GameFan-Mag

In many respects, role-playing games (or RPGs) are the most time-demanding genre of games. We don’t just mean massively multiplayer online RPGs, either. There’s enough character options, branching paths, and secret items in standard console RPGs to easily eat up a good portion of your free time before you even finish the game once. This may be one reason why the genre is underrepresented on the Wii, which has made its market based on its pick-up-and-play nature and wide audience. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some options.When it comes to traditional Japanese role-playing games (known for their extensive stories, anime graphics, and unique combat styles), Arc Rise Fantasia is your best bet. The game comes from the developers of the Nintendo DS Luminous Arc series. Gameplay will be familiar to anyone who has played an RPG in their life. Take the role of a well-balanced mercenary named L’Arc and gather a party of characters who each excel in certain tactics. Queue up moves, summon creatures, and combine attacks for maximum damage. The game also includes another common feature of Japanese RPGs brought to Americahorrible voice acting.Disney continues its Spectrobes monster collecting series with Spectrobes: Origins. The monster-collecting RPG was first made popular with the Pokemon franchise, and companies haven’t stopped trying to emulate it since. Spectrobes: Origins is one of the better imitations, though, especially with its real-time battle-system in which both the main character and his collected monsters battle enemies. There’s even a co-op mode where a second player can take the role of a particular Spectrobe. The science-fiction storyline is also a unique touch for a genre usually characterized by fantasy tropes.Since this is the Wii, it’s no surprise that mascot Mario appears in his very own RPG-flavored game. Super Paper Mario, true to its title, combines the RPG aspects of the Paper Mario series with the platforming of Super Mario Bros. Gameplay is mainly in 2D, but Mario gains the ability to go into 3D early in the game. RPG elements include a Hit Points bar for Mario and the ability to level up. By the time you head to this title for your RPG fix, though, it means you’ve realized what the Wii really excels atfun, light-hearted action titles. And sometimes, there’s nothing wrong with that.