Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Vanillaware) - Out now

I like breaks in my gameplay, personally. Though I can support the automatic psypher business, 'cause harvesting EXP souls mid-fight was a little on the tricky side.
 
[quote name='pete5883']I'm afraid of the answer but: why did you play Odin Sphere with an arcade stick?[/quote]
I play as much as possible with a stick. I rather dislike traditional controllers.
 
For any game I can I use the Neo Geo Arcade stick 2 for the Wii. So I understand wanting to use an acrade stick. But I have no problem with traditional controllers. I just like using it because I have big hands and find it more comfortable over time.
 
On the Wii, Muramasa: The Demon Blade is sharper and more colorful than Odin Sphere. The combat is also faster and more technical, though not terribly difficult from what I played. The TGS demo did not include any character upgrading or leveling thus it felt purely like an action game. You can switch swords on the fly and chain regular attacks with a variety of gorgeous special moves. Odin Sphere fans will likely prefer the classic controller set-up to the Wii remote, as it allows for more precise control. Simply put, the game is a blast, and the boss battles are epic and fun. Thankfully the game comes out in 2008 in Japan, while my friends in the west will have to wait until an unspecified time in 2009.
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Sounds good to me.
 
This along with Madworld are the only wii games that are coming out that I know I am going to buy. I really hope this one turns out to be one of the systems' best. I hope it is a lot harder than nintendo's latest watered down 2-d adventures.
 
http://www.mmv.co.jp/special/game/wii/oboromuramasa/movie/index.html

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The chick looks 1000000x more hardcore than the dood.

Also, setting a level on the ocean with that very iconic piece of artwork? I have to give mad, mad props on that.

Hope the game turns out well.

Also, it sounds like the guy says "Mervous" or something at the beginning.
 
[quote name='Strell']
Also, setting a level on the ocean with that very iconic piece of artwork? I have to give mad, mad props on that.
[/quote]
I couldn't agree more. This style of art is not even an aesthetic I usually enjoy, but those screens look beautiful.
 
This game looks promising. The sad thing is that this is one of the only Wii games I can say that about. I wish the Wii would get some more interesting titles.
 
[quote name='crystalklear64']
I do not understand how depth does not equal complexity. Please explain/provide example.

And I think that giving the player more options to do.. whatever does mean more game.[/quote]

StarCraft? It's deep, but it's not complex. Whether you're trying to counter a zerg rush with firebats or taking down carriers with shrouded hydras, it's a simple process with deep motivation.

Odin Sphere was the opposite. The inventory system was the thing of nightmares and why I quit before even finishing the first story. I'm low on health, how do I heal? Well, you have to find a seed, then plant it, then kill someone near it so the seed absorbs the souls, then I have to harvest the fruit, and FINALLY eat it. That is needlessly fucking complex to perform a simple function. It doesn't add depth, only headaches, and unfortunately, this is just the simplest example. It actually got worse the longer you played.

You do not need complexity to offer depth and being complex doesn't necessarily mean something is deep.

[quote name='crystalklear64']"It's difficult to gauge exactly how much these complexities have been toned down, though, as Marvelous reps pointed out that the inventory system and many of Kisuke and Momohime's unique powers weren't available in this TGS version."

:cry:[/quote]

As you may have gathered, I LOATHED Odin Sphere's inventory system. If they cut it out, or at least stream line it, this will be a beautiful, awesome game.


[quote name='gunm']Ok, now both of you guys are off-topic. Please take it offline.[/quote]
Yes, I agree; take your internet arguing offline.
 
CK and I do virtually all of our arguing offline. We're like an old married couple.

But hey, I like arguing. It's good for ya. You should try it some time, gun. It's especially handy when the topic is just some videogame - gets ya all the practice of a proper argument without any reason to get all heated up.
 
[quote name='The Crotch']
But hey, I like arguing. It's good for ya. You should try it some time, gun. It's especially handy when the topic is just some videogame - gets ya all the practice of a proper argument without any reason to get all heated up.[/quote]
I disagree. Arguing is not good for you.
 
Famitsu Article (copy and paste URL, dont click):

Key points translated:
- The boy, Kisuke, is a fugitive ninja which lost his memories, to the point that he couldn't even remember why he was being chased after. The only thing he is sure of, is that he is now motivated by an intense desire to pursue and find a certain "katana", even if this means fighting for that.

- The girl, Momohime, is a pure and beautiful princess which was one day possessed by an evil spirit. This tragedy led her to flee her castle, and to vanish...

- You can use two types of katana : the regular, long sword, and the bigger sword. The regular swords excel in 1-on-1 and aerial battles, while the bigger, more powerful swords are better suited to take care of multiple enemies.The proper use of weapons depending on the situation is a key element of the battles.
It's said that the battles are not just about blowing off enemies, as there are many strategic elements to them.

- You can perform defensive, as well as evasive moves, at the cost of a depleting soul gauge. When the gauge reachs zero, your weapon breaks, considerably reducing your attack power (you'll then have to switch your sword).

- You can equip up to 3 katanas. After a certain time has elapsed, you're able to use one of your weapon's special power ("iai kiri"). To do that, just switch to it, and it will be unleashed automatically. Switching your weapons strategically is actually a key element.

- As you collect more and more katanas, you'll find out that each of them has a different secret skill concealed within it (i.e : some spinning move, lightning-quick jabs, etc)

- That game takes place on the Genroku era's Honshuu. You're free to start the game with any of the two characters. If you choose Kisuke, you start from the West side of the map. Alternatively, if you choose Momohime, you start from the East side. From then the story of both characters branch out independently.

