Overcoming the challenges that lie before you in the action-packed single player campaigns of Battalion Wars 2 (BWii) will test your strategy skills to their limits, but your greatest challenge might just come when you fight on a new front and attempt to conquer the world.

Featuring a comprehensive online mode that includes three distinct types of battle and lets you pit your military might against other generals via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, BWii will have you coming back time and again to face off against friends – and enemies – around the globe.

When it came to planning the multiplayer action in BWii, development team Kuju were determined to ensure players had a deep and varied experience waiting for them online. And, as this in-depth explanation from Kuju’s Creative Director Tanc Dyke-Wells proves, playing BWii via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is every bit as action-packed as playing it in single player mode.

*Please note: Unfortunately the WiiConnect24 services which allow for the online capabilities of this game are currently not availble in South Africa.

“We wanted to deliver a really comprehensive multiplayer experience this time around – something we knew that the fans really wanted. We’ve tried to provide different modes so there’s something in there for different tastes.

“The Skirmish mode is more kind of open-ended; it’s time limited, score based and symmetrical – in that two players are facing off and they’ve got a kind of even situation where it’s really up to them to tackle each other in whatever way they see fit. You’re also struggling over key resource facilities that are on the map. So if, for example, there’s an airbase at the top of a hill you’re going to have a real King of the Hill scenario whereby if I take possession of that I’m going to have dominance of the skies and the other player is going to be in trouble and have to fall back heavily on his anti-air units.

“The Assault mode is more objective based. It’s more like a tug-of-war with one player attacking, one player defending – and you take turns at doing that. You will be trying to push each other back through a series of key objectives. For example, destroying a series of hydro-electric dams or a gate so that you can assault the enemy base while the other player tries to stop you doing so.

“And then Co-op mode is, of course, exactly what it says on the tin. Two players with complimentary forces have to work together to help each other out and get through the mission. Each of you has different sets of units with different strengths or weaknesses. And in Co-op mode we implemented a one-button communication system which, much like the commanding, just lets people lock onto targets and give a context-sensitive command. So you tell the other person to ‘attack this, protect that, follow me, or whatever is appropriate for the situation.”

As with the game’s single player mode, BWii‘s online multiplayer throws you head-first into frantic battles that demand quick thinking and always deliver their fair share of explosive action. With sixteen maps to choose from - some of them unique to online play - and the option of going head-to-head with friends on your Wii Friend Roster or random opponents, competing via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is the perfect way to see how your military mind compares to the best BWii commanders in the business.

Both Skirmish and Assault mode are timed, meaning you will have to be in the ascendancy when the clock runs out to claim victory. Achieving that ultimate goal in Skirmish mode is a case of scoring more points than your opponent by taking out as many of their units as possible. The more difficult a unit is to destroy, the more points it is worth. So if you’re lagging behind as the clock approaches zero, you may want to focus your energies more on bringing down enemy bombers than soldiers. In Assault mode, you’ll have to ensure you have the upper hand in whatever objectives you have been asked to perform in order to come out on top at the end, while success in Co-op mode is simply dependent on working with your ally to achieve victory in your chosen mission.

“I think it has enhanced the experience hugely. We were having an in-office championship with a golden helmet being passed between the QA team and the design team and we battled it out without a lot of shouting! It just has so much replay value. And the more you play the multi-player missions the more complex your strategies can become – the more depth you find in figuring out all the ways you can play.”

As with the solo missions of BWii, formulating your own strategy and choosing from your land, sea and air units at any point in the battle is a hugely satisfying experience. The freedom to approach one-on-one conflicts any way you like makes victory taste all the sweeter when your plan does come together and you prove that only a combination of brains and brawn is enough to overcome the opposition in BWii. With so much variety, depth, and trademark Battalion Wars action, playing BWii online via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is an experience that will blow you away and keep you coming back for more.