Sometimes you just want to blow stuff up.

“Battalion Wars 2” (“BWii”) grants gamers this wish like gangbusters and gives them style and humor in the process. You helm a futuristic force of grunts, bazooka men and other troops, then raise hell against other planetary factions in all-out war. The battles transpire on land, sea and air in locales of all climates.

You maneuver your squad of tiny soldiers through checkpoints in each mission while mowing down foes and protecting valuable structures and vehicles in the process.

But the checkpoints are mapped a little too closely together, which deprives the player of the fun of freely roaming the battlefield. Combined with your commander's talking head atop the screen shouting instructions, you tend to feel like your hand's being held through the fights.

While your character does their share of shooting, you also strategically command your fellow forces. A target that can only be destroyed by a bazooka blast, for instance, requires you to choose your bazooka brigade and select their target with the Wiimote pointer.

The hectic juggling of forces and targets becomes a fun challenge that demands quick thinking and quicker fingers in the midst of brutal firefights.

You can also freely switch forces yourself and even hop in a bomber or a tank as you please. Although plenty of options await you, some battlefield choices are wiser than others - as your commander will be quick to remind you.

During and in between battles, commanders such as the confounded Englishman Colonel Windsor are a source of amusement as they shout their intentions of victory and conquest, only to be thwarted by your battalion.

The strong story mode tells an engaging tale of deception and sacrifice on the part of the warring parties.

The controls are simple and intuitive, though the Wiimote functions are lacking. The voice acting is superb and the battlefronts are saturated with graphic detail of wreckage and tools of war.

But the best sights are the explosions, and there's no shortage of them in “Battalion Wars 2.”

Staff writer David Wilcox reviews video games for The Citizen. He can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net

If you play

What: Game: “Battalion Wars 2”

Score: 75 out of 100

Parental rating: Teen for violence

Publisher: Nintendo

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Price: $49.99

Features: 1-4 players, online play

Life span: N/A

The final boss: “Battalion Wars 2” combines easy controls and some strategy to make the most of blowing up your enemies.