and heavy armor, but they're also the slowest of all air units. They are not playable.

Naval

Naval units can only travel across seas, but they are effective against certain unit types.

• Naval Transport: Similar to Air Transports, these ships are weak in terms of fire power, with only one machine gun at their disposal. Again, its sole purpose is to transport infantry and ground units by sea. They are vulnerable to most air units, most ground units, and other naval units.

• Battleship: Battleships have an even longer range than the Artillery unit, and are able to still deliver fire onto a target with great accuracy while on the move. Quite powerful against land units and most naval units, they are almost completely defenseless against submerged Subs and aerial units, despite possessing some light AA capability which automatically open fire when an enemy air unit is in range.

• Frigate: Frigates are very effective against air units, Subs, and even submerged Subs. But they are very vulnerable to Battleships and Dreadnoughts.

• Submarine: Subs are very effective at sneak attacks on other naval units except for Frigates and enemy Subs. They're able to submerge for a while, making them invisible to all units, except for Frigates, and other Subs.

• Dreadnought: Dreadnoughts are even more powerful than the Battleship, and offer a longer range of fire, but they're also slower. It shares the Battleship's weaknesses.

Multiplayer modes

Multiplayer was introduced in this game, using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

• Assault - One player protects a base while the other player tries to conquer it.
• Skirmish - A timed game, player with the most points (earned by killing enemy units and capturing facilities) when the time runs out is the winner.
• Co-op - two players work together to complete a mission against the computer.