That’s a far-cry from the integrated voice chat of XBOX Live. But hey, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection allows you to play online at no additional charge. The official Wii Wi-Fi site says that, “All you need is a Wii, wireless Internet access, and a Wii game that supports online play.” That last part is the real trick, isn’t it? The Wii is almost a year old, but where are the online games? Mario Strikers Charged and Pokemon Battle Revolution are not quite the gaming experiences that I had in mind. I don’t mind cute games, but I’m not really into the Nintendo mascots anymore. Metroid, Zelda, Mario, Pikachu, it’s enough already.
Will my Wii mature into something more than a glorified Wii Sports machine? It’s quite possible. I like the look of Battalion Wars 2. The combat is fun yet serious. I also like the variety of total warfare, including tanks, planes and battleships. Here’s an official description from Nintendo that I found rather interesting…
Players control every aspect of the battle as they command units, capture facilities and advance toward their primary objectives. When not actively commanding, players can take direct control of any soldier or vehicle in the field and leap into the fray.
Will Battalion Wars 2 satisfy my desire to be a master tactician and a master combatant? Will BWii help me to forget about Halo 3? With a little over two weeks to go, I won’t have long to find out.
The only part of this game that worries me is the communication system.
“Players use a simple, two-button communication system to coordinate their attacks.”
doesn’t inspire confidence.. I don’t want to end up with what ultimately results in an inferior computer ally or enemy. Half the fun of online play is talking to who you’re playing with.
I understand Nintendo’s fear of allowing voice chat with strangers, but they already have Voice Chat in Pokemon Diamond/Pearl for Nintendo DS… I at least want to be able to voice chat with registered friends while playing Co-Op, otherwise the experience is broken.
Looks great! I am excited about Wi-Fi!