Prepare for more chaos and destruction! On October 29, 2007, the sequel to the GameCube's Battalion Wars will be released. Battalion Wars 2, also known as BWii, brings players back to the world previously visited in the first game. As you can guess, the situation has not changed much. Commander Pierce and Colonel Windsor of the new nation of the Anglo Isles have been decieved into thinking that the Solar Empire is developing a new superweapon. As a result, they launch a pre-emptive strike at the Coral Atolls, plunging the world into war.

BWii has several new features that distinguishes it from its predecessor. There are six playable nations; the original five sides (Western Frontier, Tundran Empire, Xylvania, Solar Empire, and the Iron Legion) make a return while the Anglo Isles is the newcomer. Battalion Wars 2 also boasts naval combat as well as land and air. Five new sea units make an arrival: the Battleship, Frigate, Submarine, Dreadnought, and Transport. Players can also capture facility buildings such as HQ, Barracks, Factories, Airfields, and Docks to allow them to respawn units. BWii allows players to switch to a new, more panoramic point of view called Map Screen Commanding that can be used to plan strategies and micro-manage units. Players will also be happy to see that Battalion Wars 2 has multiplayer, unlike its prequel. There will be three multiplayer modes (Assault, Skirmish, and Co-op) along with over 15 multiplayer missions. All these new features add to the allure of BWii and corrects many criticisms of the first Battalion Wars.

As with most games for the Wii, a new control system has to be designed. Although some have claimed the controls for BWii are very easy to master (IGN), others have criticized it (Gamespy). How each player feels about it depends on their own gaming style and experience. Players move around using the analog stick on the Nunchuk while the Wii Remote is used to aim and look around. The pointer can also be used to identify enemy (red) or friendly (blue) troops just by pointing at them. Flicking the Nuchuk up allows players to jump, although this can feel unnatural at times. Players direct their troops by pointing at a target and pressing A. The trigger on the Nunchuk allows players to lock on to enemies or, if there are no hostile units around, the ground and strafe. Pressing the Home button switches to Map Screen Commanding.

In a little less than three months, players can finally get their hands on the long awaited sequel to Battalion Wars. BWii sounds like a great game, but we'll all have to wait until Nintendo releases it to find out its true gameplay value.