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Opoona Review for the Nintendo Wii

Opoona Review for the Nintendo Wii

There’s something to be said about attempting to infuse a traditional-style game with a more modern vibe, new energy, and an upbeat presentation. Opoona, Koei’s new “lifestyle RPG,” is refreshing and exuberant in such a way that it’s all but guaranteed to catch your attention, but whether or not it will hold it is another matter. On the surface, Arte Piazza’s latest non-Dragon Quest effort contains the level of polish you’d expect from the seasoned developer.

Opoona screenshot

At the game’s opening, a family vacation to the planet Landroll goes awry when an unexpected emergency finds the game’s namesake and chubby protagonist being jettisoned via escape pod from the family spaceship by his parents just prior to it crashing into the planet surface. Opoona wakes in a peaceful dome community to learn his parents are injured but still alive and his two siblings are missing. Apparently Landroll is no walk in the park. Ages prior, it was struck by a meteor that caused a dark force to spread across the surface of half the planet and evil monsters called Rogues to arise. Anyone venturing outside of the domed cities is prone to attack by the beasts. As Opoona, you’ll enlist as a Landroll ranger to take up arms – or an orange-colored floating energy bonbon to be precise – against the Rogues while also searching for answers to what happened to your family. Along the way you’ll also take on various jobs for the betterment of society and make lots of friends.

The tale is set in a vibrantly colorful sci-fi fantasy world where everything from the evil monsters you’ll battle to the quirky inhabitants of the many dome colonies is an interesting combination of cute and endearing. On the whole, the game’s striking visual style is overwhelmingly pleasant, yet there are a few areas where a lack of a substantive mapping system bogs down progress significantly. Outside the relative comfort the domes, the many diverse environments on Landroll provide enticing prospects for exploration. Navigating the interior of the immense, multi-level domes is the exact opposite. The complex series of futuristic halls, passages, doorways, and elevators become a major hurdle thrown at players from the onset of gameplay. In many cases it’s just too easy to get lost and overwhelmed while trying to figure out where to go and what do to inside the domes, especially when the only guides you have are vague color-coded signs and a shoddy PDA map.

Opoona screenshot

When you’re not battling Rogues, much of your time will be devote to social pursuits and building relationships with NPC characters. Making nice with characters scattered throughout the game will eventually open up new activities and jobs. Employment serves as the main driver of progression in the game, since it lets you move on to new domes to complete specific assignments. The job system primarily serves as an optional distraction from the main quest. In a few instances they’re crucial for moving forward in the story or for exploring new areas, but on the whole they can be easily avoided unless you feel like changing things up for a bit. In general, completing ranger jobs will help progress the story while most of the other professions are there just for the hell of it. The job variety is decent; you can find careers in fast-food service, fortune telling, mining, art, and many more.

Opoona’s odd one-handed control scheme is a great idea for a lengthy RPG; it makes for easy snacking while level grinding or engaging in other tedious tasks (like unsuccessfully attempting to navigate the domes). You don’t actually have to stop playing a game to eat your dinner either, which some will appreciate more than others. From movement to inventory management and even attacks, every aspect of the controls can be handled using the Nunchuk grip only. You’ll still have to keep the thing connected to the dangling Wii Remote, which is an obvious but not entirely unexpected disappointment. The one-handed camera controls are a pain, but using the Wii Remote’s d-pad to adjust the view defeats the novelty of being able to hold a cold beer (or a soda pop for those who are still under-age) in your free hand. Let’s talk about camera angles. Looking around inside a dome is fine, but you’re stuck without the ability to adjust the camera when outside on the map. To put it plainly…this sucks. Other than that deficiency, extended play can result in a few hand cramps, but this control scheme works surprisingly well. It’s a small price to pay for the freedom of an extra limb.

Opoona screenshot

In the midst of battle is where the controls begin to feel less mundane, and they actually become fun to use. The bonbon battle system is as simple as it is silly sounding. To attack, you’ll pull back on the analog stick to charge your bonbon before flicking it forward to release the thing at the enemy. Holding it down longer will strengthen the power of the charge, and holding it to the left or right will curve your shot in the opposite direction. You can also pull back to arc the shot in an overhand throw or push forward to throw an underhand shot. Both maneuvers can be used to throw your bonbon around and between certain foes to reach others in the back. In addition to your basic attacks, special force abilities and numerous items can be used to deal damage, heal allies or provide an advantage. Upgrades for your bonbon can also add bonuses, elemental damage, and other interesting affects to you attacks. Altogether, there’s a suitable variety of options at your disposal for battle.

Opoona screenshot

Initially, Opoona is on his own in combat, but eventually he’ll be joined by his siblings who each have their own strengths for lending a hand. Battles play out in real-time, which can make things a little stressful at first, but it never becomes overtly difficult. In fact, most experience RPG players are likely to find it a bit too easy. When Opoona and his allies fall in battle, they’re simply transported to the nearest rest area and charged a meager fee for healing and a quick recharge. Then it’s a matter of retracing your steps to wherever you died to resume whatever job you were in the middle of. At first, the game’s random encounters evoke a brief feeling of nostalgia for traditional RPGs of days past, but that soon wears away.

For every negative aspect of the game that inspires burning frustration to spew forth from your lips, there are plenty of things to like about Opoona. It’s a reasonably entertaining game full of cute and colorful characters that are easily digestible by a wide audience. The quest is adequately long for an RPG, and the gameplay is equal parts fun and tedium. Though partially by design, Opoona doesn’t do much to shirk the yoke of RPG tradition. Sadly, this eventually this does more harm than good for the otherwise charming title. If you can look beyond that, you might get lost in the adventure…at least for a little while.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.8 Graphics
Bright, colorful, and interesting visuals. 3.5 Control
One-handed controls are pretty sweet. Camera angle controls a bit rough. 3.8 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Entirely interesting and pleasant audio. Sadly, there’s no voice-over work. 3.4

Play Value
A mostly fun game that’s marred slightly by a few issues.

3.6 Overall Rating – Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • “Active Bonbon Battle” – The “Active Bonbon Battle” is an action game-style battle system. The player pitches “Energy Bonbons” at enemies by snapping the Nunchuk. The player can manipulate the Bonbon’s trajectory – straight or curved. Once the target is fixed, the Bonbon will attack the target without fail. It is easy for beginners, and more skilled gamers can try multi-attacks by manipulating the bonbon orbits in a strategic way. All other commands are also controlled by Nunchuk, to allow “one-thumb control” of the game.
  • A “Lifestyle RPG”: The Thrill of Living a New Life – On the planet Landroll, anyone who wants a job must have a license. There are many kinds of licenses such as “rescuer”, “Idol,” and “detective,” so it is up to the player to decide what kind of job to pursue. By completing one’s duty, the player can grow, deepen relationships, and unlock new areas. As such, Opoona is not only about battling, but about developing relationships with new people and contributing to society through work.
  • Enjoy a New Life on Landroll – “Tomodachi Complete” -Opoona can expand and deepen his relationships with residents through conversations and work. The Tomodachi level changes as Opoona’s relationships evolve. When the Tomodachi level increases, Opoona will become involved with a broader range of activities including new jobs and hints to new adventures.
  • Shopping and Collecting – Opoona can enjoy shopping and collecting. A wide range of items can be obtained from small toys to famous art pieces.
  • A Fantasy World of Modern Design – From modern, stylish structures in the residential areas to the outside domes where nature awaits – the player will see jungles, wilderness with strange rock formations, and ancient ruins. The world of Opoona is a “fusion of modern design and fantasy”.
  • Screen Resolution: Up to 480p (Progressive Scan, Widescreen).

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