Though the console was defined more by its platformers like the Monster Hunter franchises both getting Wii releases, it remains a solid console for fans of the genre.
In addition to those giant hits, there are also plenty of smaller-scale RPG adventures for players to explore. With plenty of choices available, Metacritic's review aggregator makes it easy to compare titles and see which were the very best RPG games of the Wii generation.
Monster Lab - 73
An action RPG that allows the player to live out their mad scientist fantasies, Monster Lab puts the player in charge of a monster creation facility with the task of creating the best humanoid monsters they can. There are 150 monster components in the game which give different effects, meaning a high degree of customization.
A created monster can be used to fight enemies and gain the ingredients to create more parts, whilst fun minigames to actually create the components break up the gameplay. Despite the different systems at play in regards to creating monsters, the game is easy to understand even for younger players which is a key part of its appeal.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance - 73
Releasing in 2006 before the MCU had even begun to take shape, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance proved a successful early crossover for some of the beloved superheroes of the Marvel universe. One of the best Marvel video games ever made, Marvel Ultimate Alliance utilizes action and RPG elements as the player creates their own superhero team from a sizeable roster of heroes.
With Doctor Doom bringing together villains for his plans of world domination, there is fun to be found in bringing together unusual superheroes to defeat him. The game also offers bonuses for bringing together teams from the comics, including the Avengers.
Pandora's Tower - 73
Created as the first original game by Ganbarion, a studio mostly known for producing fighting games based on popular anime, Pandora's Tower is a memorable action RPG with multiple endings. Set in a fantasy world on the continent of Imperia, the player takes control of the protagonist, a former soldier named Aeron.
The plot begins with Aeron's love Elena being struck by a curse that is causing her to turn into a monster, requiring the player, as Aeron, to explore thirteen towers in his mission to lift it. With varied gameplay that is helped by the addition of a unique and useful weapon called Oraclos Chain, Pandora's Tower remains an intriguing RPG.
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon - 76
A game in the somewhat inconsistent Chocobo series, a spinoff from Final Fantasy, Chocobo's Dungeon is a fun little dungeon-crawling diversion. Featuring Final Fantasy mainstays Cid and, of course, Chocobo, the game begins with the two getting transported to a mysterious land where people's memories are being stolen and left in dungeons.
It is up to the pair to delve into the dungeons and retrieve the lost memories, helping the people to rediscover who they are. The story is interesting to watch unfold and there is something about exploring dungeons and beating enemies in turn-based combat that never gets old. By infusing it with some new elements, Chocobo's Dungeon manages to punch well above its weight.
Rune Factory Frontier - 79
One draw of the Wii is that, like all Nintendo consoles, it had plenty of exclusives that weren't available elsewhere. Whilst it's usually the big titles like Mario and Legend of Zelda games that have the real draw, small, unique titles like Rune Factory Frontier also helped to win over players to the platform.
The first Rune Factory game for home consoles, Rune Factory Frontier mixes RPG and simulation elements in an attractive and well-realized fantasy setting. Whilst the player grows crops on their farm, clears out dungeons, and develops relationships with the people of the town, an intriguing story unfolds involving the mysterious whale island in the sky.
The Last Story - 80
One of the best obscure JRPGs, The Last Story uses an engaging mix of different gameplay elements to hook the player into its surprisingly deep plot. Directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the original creator of Final Fantasy, the game doesn't disappoint when it comes to detailed and expansive world-building either.
Like many RPGs, the player controls a team of characters but, during combat, the player controls only Zael with the others being operated by the AI. Tactical and stealth elements also help keep things interesting but ultimately, whether or not a player enjoys The Last Story is down to how much they appreciate the world and characters.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade - 81
In a world where the powerful elite desire the Demon Blades, cursed weapons that can bring only death and tragedy, two characters, Momohime and Kisuke, find themselves in the middle of a bloody conflict. With the former possessed by a vengeful spirit and the latter on the run for a crime he has no memory of committing, the two make for interesting protagonists.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade brings their two separate storylines to life with 2D side-scrolling, beat-em-up gameplay, a surprising choice for a modern RPG. It works in favor of the generally well-received JRPG however, which feels fresh despite its age and the more old-fashioned gameplay style. The game is considered something of a hidden gem on the Wii.
Monster Hunter Tri - 84
Though it's no longer the best game in the Monster Hunter franchise due to some blockbuster recent editions, Monster Hunter Tri should still be ed for breathing new life into the franchise when it was released as a Wii exclusive in 2010. Assigned to a small fishing village named Moga, the player is tasked with ing and protecting the people there.
A big component of this is visiting an island where the monsters seem to roam freely and completing hunts to obtain materials, leading to the titan-killing action that the franchise is well-known for. There have been better Monster Hunter titles since, including an enhanced edition of this game for the 3DS and Wii U, but Monster Hunter Tri is still one of the best RPGs on the platform.
Super Paper Mario - 85
Whilst most Super Mario spinoff titles are lighter than their mainline counterparts, this is decidedly not the case with Super Paper Mario, a game with a rich story and memorably unusual mechanics. The most major of these is the dimension-flipping element that switches the gameplay from classic 2D side-scrolling to hybrid 3D action.
Filled with puzzles, platforming, and good old-fashioned RPG fun, Super Paper Mario is one of the strongest offerings from the series. Some players may find the mix of different styles detrimental to the experience, but for players who can get past the initial confusion, Super Paper Mario is one of the most rewarding RPGs on the platform.
Xenoblade Chronicles - 92
Receiving universal acclaim on Metacritic upon its release, it is difficult to understate the success of the open-world action RPG set in the frozen bodies of two massive titans. Though other RPGs boasted more impressive visuals even at the time, Xenoblade Chronicles more than made up for it with an imaginative world and intuitive gameplay.
Xenoblade Chronicles launched a series that is due to continue on Nintendo Switch this summer with a third installment and players who give it a try will quickly realize why fans of the series are excited. Its score of 9,1 on Metacritic shows how well-liked this title is among fans and the JRPG is by some distance the best that the Wii has to offer.
