25 Best Nintendo Wii RPG Games Of All Time

When discussing the Wii, most people focus on Nintendo’s unique motion controls. But this strange console is much more than a Wiimote and a Nunchuk.

The Wii may not have had the same third-party backing as the PS3 and Xbox 360, but it was not without its share of amazing jewels, many of which were exclusive to the Wii.

During its career, several amazing RPGs were released. And there are several that are so entertaining that no RPG lover should overlook these outstanding games.

Some are action-packed, while others are more classic RPGs – and a handful are wholly unique experiences available only on the Wii.

25. Spectrobes: Origins

With Spectrobes: Origins, the popular series comes to Wii for the first time. It has a new story that shows flashbacks of important events to reveal secrets from the past.

In Spectrobes: Origins, players use the Wii’s unique controls to explore huge worlds, dig up three-dimensional skeletons, and figure out the key to stopping a threat to the whole galaxy.

Players fight enemies by taking control of Rallen, a planetary patrol officer, and giving orders to a Spectrobe creature that follows him into large-scale, real-time battles.

They do this while being more immersed in the world than ever before.

24. Dragon Quest Swords

Dragon Quest Swords is a first-person, on-rails RPG. Because of this, it is different from the other games in the series.

It came out first in Japan in 2007 and then in the U.S. in 2008. Players can go to town to buy things, but there aren’t many ways to move around in the game itself.

Unlike most other on-rails games, which tend to focus on shooting, this one still lets you fight with your hands.

The Wii control would be used to move the sword around. Most reviews said it was good, but I think more Western fans would have liked to get Dragon Quest 10, which has never left Japan.

23. Battalion Wars 2

Even though the name doesn’t make sense, this is part of what people in the West call the Advance Wars series.

In Japan, they call it simply the Wars series. Both Battalion Wars games were made in 3D, which gave the series a new look.

It changed the series from a tile-based strategy RPG to an action-based strategy RPG with RTS features.

It had its fans, but because it wasn’t as movable as the other versions, it wasn’t as popular.

In 2007, Battalion Wars 2 came out for the Wii.

22. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance came out in 2006, before the MCU had even started to take shape. It brought together some of the most popular superheroes from the Marvel world for the first time.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance is one of the best Marvel video games ever made.

It has both action and role-playing game (RPG) parts, and the player makes their own superhero team from a large list of heroes.

Doctor Doom is putting together a group of bad guys to take over the world, so it can be fun to put together a group of strange superheroes to stop him.

There are also bonuses for putting together comic book teams, like the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and even the Avengers.

21. Monster Lab

Monster Lab is an action RPG that lets the player live out their mad scientist dreams.

The player is in charge of a place where monsters are made, and they have to make the best humanoid monsters they can.

There are 150 parts for monsters in the game, and each one has a different effect, so there is a lot of room for customization.

A monster you make can be used to fight enemies and get the materials you need to make more parts, while fun minigames are used to make the parts themselves.

Even though there are different ways to make monsters, the game is easy for even younger players to understand, which is a big part of its draw.

20. Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love

Sakura Wars is a unique Wii offering that will appeal to fans of steampunk universes and attractive anime heroines. It’s part tactical RPG, part dating sim.

Most individuals would raise an eyebrow at the game’s premise.

It follows famous 1920s Broadway performers as they defend New York from an invasion of ancient Japanese warlords.

As if that weren’t strange enough, they’re doing it while wearing robotic steampunk war outfits.

One of the most intriguing parts of the gameplay that combines RPG and Dating Sim mechanics is how the performance of the girls in battle is controlled by the main character’s relationship with them.

It’s strange, but it’s a good time.

19. Okami

Few games can match Okami’s stunning art style, fascinating plot, and interesting gameplay.

You’ll take on the role of Amaterasu, the Shinto Goddess of the Sun in wolf form, and travel across Japanese folklore acquiring weapons and skills to vanquish the eight-headed demon, Orochi.

Combat and puzzle-solving are accomplished by drawing precise patterns on the screen with the Celestial Brush, which is controlled by the Wiimote. It fits in perfectly with the game’s Sumi-e art style.

The only reason Okami isn’t near the top of the list is because it’s more Action/Adventure than RPG.

18. Super Paper Mario

Super Paper Mario, like Okami, cannot be considered a traditional RPG.

It’s a cross between a platformer and an RPG, which works in its favor.

