GDC 2009: Spectrobes: Origins First Look

The successful Spectrobes series on the Nintendo DS has made its way to the Wii, a progression that came naturally, according to assistant producer Mark Orgel. We met with Disney Interactive Studios to take a quick look at Spectrobes: Origins, a game that moves away from the slower-paced role-playing game to something more battle oriented. The new storyline continues to follow Rallen and Jeena, and we were told it's not necessary to have played any of the previous games to be able to enjoy Origins. Fans and newcomers alike will learn secrets of the past and be able to explore a new solar system.

Rallen and Jeena, along with their spectrobes, are on a mission to fight the Krawl, which are vicious creatures that are threatening the safety of the galaxy. Spectrobes, creatures of light, are found through fossil excavation and can be found throughout the universe. You must collect them and awaken them if you want to expand your collection. With care and guidance, the spectrobes will grow up to become powerful allies in battle. As children, they help solve environmental puzzles and help you fetch and locate fossils. We weren't able to see the excavation process, but we were told that the Wii motion controls will definitely be used to mimic tools. Time-consuming mineral excavations are no longer included; instead, you can easily point and click onscreen as you come across minerals to keep the gameplay flowing.

Battles are in real time, so once you approach a group of enemies and are ready to fight, you are whisked into a separate area in which you fight alongside one of your spectrobes. You choose six creatures beforehand to be at your disposal, which you can swap out at any time with the Z button. There are five elemental types in the game to be aware of: water, fire, grass, earth, and sky. Exploiting a monster's weakness is crucial if you want to gain the upper hand. You use the analog stick to control Rallen's movements, and he can dodge attacks when you shake the nunchuk. He has access to a wide variety of weapons, which you use to slash at your enemies by pressing the A button. Neighboring enemies will be autotargeted for your convenience while your spectrobe fights and holds its own. If you want it to help you attack your current target, you shake the Wii Remote to teleport the spectrobe to your side.

Your health meter, as well as your spectrobe's bar, is at the bottom of the screen so that once your spectrobe's power bar fills, you can use the Z button to start a special attack. The game will then tell you to strike a pose--in our case our demonstrator had to cross his hands over his chest--before unleashing the powerful area attack.

Our demo was brief, but Origins is looking good on the Wii with its vibrant visuals, and it seems to have made the transition very well. We had a chance to see only a few fights from a couple of planets, so we hope to see a more diverse range of locations in the near future. No details were given regarding which spectrobes will make an appearance and how many there will be, but we were told that popular ones will be back, along with new spectrobes and new characters to meet. We'll keep you updated on this Wii exclusive as soon as more information becomes available. Right now it's set to be released sometime this fall.