Blending explosive action with careful strategy and giving you the freedom to take charge of everything from a lone soldier to a hulking battleship, Battalion Wars II (BWii) is certainly not short on variety.

With land, sea and air units that you can switch between at any time and control easily thanks to the capabilities of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the game invites you to use your imagination as you control six different armies caught up in a global skirmish.    

We caught up with two of the key figures who helped develop the game at Kuju Entertainment Ltd to hear a little more about their roles in BWii and which specific elements of the game they enjoy most now that their work is complete. Creative Director Tanc Dyke-Wells and Lead Designer Andy Trowers have both enjoyed a long-time involvement with the Battalion Wars series, and are well-placed to give a verdict on what makes the game stand out from the crowd. For Andy, it is the competition of playing online that brings him most satisfaction.

"I was Lead Designer on the project so basically I was heading up the level creation of the game and the new features; making sure that all of the elements worked well together. My favourite aspect of the game, I would say, is probably the Skirmish mode actually.

"I'm a bit of a competitive gamer at heart as I'm sure Tanc would tell you! I like the competition, which is why the Skirmish mode stands out for me. We had a running competition throughout the game development, which is quite unusual for games. Usually people don't necessarily want to play a game they have been working on for years, but for us we were very much into playing against each other and even today I still like to have a good bash!"

In Tanc's case, it is the general feel of the game and the breadth of possibilities in BWii that endear it most to him as both a player and developer.

"I've been at Kuju London for seven years or so, so I'm a bit of an old-timer. My role is to basically supervise artwork, design and audio – the creative content in general and the quality of creative content that we produce here across all projects. Previous to this position I was Creative Director exclusively on Battalion Wars for GameCube, essentially acting as Lead Designer and Art Director on that project.

Learning to utilise the unique features of Wii, expanding the range of possibilities for in-game combat (most notably with the inclusion of naval units), and responding to the wishes of fans by creating a comprehensive online mode are just some of the challenges Kuju have risen to in the development of BWii.

The final result is a game that is as accessible as it is original, and an experience that is equally satisfying to fans of both all-out action and controlled strategy. The freedom to organise your Battalion any way you see fit as you work your way behind enemy lines means you need never play the same way twice, while going online via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and testing your skill against rival generals introduces the thrill of competition to proceedings and keeps you coming back to BWii again and again.

With the game now completed, Kuju’s Creative Director Tanc Dyke-Wells is keeping his cards close to his chest about the possible future of the Battalion Wars series as well as the projects in the pipeline for Kuju.

“We do have other work in development with Nintendo, which is confidential, but I think it may surprise people when they see what we have been doing. As for Battalion Wars; well, we’ll just have to wait and see…”

Whatever may lie around the corner, there is no secret that BWii is a war game that shirks convention at every turn and immerses you in battles that reward creativity and always go off with a bang. Grab your Wii Remote and Nunchuk and throw yourself into a brand of modern warfare only possible on Wii, with BWii.