Because gameplay alone can't save a game when everything else about it is terrible.

Do you guys think I should pre-order a copy of, "The Last Story," or purchase a new copy of, "Super Mario Galaxy 2"?

Both. But if you have to choose... Last Story. It may not be around forever whereas Galaxy 2 will be.

I've read a lot of reviews about Xenoblade Chronicles but I'm still on the fence on whether or not to purchase it. Any suggestions? What other games would you say it's similar to?

Sadly, you can't really compare it to anything else on Wii. Be warned though it is fairly difficult but all in all a great JRPG. Some people even claim it as the best this generation. If I were you and had money, I would definitely buy it as soon as possible.

(I played it at a friend's house so that's how I know it's difficult, lol.)

Yes, I was hoping to get it sooner rather than later. A lot of the games released towards the end of a consoles lifespan seem to go out of print and hard to come by quite quickly. A friend of mine said it reminded him a little bit of Monster Hunter Tri, a game I didn't really enjoy that much, that's what put me off buying it sooner really. Is that true?

It's similar to Final Fantasy XII--but it's WAY better than that! I'm only 15 hours in but I'm starting to regret not pre ordering it. It's a quality game and I've had fun with it so far.

Ahh, I was addicted to Final Fantasy XII, even though it wasn't exactly amazing.
What is the battle system like?

Xenoblade combat doesn't seem too heavy on strategy but battles are over quickly--so it hasn't gotten boring for me. The bosses are overly drawn out like most JRPGs though. Mainly you'll be controlling one character of your choice and using all their physical arts as fast as you can, your character will auto attack while spent arts cool down (like an MMO) — you'll want to notice what direction the enemy is facing to maximize your damage. You can also upgrade your physical arts with points earned in battle. Each character has a very basic skill tree as well that unlocks passive abilities as time goes on. You'll be pressing the B button a lot to cheer on allies as they fight to fill this Party Gauge--you use that to revive downed allies and initiate combo attacks. Unlike Final Fantasy XII monsters don't respawn right on top of you--many of the critters I've encountered don't even attack unless you attack first. You can use a lure command to break up a group of monsters so they don't swarm you all at once. You don't have a defense command (unless it's a physical art). No healing items. No magic points. Your health refills by standing around when you're not in a battle. I just met a character who can shoot healing bullets in battle until her gun overheats and then you have to wait for it to cool down. Dungeons are long but the map lets you skip back instantly to landmarks you've already been to--which saves a lot of time. If your party dies you get sent back to the last landmark you passed. Plus you can save anywhere.

Thanks! I don't think I could have asked for a better reply!
This sounds like something I'd enjoy playing.
I'm seriously considering placing an order for this now.

I forgot to mention the Xenoblade characters appearances change depending on what type of armor they wear. Most JRPGs don't do that.

For the record, this game is nothing like Monster Hunter Tri. Know this because every time I play, I find myself wishing I was playing Tri instead for some reason (I'm too addicted to that game right now).

Is online still active for MHT? I've thought about buying it a few times, but I'm told that you miss out on a lot with single player only.

You can always ask in the thread in the Online Gaming sub-forum. I haven't tried to find any random person, since that's not how I play, but I'm sure you could find somebody to play with soon enough. I could always play with you. The singleplayer's fun enough on its own, though.

Are there any other adventure games with good puzzles like, "TLoZ: Skyward Sword," or, "Zach & Wiki"?

Pandora's Tower

Ty the telltale games.

Sam & Max and Strong Bad are great series, though Wii isn't the best way to play them. I haven't played Back to the Future or Tales of Monkey Island, but I'm confident that statement would apply to those as well.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I said, "good puzzles".

Pandora's Tower has good puzzles.

Also, try Another Code R and Tales of Monkey Island,
maybe Broken Sword too.
Twilight Princess and Super Paper Mario if you haven't already.