It keeps the RPG plot and progression, with missions and side-quests to accomplish, items to locate to increase your talents, and leveling up.

Still, the gameplay remains 100% platformer, with some difficult puzzles thrown in for good measure.

The story is decent, and it contains the same amazing humor that has made the Paper Mario series so popular with fans.

17. Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon

If you want a challenge and don’t mind cutesy RPG visuals, I’d recommend FFF: Chocobo’s Dungeon.

This one-of-a-kind combination of Mystery Dungeon gameplay with the Final Fantasy universe allows players to explore perilous randomly generated dungeons as a Chocobo, a bird-like beast from Final Fantasy history.

My favorite element of the game is the job system, which affects the appearance of your Chocobo as well as their skills and the structure of the dungeons.

16. Arc Rise Fantasia

Arc Rise Fantasia is a terrific Wii choice for a more traditional RPG experience, with a vibrant color palette and enticing anime-like aesthetics.

The gameplay is typical of a turn-based RPG, with up to three characters in your party during combat.

It emphasizes strengthening your weapons by using improvement materials called Arm Forces and leveling them up.

15. Rune Factory Frontier

You’d be a fool not to attempt Rune Factory Frontier if you enjoy the classic Harvest Moon series.

Rune Factory began as a Harvest Moon DS spin-off, incorporating fantasy RPG concepts and an anime style to the HM formula. However, this spin-off series evolved into its own light.

The changes include a more powerful fighting system, dungeons to conquer, and a more dramatic plot that is more compelling than the typical pastoral tale of HM games.

For the first time, Rune Factory Frontier brought the franchise to home consoles, allowing players to farm, explore dungeons, and woo the gorgeous young maidens in town on the big screen.

It’s similar to Harvest Moon, but with more ARPG components. Certainly give it a shot.

14. Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny

Following RFF’s success, RF: Tides of Destiny was released, which takes the fantasy farming experience to the high seas.

The game follows Aden and Sonja, who are cursed with sharing the same body (at least until the main story is completed).

They travel the oceans on Ymir, a massive beast capable of producing islands from the sea floor.

While the core cycle of farming, battling, and wooing remains the same as in Frontier, the sea’s dominance provides a new and invigorating focus.

13. Shiren the Wanderer

Back in 2009, the original Demon’s Souls introduced me to the Roguelike genre.

Shiren the Wanderer was one of the first to capture my attention in the years that followed.

Shiren is a wandering ronin – a warrior without a master – in a monster-infested feudal Japan.

When his previous master gives him the key to the legendary Karakuri Mansion, he jumps at the chance for adventure.

Exploring the mansion is risky and difficult, and you will almost certainly die several times. Still, the game has a one-more-turn allure that will keep you coming back for more.

12. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers

FFCC: The Crystal Bearers, a wonderful take on the FF mythos exclusive to the Wii, sits smack in the midst of Action/Adventure and JRPG.

Rather than the series’ normal dark and brooding main characters, The Crystal Bearers follows a refreshingly arrogant protagonist who is as thrilled about his trip as we are to play through it.

Everything from battle to exploration makes clever use of the Wii’s motion controls, which feel fundamental to the experience rather than tacked-on, as is the case with so many other games on the device.

11. Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon

If you’re looking for in-depth exploration, look no further than Fragile Dreams:

A lovely and somber ARPG with a story that goes deep into human drama from an uncommon angle.

Players, like in 2015’s “Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture,” find themselves alone in a supposedly post-apocalyptic world, slowly uncovering the truth about what occurred as they explore the somber settings.

As you escape ghosts and demons formed of their rage, anguish, and regret, you’ll get to know the world’s former residents and gradually grasp their difficulties.

While the game’s major draw is its contextual tale and creepy ambiance, it also has solid survival mechanisms that complement its roleplaying experience.

10. Dokapon Kingdom

I honestly never get tired of praising Dokapon Kingdom, a versatile game that combines aspects from Party Games and RPGs into a visually appealing product.

At the outset of your adventure, you can select between being a Warrior, a Thief, or a Magician, which can branch out into a total of eleven different classes as you progress around the game’s board and collect experience.

The person with the most money at the conclusion of the game wins – and anything can happen in the battle for supremacy.

Battle your buddies, send a demon to curse them, or simply shave their hair to make them demoralized!

It’s no surprise that Dokapon Kingdom is known as “the friendship destroyer.”

