Preview
Platform:
WiiDeveloper:
Kuju Entertainment Ltd.Publisher:
Nintendo of America, Inc.Previewed by
Justin Fassino on 2007-10-19
The
Battalion Wars series began with a GameCube spinoff of the
Advance Wars GBA games. Eschewing turn-based tactical combat for real-time strategy and third-person shooting,
Battalion Wars was a solid game that received criticism for its lack of modes and short length.
Battalion Wars II for the Wii looks to fix those major problems by introducing a variety of multiplayer content, including head-to-head versus modes of varying complexity. Players will be able to capture bases, which they can then use to generate more troops to replenish those that perish on the battlefield.
The E for All Expo demo of
BWii is very similar to the one shown at Games Convention Leipzig in 2006, where the game was first unveiled. Two Wiis were hooked up via wireless LAN for a competitive match, and I was given access to several classes of troops: Grunts, Flamethrowers, Bazookas, and a tank. My opponent, who happened to be one of the lovely ladies Nintendo hired to work E for All, was equipped with the same team. I started at one end of the map, which was a snow-covered plain with a narrow alley down the center that connected my base to hers, and she started on the other.
BWii's controls take some getting used to at the very start, but within a couple minutes everything clicks nicely. The Z button is used to lock on to enemies, while the trigger on the Wiimote fires. Aiming is not that simple, however, as the pointer acts as a targeting reticle that is used to point your soldier's weapon in any direction. Even though you may be locked on to a target, it will still be necessary to manually pinpoint their position on-screen to hit them. This adds a nice bit of skill to the proceedings, and means the player with the best aim should come out on top. Using the d-pad and A button in conjunction with one another, it's also possible to order your fellow troops to move to a new position or attack a target. By hitting the C button, the camera zooms out to an isometric overhead view, which is useful when planning strategy in this way. And strategy is important, as certain units are strong against other units. Grunts can fire from afar with their machine gun, but they don't do much damage. Flamethrowers are useless at range, but in close they can sweep swathes of fire across formations. Bazooka soldiers are great for taking out tanks, especially in groups, while tanks are equally as deadly against groups of soldiers, which they can dispatch with a single, well-placed shot. Of course, if you want to get aerial on your foe, grab a helicopter and fire away.
Graphically speaking,
BWii maintains the comedic animated style found in the first game while increasing the polish and effects with the Wii's added horsepower. The battlefield can grow chaotic in a firefight with rockets exploding and soldiers running everywhere, and the amount of sheer madness on-screen at once is pretty impressive.
Unfortunately,
Nintendo didn't have any single-player content playable, but developer
Kuju Entertainment will be adding five new naval unit types (battleships and the like) as well as a new playable nation. The ability to micromanage individual units was also instituted into the game to make it more strategic.
BWii, which comes out October 30 in North America, has a strong chance of being a sleeper hit.
