🌟 Review: Wander Stars on Nintendo Switch – A Super! Anime! Word-Based RPG

Developer: Paper Castle Games
Publisher: Fellow Traveller
Genre: Anime, RPG, Turn-based,Roguelite,
Price: $19.99/$24.99
Release Date: Sept 19th, 2025
Where to buy: Switch, Steam,

Wander Stars is a bright, charming, and highly unique turn-based RPG that wears its ’90s anime influences proudly on its sleeve. Developed by Paper Castle Games, this adventure is a clear love letter to classic shōnen shows like Dragon Ball, featuring a quest that feels like a serialized cartoon and a combat system built entirely on the playful power of language.

Playing as Ringo, a sassy young martial artist searching for her brother, and Wolfe, a mysterious scoundrel, players embark on a quest across the galaxy to find pieces of the fabled Wanderstar Map. The narrative is structured as a series of ten “episodes,” complete with episode titles and a pace that perfectly mimics Saturday morning cartoons. This episodic format works wonderfully on the Switch, offering flavorful, digestible chunks of story that make it perfect for on-the-go play.

The Power of Words: Innovative Combat

The true star of Wander Stars is its inventive combat system. Instead of selecting fixed skills, you craft your own attacks by stringing together a limited vocabulary of words.

Action (e.g., KICK, PUNCH)

Element (e.g., FIRE, WIND)

Modifier (e.g., SUPER, AWESOME, WIDE)

Combining these words—such as SUPER AWESOME FIRE KICK—creates a custom move with unique damage, range, and cooldown properties. This system encourages creativity and experimentation, making every battle a fun puzzle where you must strategically manage your word slots and cooldowns to exploit enemy weaknesses.

The game cleverly adds a twist by rewarding players who manage to reduce an enemy’s health to a specific “breaking point” and then choose to “Peace Out” instead of dealing the finishing blow. This allows Ringo to befriend her rivals and gain powerful passive abilities called Pep Ups, adding a roguelite element of temporary upgrades that shape each episode’s run.

Aesthetic Charm and Performance Hiccups

The game’s visual presentation is a huge win. It boasts a bold, crisp art style with expressive character designs that instantly evoke the spirit of Akira Toriyama’s work and other ’90s anime greats. The soundtrack is equally strong, featuring brass-heavy, energetic themes that give battles a cinematic bravado.

However, the Nintendo Switch version is unfortunately held back by noticeable technical issues.

Performance: Players may encounter stuttering and slowdown, particularly during battles with many effects on screen.

Bugs/Stability: There have been reports of occasional softlocks and crashes, though patches may address these over time.

Saving: The save system only activates when entering a new map, which can be frustrating if a bug occurs or you need to quit mid-area, forcing you to re-experience long dialogue sequences (which, annoyingly, cannot be skipped entirely, only fast-forwarded).

📝 Verdict

Wander Stars is a genuinely joyful and unique RPG that succeeds based on the strength of its charm and its central word-combining gimmick. The game’s unapologetically anime aesthetic and playful combat make for an engaging and memorable adventure.