- On your quest, you'll be able to meet various characters, visit some villages and cities where you'll be able to shop, eat, and restore yourself, and experience many events.

-the development team actually invested a lot of time and effort into the animations which are played when you eat the various meals at the restaurants, so they hope you'll enjoy them. :hot:

- You'll be able to travel long distance in a short time thanks to boats and other vehicles, though you'll have to pay for these services. You must be careful though, as you could have a few surprises during your trips...

- the preorder bonus will consist of a 2 meters long, reversible folding screen with artworks printed on it.
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Characters:
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Enemies:
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New info on NeoGAF:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=337285&page=16

Famitsu has a new article on the game, in which they point out that you'll be able to choose between two modes to go through the game : the "Musou" mode, which puts an emphasis on the characters evolution and the strategic aspect, and the "Shura" mode, which is purely focused on action, while relying less on skills than the other mode.
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More infos from online retailer Game Star :

- More than 30 different types of stages.
- Collect up to 108 different swords, which you can temper at the forges.
- A variety of different ougis (special techs)
- Wiimote + Nunchuk, Classic Controller, and Gamecube controller all supported

http://gmstar.com/wii/oboromuramasa.html

[edit] They also indicate that the Shura/Action Mode relies, in fact, quite a bit on the player skills, and tends to be aimed at experienced action games players. So it could be that it's not that the action mode requires "less skills", but simply that both modes actually require different types of skills, with one being aimed at RPG gamers, and the other one at action gamers.
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Famitsu review:
9/9/8/8 = 34/40

Pros:

- graphics, art style, & animation
- combat
- music
- full voice acting
- dialogue
- well-balanced difficulty
- gameplay length
- replay value
- short loading times
- collect swords (108 altogether)

Cons:

- repetitive gameplay/ straight forward level design
- no real story climax
- not much difference in the controls of both playble characters
- death counts as a small penalty

Famitsu Reviewer Comments:

"The smooth animation, vibrant colors, and high-quality dialogue is enough to take anyone aback, and the feeling of speed matches the music well."

"It's like you can feel yourself melt into the intricately-drawn and beautiful characters and demons."

"The fighting system, which has you switching between three swords, is clear and easy, absorbing you into play."

"There is character raising and other RPG elements, but largely it's a traditional 2D action game."

"The two heroes control pretty much the same way."

"you're still driven on by things like sword collecting and the visuals of every stage, and "it's been set up to be as fast-paced as possible, down to the incredibly quick load times, so you wind up playing for hours despite yourself."

"The game's a process of repeatedly reaching the finish line and defeating a boss, making me think the game was a little plain."

"You never run into anything particularly tricky during normal play, so the game itself can feel a bit monotonous."

"There is only a small penalty for death, undeniably making the game not that intense an experience."
 
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I'm not into repetition so much, but it sounds like there's enough there for me to overcome that obstacle. Plus, I don't put much stock into the things Famitsu reviewers write these days. :p
 
I just played the first level of this game and it looks as good as I had hoped. It's like the best Sega Genesis game ever made. I can see the gameplay getting old after a while, but I'm hoping the later levels get over-the-top enough to offset that (the first level is full of generic black-clad ninjas). My only real complaint so far is that you jump with "up" on the nunchuk stick - it's a little extra movement that can make jumping in a direction inaccurate. If there's not a button available for it, I'd almost prefer a waggle option to initiate the jump. The game is paused right now and even for the pause menu the music is amazing.
 
[quote name='Strell']I see what you did there.[/quote]
Oddly enough, I actually had no idea that news/thread existed. I try not to follow industry news and like to spend the spare time I have talking about the games themselves. This game really is bringing back all my Genesis fantasies in a bunch of ways. Sorry I wasn't offering/mocking biting commentary - reading through the OP of the thread you linked to was enough to remind me of why I avoid industry chatter.

Anyway, the first save screen (maybe they're all like this) uses a really fantastic fish-eye effect that feels disorienting and amazing.
 
At first I didn't have the thread linked. Then I thought there was a good chance someone wouldn't know what I was talking about, as well as that it could all be coincidence.

So I linked it. Heh.
 
I liked the Odin Sphere style better, and I expect OS to be better in every area except technical, from gameplay to story.

I still expect it to be good though. I hope their next game is more RPG than action. Maybe an RTS that works better.
 
From IGN.com:

XSEED Loses Muramasa: The Demon Blade


The publisher confirms that the stylish 2D action game has been picked up by another publisher.


by Matt Casamassina

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April 20, 2009 - Fans eagerly awaiting the American release of Muramasa: The Demon Blade should keep their eyes peeled for some new publishing news in the near future. First, IGN has learned that XSEED Games, formerly set to debut the title stateside, will no longer be handling distribution. The company released a statement to IGN confirming this news this morning.


  • XSEED Games confirms that it is no longer involved with the North American release of Muramasa: The Demon Blade. XSEED Games and Marvelous had previously announced the game as part of the initial line up between the two publishing partners. We firmly believe in the product and will look forward to seeing it release in North America. We enjoy and respect our relationship with Marvelous, and are committed to working together to deliver an amazing line up of games in the US including the highly anticipated Little King's Story, the epic RPG Arc Rise Fantasia and Suda51's intriguing mystery adventure Flower, Sun, Rain.
IGN expects news about the game's new U.S. publisher soon. Stay tuned.
 
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