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Battalion Wars II debuted about a year into the Wii console’s lifetime, and while it garnered some attention from series fans, it’s largely flown under the radar.

I finally picked it up myself and have blasted my way through to 30% completion and the early verdict is that this strategy game strays from its roots but still delivers an entertaining experience worth today’s bargain bin pricing.

Your troop types are at the bottom of the screen. Here, the player controls a grunt while simultaneously issuing orders to the AA (anti-air) vehicle.

The biggest switch from the handheld origins of this series is the move from top-down, turn-based strategy to third-person, real-time strategy. That means while there’s still a certain amount of rock-paper-scissors in play, your long-term planning will take a backseat to your ability to react to situations on the fly.

The controls are a bit complex, but the game holds your hand in the early going to get you up to speed. Basically, you control a small army made up of a handful of unit types. Each has their own strengths and vulnerabilities. You’ll find grunts, bazooka veterans, light tanks, anti-air turrets, some cool naval units and more.

It’s possible to issue orders to one unit type or to every unit at once. It’s even possible to choose a single unit for a given task. Additionally, players take direct control over one of the units in play and can switch at any time. It’s a lot to keep track of, but it’s mapped to the Remote and Nunchuk in the simplest way possible.

The battleship unit can blast faraway targets from a safe distance while the support frigates protect the group with anti-air capabilities.

Objectives are marked on an overhead map, but gameplay generally consists of approaching a group of bad guys and attacking with the right units and some sense of strategy while trying to wipe out the bad guys before your troops are gone. Last man standing wins.

Some of the coolest moments will be things like switching to an anti-air vehicle and taking out a transport plane before the enemy reinforcements ever reach the ground.

The result is a fast-paced, action game with a gradual learning curve that seems like it might climb pretty high by the time the single player campaign concludes.

I haven’t taken the online multiplayer for a spin, and it’s possible that there’s not much action happening online anymore. It was a missed opportunity not to have same-screen co-op play. Instead, co-op is only available via Nintendo WiFi Connection.

At the bargain price, strategy fans and particularly fans of the Advance Wars series ought to take a look at Battalion Wars II. It’s a solid title at a good price, which is a rare find for Nintendo Wii. Fans of more complex strategy titles including Civilization or StarCraft may still get some enjoyment here, but know that it’s a narrowly focused title that highlights fast combat with limited force over expansive resource gathering and army building.

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