Spectrobes: Origins (Wii) Review

Spectrobes: Origins is a well-made action role-playing game for the Nintendo Wii that combines the best parts of monster collection games like Pokémon with the spirit of adventure found in games like The Legend of Zelda. Developed by Japanese developer Genki, who are better known for their racing games, and published by Disney’s growing video game publishing arm, Disney Interactive Studios, Spectrobes: Origins brings a level of attention-to-detail and polish to the Wii rarely seen in third-party efforts. Unfortunately, the shallow storyline and lack of character development hamper the overall quality of the adventure, but the level of depth in the gameplay goes a long way to making up for this inadequacy.

Spectrobes: Origins continues the story of the battle between the Nanairo Planetary Patrol (NPP), a kind of space police, and the Krawl, evil creatures of darkness intent on destroying the universe. The game begins by introducing the main characters, Rallen and Jeena, hotshot members of the NPP and heroes of the two previous games in the series. The duo are given the task of investigating a strange energy reading in an area of the galaxy that is supposedly free of the Krawl. Reluctantly, the pair agree to take on the mission, even though they feel it is a waste of their talents. On their arrival, they find themselves being sucked into a strange portal which transports them to an unfamiliar planetary system known as the Kaio System. Upon landing on the nearest planet of Wyterra, Rallen and Jeena soon learn that the Kaio system is under attack from the evil Krawl and only they, through their ability to control the mysterious Spectrobes, have the power to stop them. Thus begins Rallen and Jeena’s new adventure.

Throughout the game, Rallen and Jeena encounter a number of different civilisations and act as problem solvers for the somewhat helpless people who live there. There is some character development and some of the back story of the series is revealed, such as the mysterious origins of the Krawl and their leader, Krux. Some of the history of the decorated and respected NPP commander, Grant, is also revealed. There are a few twists and turns in the story, but overall everything is generally as predictable as a Saturday morning kids cartoon.

While this may be a big negative for some of the more mature Wii owners out there, it ensures that the story is not too challenging for its target audience of children. The game could have done with some stronger themes and a bit more character development, but when it comes to video games, narrative usually comes a distant second to the action.

And it is the action here that truly makes up for the limited storytelling. Spectrobes: Origins features an excellent and very deep combat and monster collection system which revolves around a five-element, rock-paper-scissors-style system. Rallen and Jeena can use melee weapons in combat and can also call upon the mysterious Spectrobes to combat the Krawl that appear throughout the game. Spectrobes are collected by finding and excavating fossils from around the game world. Each fossil must be properly excavated and the encasing dirt cleaned away before it can be revived. Once a Spectrobe has been brought to life, players can train it to raise its level and increase its power.

The Spectrobe collection and combat aspect of the game is extremely engaging, even for players experienced in monster collection games. The player’s skill in excavating the fossil has a direct effect on the stats and abilities of the Spectrobe. The excavation mini-game adds an extra layer of skill to the collection of monsters and the more hardcore players will find the whole experience of collecting and raising the various Spectrobes extremely rewarding. The combat system is simple to learn for the more casual players and has enough depth for the more experienced players to find hours of enjoyment in customising and training their teams. The gameplay is balanced, continually challenging and, most of all, fun.

The controls are way above what can usually be expected from third-party efforts on the Wii and the common sense approach to the inclusion of motion controls shows a great deal of attention was paid to making the game as fun and as easy to play as possible. Melee attacks are easy to execute using the A-button and simple flicks of the Wii Remote will send the Spectrobe out to attack. The pointer functionality has been implemented efficiently and adds greatly to the gameplay, especially in the excavation phase.

The general technical production is also well above the usual level of third-party efforts on the Wii. The graphics and sound are well-crafted, and the theme, while generic, is consistent and non-confronting. The voice acting is of the typical morning cartoon variety, but all of the actors do a reasonably good job of breathing life into limited characters. The presentation is halfway between anime and western cartoon series. Technical glitches are minimal and never affect the gameplay and everything runs smoothly thanks to a healthy frame rate.

While the story is simple, it is reasonably long and there are plenty of things to do and see. Adding to the value of the package is the drop-in/drop-out two-player mode, where one player can take control of the Spectrobe during battles. The game also features online leaderboards via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection which add an extra competitive element to the game.

Personal thoughts

I really liked Spectrobes: Origins, despite the limited storytelling and lack of character development. Coming from Disney, I expected a little more attention would have been paid to developing a story that would draw the player in and feel something for the characters. Even the most simple coming-of-age movie storylines have more complex character interactions and far better character development than what is presented here. It really was hard for me to feel anything for the characters and as a result I basically ignored the story completely.

While the story may be forgettable, the mechanics of the game are fun and they really make for an enjoyable experience. There has obviously been plenty of attention paid to developing the game and some real common sense has gone into creating the combat, control and excavation systems. If more Wii games were developed with this level of attention-to-detail, there would be far less controversy about the quality of third-party games on Nintendo’s world-beating console.

If you are looking for a well-made, traditional-style game on the Wii, then Spectrobes can easily suit your needs. If you can get over the less-than-inspired story and characters, then you can have plenty of fun with the deep combat and monster raising system.

There are plenty of things to like about Spectrobes. If you are willing to give the game a go, you may find that it easily becomes one of your favourite non-Nintendo games for the Wii. I certainly did.

Graphics 7.0

Nicely crafted anime-style graphics that unfortunately fail to inspire.

Gameplay 8.0

Excellent, balanced, pick-up-and-play gameplay with enough depth for hardcore players.

Sound 6.0

Simple sound effects and music create the right mood and the voice acting is well done, but nothing in the sound design is going to win awards.

Tilt 8.0

Plenty to see and do in a reasonably lengthy adventure and lots to do once that is finished. Online leaderboards can add to the longevity for the dedicated and competitive.

Value 8.0

I liked Spectrobes in spite of its story flaws and uninspiring characters. There is lots to see and do and the combat and gameplay are well-crafted and fun.