One of the best RPGs of the 21st century is still stuck on the Nintendo Wii, with no other way to play it. Released in 2006, the Wii was Nintendo’s home console follow-up to the GameCube, known for its motion controls, wand-shaped controller, and crunchy built-in speakers. It was home to a number of masterpieces of its generation, including the Super Mario Galaxy duology and Zelda: Twilight Princess.

Many of those great games have been subject to remakes, ports, or re-release on modern platforms. But one of the Wii’s best exclusives remains just that — exclusive to the Wii — even all these years later.

The Last Story Is A Forgotten Wii Classic

The Last Story was released in the West as a Wii exclusive in 2012. It was developed by Mistwalker — which Final Fantasy fans will recognize as series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi’s independent studio — with the now-defunct AQ Interactive. Sakaguchi directed the game, while longtime Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu contributed the music.

Unlike most of mainline Final Fantasy, The Last Story is an action RPG in which you control protagonist Zael, doling out menu-based commands to your party of heroes while you go. You can also use the environment, sneaking around corners or destroying certain objects, to give yourself an edge in battle. The spells you cast in a fight also create lingering magic fields that can alter the efficacy of your attacks or cause other status effects.

It’s a good balance of action combat excitement and tactical strategy, requiring quick responses to ever-changing situations as well as foresight and planning ahead. But it’s also dripping with that Sakaguchi style, set in a unique, waterborne fantasy island where you play as wayward mercenary Zael as he comes to terms with a power he doesn’t fully understand. It’s all scored to that brilliant, evocative Uematsu soundtrack, with colorful, stylish graphics and over-the-top character design.

It’s not quite Final Fantasy, even if you squint, but it’s clear that The Last Story sprung from many of the same minds that put Square Enix on the map. It garnered largely positive reviews from contemporary critics, who praised it for its balance between approachability and innovation. Its story wasn’t the strongest (and many commented on its lack of originality within the genre), but for many, it represented a welcome throwback to beloved classics.

The Last Story Is Almost Impossible To Play Today

But unless you still have access to a Wii and a copy of The Last Story, you can’t play this incredible RPG for yourself today. Used, complete-in-box copies are pretty expensive, ranging from $70 (the price of a brand-new AAA game) to $460 for the best possible condition.

Unlike other classics of its generation, The Last Story has never gotten a moden port, remake, or remaster, and it’s not clear exactly why. It could be a licensing issue between Nintendo, Mistwalker, and XSeed Games, who published The Last Story in North America. It could be a perceived lack of consumer interest. Or it could just be that everyone involved has other priorities.

For one reason or another, though, The Last Story remains a relic of its time. Mistwalker’s Xbox 360-exclusive RPG Lost Odyssey has met with more or less the same fate, while its turn-based RPG Fantasian, originally an Apple Arcade exclusive, enjoyed a re-release for home consoles and Windows PCs back in 2024.

As Nintendo continues to expand its retro game library and other classic Mistwalker games get reappraisals, though, it’s certainly possible that a Last Story re-release could come to pass one way or another. Here’s hoping this classic Wii game will reach a wider modern audience soon.