How do you get it to work consistently? I love the idea of dodging with the nunchuck but it dodges in the wrong direction far too often.. Reminds me of the dodge move in Battalion Wars 2, which I also wanted to love but could never control with precision.

@bobbiKat: I've only played Cursed Mountain yet. I liked the creepy, ghostly atmosphere very much. Your character always feels very exhausted, at the brink of losing sanity or even his life and is constantly clinging to his great values and the little hope left in him.
The other aspects of the game aren't really spectacular. You're not really pressed to hurry, there's not too much exploration and the fights aren't very varied.
I still found the game very enjoyable. Though it's not your typical blockbuster experience here.

So how's good old Dewy's Adventure?

Emphasis on atmosphere and story depth:

• Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
• Cursed Mountain
• Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem

I liked Dewy's Adventure it was nice and fun but some things can be a bit hard to do since he kinda slips around.

Hows Samurai Warriors 3?

Kaiser: Samurai Warriors 3 is my favourite game on the Wii, and most played (even more than Chocobo Dungeon). I do think that has a lot to do with my interest in Japanese history, but I don't believe for a moment that the game is a "button masher" or "dull."

I wrote a review for it - I can't post the link here, but I don't mind copy/ pasting parts of ther review for you:

The game's venerable Dynasty Warriors heritage will be immediately familiar to fans. Taking control of one of a massive line-up of heroes, you'll be wading through entire armies and racking up 500+ kill counts in 20 minute increments. Nominally, you’re fighting as one part of a larger army, but in reality you’re the one who’s going to do all the fighting.

What makes it a compelling experience is the visceral impact that the limited combos and special attacks have. There isn't a great deal of variety in what you'll be doing, but there is a genuine feeling of power that you'll experience as you charge towards an entire enemy unit, knowing that they’re about to be scattered like leaves in a hurricane.

It helps that the game is very pretty. Nintendo decided to step in and publish the game for English-speaking audiences, much like it did with Capcom's Monster Hunter Tri, and much like that dino-slaughtering epic, Samurai Warriors 3 pushes the Wii to the limit. Character models are reasonably detailed and smoothly animated, and there can be as many as 50 on the screen at once.

There's also a whole lot of data crunching going on in the background: units on the opposite side of the map to your character will clash with one another and the tides of battle will ebb and flow around you. It's an impressive effort on Koei's part to create a breathing battlefield on the Wii's limited capabilities.

It also helps that the game is rooted in Japanese history. Anyone who has done some study of Japan's past will recognise the names and the back stories of the characters. Participating as these historical figures in epic battles is like taking control of Hannibal on his campaign against the ancient Romans - and then decimating the entire population of Rome single-handedly.

On booting the game up for the first time, do make sure you switch the language option to Japanese to get a more authentic experience (and to get rid of the English voice actors, who are terrible). It's still subtitled, so you won't miss any of the political dramas going on in the background, and you'll be getting the most out of one of the game's finest features — the genuine history and culture that frames the violence.

Each of the game's 40-odd characters has their own story arc. Just playing through all of them will take you a long time, but beyond that there's a 'create a fighter' mode, some online options, and a whole bunch of weapons and armour to buy and upgrade. Much like Monster Hunter Tri, this game will eat into your time in a staggering way.

4.5/5

Yes, I keep hearing everyone say all it is, is a smasher but I just looked at Sean's reviews and yours and say not so. I don't know anything about Japanese History but I do have an interest in learning in general. I hear there's a Murasame Mode... and I noticed there's a game on the Famicom called Mystery of Murasame Castle, any correlation? If so what exactly is it, I've seen a video and shows a over world map. There's a current listing on Amazon for very cheap and I could get 2 copies for me and a friend (he was the one interested in the game and showed me/persuaded me to get it as well since it has wi-fi). He has never played it but has played Dynesty Warriors which he claims is similar.

Going to check out your site though.

The Murasame mode is based loosely on that NES classic (and was done in partnership with Nintendo - the mode was removed for the PS3 release in Japan). It's a fantasy story, but otherwise doesn't do that much differently to the main game - it's still a Warriors game, and not really related to the original game. You can use your own created character though, that's a neat touch, and it can be played with online multiplayer (let me know if you do get the game, I still play from time to time).

It is similar to Dynasty Warriors games, except of course this is about Japanese history, and not Chinese history. Might sound like a small difference, but the impact is huge. I prefer Samurai Warriors because I find Japanese history more interesting, despite the quality of the games being about the same.

Can anyone tell me if "X-MEN Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse" is any good? I'm looking for a good retail rpg, that I might be able to find on sale or clearance.

Its ok personally I liked Marvel: Ultimate Alliance better.

Thanks @Tasuki which Ultimate Alliance is better on Wii 1 or 2? And why do think it was better than Legends? Or do you think there's a better choice than these for Wii?

Actually if you plan on playing the Ultimate Alliance games start with the first one because the second one is a continuation of the first game. If you play the second one first you might not understand it and miss some of the references.

Is there any other rpgs that you believe would be a better choice?

I'm finally going to try my 'almost 2 year old' copy of Okami out tonight, now that I've finished up with LOZ: Link's Awakening DX. If anything, I'm really attracted to the semi-surreal and beautiful unique visuals....Yet there's no way in hell i'll stick with this game, considering it takes around 40 hours to finish and that's not including Side Quests.

I usually don't like my games going over the Zelda, 3D Mario, Metroid or Resident Evil leangth. The 20 hour mark or so is ususally the most i'll go. To me those 3 games listed above have the perfect leangth for that type of game. Ususally i love short but sweet super challenging games like Mega Man, Castlevania and many other NES & Snes classics.

40 hours? No thanks, but i need to get a taste of the game or I'll be kicking myself.

you could just take a break between parts of the game? There's 2 perfect opportunities to do that too.

I'm pretty sure Twilight Princess took me as long btw.

@WaveBoy I can't remember exactly how long Okami took me, but every single hour was worth it. There's a point halfway through the game where you think it must be over, but it only goes and doubles in length. When that happened I was as happy as a sand-boy and I couldn't wait to explore the myriad of new locations it offered _{damn, that's cheesy}. One of my favourite gaming moments.
In short, it was 40 hours of supreme JOY. I strongly recommend you see it through to the end (unless you realise you hate it, in which case that would be pointless).

That actually pissed me off. There were I think 3 instances where I thought it was the ending... The game was alright and all but I wanted to be done with it already. When I saw the Ark of bosses, I said MEGAMAN. Then I knew it was over and I was happy taking down the last set of bosses. Btw Yami is a Bakugan.... lol

I'm looking for the most enjoyable retail rpg I can find. Can someone please tell me which if any of these rpgs would be my overall best bet? I enjoy depth in customization, side quests and character development. I'll also expect well designed environments, an intriguing plot and storyline. A worthy soundtrack would be appreciated as well. (<:
1) Arc Rise Fantasia
2) Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga
3) Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and Tower of Mirrors
4) Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love
5) Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon

Any input would be helpful and greatly appreciated. (<:

I don't know Arc Rise Fantasia (not out in EU) but I own the other 4.

depth in customization, side quests and character development, worthy soundtrack = ELDAR SAGA

story, intriguing plot = SAKURA WARS

well designed environments, worthy soundtrack = FRAGILE DREAMS

DRAGON QUEST SWORDS ain't bad though, but it has none of the things you really want.