Single player JRPG recommendations- Wii titles

I really like playing consoles a year or two after they are released, so there's plenty of cheap games out for them. Usually consoles don't get the best games until they have been out for a couple of years. Half a year ago I went out and bought a dozen cheap games for the Nintendo Wii.

To be honest with you folks, I've always hated the Wii. The nunchucks and aiming at the screen seem like cheap gimmick to me. Novelties aside, I love a good RPG. Especially a Japanese one. If you are looking for a JRPG to play on the Wii, check out this list.

1- The Last Story

Yeah, I don't know why there's so much yellow and pink. Magic, obviously.

It wasn't that hard for me to decide on my favorite game on the Wii. The Last Story has an innovative combat system, loads of character customization and a lovely JRPG story. Not only that, the music score was composed by Nobuo Uematsu, the same person who created the Final Fantasy scores. If you can find it, you should buy it. It should be quite cheap by now, so you have no excuses!

2- Xenoblade Chronicles

I was really excited to play Xenoblade when I bought it.

Xenoblade Chronicles is a strange one. It feels like an offline MMORPG. There isn't much story, but it's a solid game. The side quests are very simplistic and can get a little annoying, but they are optional. This game has a hell of a lot of content to get through, which is a huge plus. The graphics are a little less than expected, but Xenoblade is definitely a fun game that you can sink hours into.

3- Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn

Radiant Dawn starts out pretty basic, but it gets complicated later on.

For those of you know about the Fire Emblem franchise, this one needs no explanation. It has a great blend of RPG and strategy mechanics, brought to you with a very addictive campaign. With lots of options between choosing weapons and magic, you can create your own unique army to complete the story. The graphics are horrible though, it's not very pretty. But the gameplay more than makes up for that.

4- Tales Of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

Tales of Symphonia was amazing on the gamecube, it's still good on the Wii.

The Tales series has always been very hit or miss. In my personal opinion, Dawn of the New World is a miss. It's a good game, it has all the usual mechanics you would expect as a sequel to Tales of Symphonia. The story carries on from the predecessor, and the battle system combines ideas from both Abyss and Destiny. Despite that, I just can't get behind it because it's lacking something special that I just can't put my finger on. Despite this, it still deserves the number 4 spot.

5- Monster Hunter 3 Tri

Monster Hunter has surprisingly good graphics.

Monster Hunter on the Wii received phenomenal reviews and critical acclaim. Many people might even rate it at the top of list. With countless scary and gigantic monsters to hunt and so many weapons and builds to choose from, this game is really something. It's pretty difficult to get started, with the complicated controls and overwhelming mechanics. However, it's worth the money if you can make it past the first few hours.

I hope you find a game you enjoy from this list. If you have any suggestions or ideas for games I should add, leave a comment and let us know!

The Last Remnant

Hey everyone, for my first post and review I'd like to talk about a game I've been playing on and off recently, the Last Remnant.

Square-Enix have bought out yet another linear Japanese style RPG, this time using the Quake engine. Yes, I know Quake is an FPS game, tell Square that.

Square made the horrible mistake of throwing the game out onto the shelves before it was finished. The most prominent issue is the frame rates, or lack of them. As you get into the game you'll find it slowing down mid-battle, and sometimes even pausing. Don't let this get you down though, the game isn't absolutely abysmal, and it has a lot of selling points.

The Last Remnant doesn't really derive from the good old Square-Enix RPG formula, but they haven't broken any new ground since early final fantasy anyway.

The battle system develops well as you get further into the game, at first I found it a little dull, until I got a few hours in, and I started dying. There are many difficult fights, and sometimes you'll be forced to move from the main plot into some side-quests to power up your party.

The fighting is very simple, you input a command turn based style, and your party proceeds to attack. Your spells develop as you use them, and fighting more enemies at one time yields greater rewards. You can recruit many members to your party throughout the course of the game. While they share little plot relevance, you have a nice selection to develop your army.

Finally, I thought I'd paste a little information about the plot without spoiling anything:

Rush Sykes is the prototypical RPG hero, innocently sulky but totally devoted to his sweet sister Irina. When Irina is kidnapped, Rush hurries to liberate her, but unsurprisingly, it's not the most straightforward of rescues. Rather, Rush finds himself caught in a political struggle centered around powerful magical artifacts called remnants. These objects are both the center of society as well as a great curiosity, heavily researched at the Academy by hosts of scientists, including Rush's own parents.

Overall, I'd say the game is definitely worth playing if you can grab it cheap. It's certainly not worth full price, and if you aren't a hardcore RPG player then it's probably not for you. Anyone in love with Square-Enix should also get this game.

A more comprehensive review on the Last Remnant can be found here.

Check out the top 5 PC turn-based RPGs here!