Spectrobes: Origins (2009)

Developer: Genki
Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios
Platforms: Wii
Genres: Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Rating: 3.5 of 5, 8 player ratings

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A Monster Hunter-lite action RPG where you unearth and battle fossil creatures across alien worlds with elemental weapons.

anime-styleaction rpgmonster-tamingsci-fiadventurous

About

Spectrobes mixes monster battling with a real-time action RPG experience, so you'll not only be managing which critter is out on the field and attacking, but also running your main character around and participating in combat the feels like a mix between classic action battle mechanics and something like Monster Hunter lite. Different weapons allow the human leads to change up styles and elemental attacks, so you can have a leaf-based blade, an electric gauntlet, ranged cannon weapons and heavier bashing melee attacks. As you progress through the game not only will your Spectrobes gain levels, but your humans will as well. It's a constant balance of progressing not only your main character, but also all of your monsters too. Tie in a search and excavate system for finding new fossils with new Spectrobes and you've got a mechanic that is addicting enough to keep the experience moving; even if the levels themselves aren't always the most inspired areas to trek through.

Screenshots

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More by Genki

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.