9. Little King’s Story

Little King’s Story, a tough and intelligent experience with a fantastic sense of humor, is another amusing title RPG fans are sure to like.

Corobo, a bashful child, discovers a mysterious magical crown and becomes the King of his own kingdom in the blink of an eye.

As King, it is your responsibility to explore dungeons, battle dragons, and find riches in order to enrich your kingdom and extend your dominion far beyond your borders.

The game emphasizes both commanding your armies on missions and expanding your kingdom, which grants you access to better equipment and more capable citizens to command.

8. Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

The GameCube version of Tales of Symphonia is one of the most popular games of its time.

Even though the sequel for the Wii didn’t get as much praise, it’s still a great RPG in its own way.

The main differences from the first game are a more powerful system for catching and training monsters and a stronger focus on aerial fighting, mostly because the main character, Emil, has so many great air combos.

The story is interesting and may be better organized than the original. If you give the characters a chance, they will win your heart.

7. Pandora’s Tower

In Pandora’s Tower, the main character, Aeron, is trying to find a fix for his girlfriend Elena, who has turned into a horrible beast.

Aeron goes on a dangerous journey after learning that one of these cures might be deep inside the Thirteen Towers.

This action role-playing game (ARPG) takes ideas from games like The Legend of Zelda, God of War, and Shadow of the Colossus to make a great experience.

Completionists will find a rewarding task to keep them busy.

Many users think Pandora’s Tower is the best RPG on the system, but it doesn’t reach its full potential because it reuses places and moves too slowly.

6. Opoona

When it comes to strange and unique RPGs, the Wii doesn’t have anything like Opoona.

After crashing on Planet Landroll, young Opoona has to figure out how to make a living and find his place there.

This means that the game is a fun mix of RPG and Life Simulation, where you can live your own life while also fighting monsters and going on quests.

Even though the translation is terrible, the game is a must-play on the platform because it has great graphics, unique gameplay, and great music.

5. Muramasa: The Demon Blade

Inspired by Japanese Kabuki theater, Muramasa tells the story of Momohime and Kisuke as they travel through Genroku-era Japan, fighting magical beasts from Japanese folklore and killing a lot of monsters along the way.

Depending on whether you choose Momohime or Kisuke as your starting character, you’ll have a different adventure set in beautiful 2D environments and see fights with great visual effects that are a modern take on traditional Japanese art.

This Action RPG is the way to go if you want something exciting, fun, and hard to put down.

4. Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn is a much better update to the popular Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, which was the first game in the long-running series to go 3D on the Nintendo Gamecube.

In this tactical RPG, like its predecessor, you’ll be in charge of multiple units on a grid-based map and have to do things like defeat the enemy or take their forts.

One thing that makes the game unique is that if you lose a character in fight, they are gone for good.

Losing units will cost you in future fights, which makes the game much harder.

3. Monster Hunter Tri

Monster Hunter, a well-known series, comes to the Wii in one of the best-looking and smoothest role-playing games of the last few years.

This game is a lot like the more current Monster Hunter: World in that it is all about the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of making new armor and weapons out of the enemies you kill.

The game improved on its predecessor by letting you hunt underwater. This is one of the things that keeps fans coming back to the series.

Monster Hunter Tri is by far the best action role-playing game (ARPG) for the Wii in terms of fighting and progression, even though it requires a lot of grinding.

2. The Last Story

The story is one of the most important parts of any JRPG worth its salt.

The story in The Last Story is the most beautifully written one on the Wii.

You’ll be in charge of a group of soldiers and go on a long adventure in a world that is falling apart.

Even though the summary is simple, this epic story is unlike anything else on the platform because it easily turns several fairy story clichés on their heads.

Real-time fighting with cover is also great, and the graphics are as good as the Wii can get.

1. Xenoblade Chronicles

When it came out, the open-world action RPG set in the frozen bodies of two huge titans got perfect scores on Metacritic, so it’s hard to understate how successful it was.

Even at the time it came out, other RPGs had better graphics, but Xenoblade Chronicles made up for it with an interesting setting and easy-to-understand gameplay.

Xenoblade Chronicles started a series that will continue this summer on Nintendo Switch with a third game. If you try it, you’ll see why fans of the series are so excited.

Its user score of 9.1 on Metacritic shows how popular this game is with fans, and the JRPG is by far the best game on the Wii.