While the Wii has thus far excelled in certain areas (party games, first-party Nintendo games), there are definitely certain genres that haven’t had such a strong showing on the system — case in point, RPGs. In fact, outside of action-RPGs (Super Paper Mario), strategy-RPGs (Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn) and the occasional RPG-descended wagglefest (Dragon Quest Swords), the Wii has seen an utter lack of the genre.

Koei has decided to put an end to that, and has brought out Opoona, the Wii’s first true RPG, developed by ArtePiazza (known primarily for handling ports of Enix’s Dragon Quest series). And while it certainly has its share of problems, ultimately it’s an interesting RPG that’s different enough to warrant some attention.

Opoona follows a young boy named (wait for it) Opoona, who belongs to a warrior race known as the Tizians. Opoona and his family are en route to their vacation destination, the planet Landroll, when disaster strikes their ship and the children (Opoona, brother Copoona, and sister Poleena) are forced to make use of the escape pods. Landing separated from his siblings but safe, Opoona must integrate himself into Landroll’s way of life (i.e. get a job) if he ever wants to see his parents again. The story is cute and straightforward, but the English translation leaves something to be desired. Genre fans will be reminded of the 32-bit era, when translations were only starting to be paid adequate attention, and typos and grammar errors were still commonplace. Still, despite touching on some pretty serious topics — the main theme of the game seems to be the inevitable transition to adulthood that every child must make — the story manages to remain lighthearted and fun.

 
While Opoona and his siblings are the story’s main focus, the world is full of NPCs to interact with.

The bulk of the gameplay revolves around the different jobs Opoona can take on. Throughout the course of the game, Opoona can take jobs as everything from your basic monster fighter to chef to shop clerk. While this can be interesting, getting jobs also introduces some real-world tedium into the game, as Opoona must make repeated trips to the local government office to obtain and update his various work licenses. Opoona is also encouraged to make friends on Landroll, and while the game does track your friends and how close you’ve become with them, there’s never really any benefit to it.

The game’s controls deserve a mention here. Far too many Wii games ruin the game in an attempt to shoehorn some sort of motion controls onto a game that doesn’t really need them; Opoona is the opposite of that. Not only are motion controls nowhere to be seen, you don’t even have to use the remote to play. The game is designed to be played entirely with the nunchuck, and this control style works remarkably well. As with most traditional RPGs, you don’t really need a large number of buttons — between the analog stick, C button, and Z button, you can do everything the game throws at you. One minor sticking point is camera control, which is slightly more difficult than usual, but if it really bothers you, you can just use the D-pad on the remote.

The game’s battle system is ambitiously dubbed the “Active Bon-Bon Battle System,” in reference to energy bon-bons, the floating energy spheres that are used by Tizians as weapons. Pulling back the analog stick charges your attack, then releasing it launches the bon-bon at the enemy of your choice. Much of the strategy of battle comes from your ability to throw the bon-bon overhand, underhand, curveball-style, or with varying amounts of speed and power. Battles are fast (in fact, every battle has a timer, usually two minutes or less, and failing to finish the battle before the timer runs out results in a loss for you) and fun; while the bon-bon throwing system takes a little while to get the hang of, once I did the battles became my favorite part of the game. Still, the random battles occur a little too often, which can hinder exploration.

 
Battles might seem chaotic at first, but with a little practice you’ll become adept in no time.

The game’s visual style is bright and colorful. While some might not like the cutesy character design (Tizians seem to be inspired by Fisher-Price’s Little People toy line), the cel-shaded design makes good use of the Wii’s limited graphical power. Environments are a mixed bag; indoor areas suffer from a too-similar industrial/futuristic look (expect to get lost and turned around in just about every building in the game, as they all look pretty much the same), but outdoor areas are beautiful. Forests, beaches, and even empty plains all look gorgeous, thanks to painting-like textures and subtle environmental animations that make you feel like you’re really exploring a living world. Also impressive is the game’s soundtrack, composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, known for his Final Fantasy Tactics and FFXII scores. The songs are futuristic and fantastical, while still feeling like traditional RPG music.

 
The game’s environments are pretty and colorful, perfectly capturing the feel of a living natural world.

Opoona’s far from perfect. Its story is full of typos, errors, and confusing bits. It’s far too easy to get lost in the city, and random battles occur too frequently. Still, despite all these problems, the game manages to have a fun, cute, engaging style that’s refreshing in the modern gaming scene, where most games are trying to be the darkest and most serious. Sure, not everybody will like the game. But if you’re an RPG fan with a Wii, and you’re looking for something a little different, you could sure do a whole lot worse than to accompany little Opoona on his quest to find his family.

Gameplay: 7.5
Navigating the city can get frustrating and repetitive, but the story is unique and interesting, and battles are fast, fun, and engaging. If you’re a genre fan there won’t be too many surprises here, but it’s a well-crafted RPG.

Graphics: 8.5
While the visuals don’t have the next-gen appeal of, say, Blue Dragon, they have got a unique style and charm. The game’s many outdoor environments are beautiful and colorful, and the characters and enemies are distinctive.

Sound: 8.4
Hitoshi Sakimoto’s score manages to be simultaneously cute, fantastical, and epic. It’s classic RPG music that sounds both fresh and familiar. The game’s sound effects aren’t quite as memorable, but they get the job done without annoying you.

Difficulty: Medium
It might take you a while to get the hang of the timing-based battle system, and like most RPGs you’ll encounter some fights that require a bit of level grinding to best, but for the most part this is an accessible RPG that could be enjoyed by genre veterans and newcomers alike.

Concept: 8.3
Mixing life-sim elements into a traditional RPG is a good idea, and works well with the game’s visual style and storyline. The game’s unique battle system takes a little practice, but much like games like Paper Mario and Shadow Hearts, mixing real-time, timing-based elements into a turn-based battle system keeps every battle fresh and engaging.

Overall: 8.0
Without much competition on the system, Opoona is easy to recommend for Wii-owning RPG fans. Still, its unique style and lighthearted charm set it apart in a genre increasingly filled with dark, somber epics. Anyone looking for a cute, fun adventure (and certainly fans of Harvest Moon or Animal Crossing) should give Opoona a try. While it may not be flawless, it’s got so much going for it that it definitely deserves some attention.