Okamiden (Nintendo DS)

I'm beginning to see a pattern regarding the release of Okami games. Okami, and now Okamiden, were released during the dying moments of their respective platforms, destined for modest commercial success. Its as if its creators, Capcom, have conceded that the series will be forever labelled a cult classic, met with high critical acclaim that sadly isn't reflected in the sales figures. The fact that the dwindling limelight on the
stage of the DS is currently being hogged by the latest additions to the almighty Pokemon series, only adds insult to injury.

But don't go writing off this not-so old wolf just yet. Okamiden also shares the same lofty production values as Okami, the same magnificently well-realised world you want to jump head-first into and lose yourself in for hours on end. Okamiden is to Okami what Chibi, the protagonist, is to his mother Amaterasu: a cuter, unfledged version, but essentially cut from the same cloth. Actually, that parallel describes the rest of the game pretty well; more of the same but smaller.

For example, sacrifices were inevitably made in the presentation and content departments to convert the Okami brand to the DS: that is not to say that the game is either ugly or short-lived, though; the beautiful Japanese folklore-inspired art style remains largely intact, and there are hours' worth of sidequests to sink your fangs into as well as the lengthy main story.

The only feature that isn't scaled down to fit the limited hardware, but rather isimproved upon, is the celestial brush. Unlike in other iterations, using the Celestial brush is effortless and strokes are precise thanks to the DS' touch screen. It's easy to imagine why Capcom wanted to develop Okamiden for the DS, given how perfectly this
mechanic has translated to the DS.

A new partner system has been implemented, where you team up with various other children - including Susano's son and a Waka-lookalike - to overcome obstacles throughout the course of your adventure. As well as allowing for some funny and heart-warming dialogues with Chibi, having a partner is practical too; he or she will help you in battle and solve puzzles in the same vein as Spirit Tracks.

Other than that though, given the direction Okamiden seems to have gone in, i.e. insisting on making itself a revisiting rather than a full-blown sequel, the game offers more of the same and little else. Maybe that's not such a bad thing though, considering Okami was such a great game. Epic boss battles, an absorbing plot, a charming script and sumptuous Zelda-inspired gameplay have all been retained in the transition to the DS.

Yet still I can't shake the feeling that Capcom tried a little too hard to replicate the original, rather than make a more creative sequel, and I'm sure that there are other fans who will feel the same way too after playing Okamiden. While its obvious that Capcom approached this ambitious project with commendable vigour and genuine passion to do its predecessor justice, I can't help but think that their veneration of the original has come at the expense of innovation. Instead of playing to the DS's strengths they've merely tried to supplement its weaknesses.

As great as it is being able to relive the same moments as in Okami, to meet the recurring characters, to traverse the same locales - thus repeatedly filling me with dreamy-eyed nostalgia - it is for this same reason that I'd say to the uninitiated to the series that they should plump for the superior original if they had to choose one. It honestly pains me to say that because Okamiden is an excellent DS game on its own merit. Had Okami never existed, Okamiden would get an automatic +10% score-wise.

As things stand though, the developers have done themselves no favours in compelling players to compare Okamiden to its predecessor by making it so similar, when the bottom line is that it could never match its sheer scope and beauty. But if you did enjoy Okami, the sequel is well worth a look.

As someone who loved Okami (still need to finish it though!), i couldn't wait to play Okamiden. I was a little unsure how Capcom would be able to replicate the world of Okami in a ds cartridge, but i have to say, they did a smashing job.
Set nine months after Okami, evil once again spreads across Nippon, however, 'kami Amaterasu isn't around this time to save the day, so it's down to her cute son, Chibiterasu, to get to the bottom of this mystery. Along the way, Chibi meets many characters, old and new, while trying to restore peace and faith.

I'm going to start off with the negatives:

The touch screen sometimes doesn't recognise what's been drawn. This problem seemed to ease quite a bit when i transfered from playing on my ds lite to my 3ds, but there are still times where it's stubourn.

There's only one save slot- I understand that there's a lot of content but to only have one save slot is disappointing to say the least.

Despite there being two modes of difficulty (i chose old hand), it wasn't all that hard. I did have a few moments where i thought it was quite hard, and i did die a total of 8 times, usually though my own stupidity, but overall, it wasn't too hard. I managed to collect nearly all the masterpiece pieces without too much trouble and only need to collect one more piece when i play it again later.

There's only so far you can level up- in the end, i got 10 ink pots and solar units and couldn't level up any more, despite there still being a few hours left of the game. After it fills for the last time, any praise gained is wasted.

Certain side missions can only be completed at certain times which is slightly annoying as i knew what i needed but i wasn't allowed to do anything until the game decided it was ready to let me do it! This happens once to many times for me to ignore it!

This game has many plus points:

There is so much content in this game! There's lots of side missions on collectables which will keep you busy besides the story.

The story is excellent, and comes with many twists and turns. The end is a mixture of sadness, happiness and makes it so that there could be a sequal!

The characters are brilliant and they all have their own personalities- they will make you laugh, and maybe even cry a little. For me, Kurow's story really touched me! I also enjoyed seeing old favourites, and happy to see that their personalities have remained the same.

This game oozes cuteness whichever way you look at it. If you don't go aww at any point in this game, you're heart's made of stone!

How Capcom have managed to squeeze most of Okami's locations plus new ones in amazes me. They may be a little smaller but it's great to see them on my ds.

The game looks georgeous (even on the 3ds's screen) despite not being as detailed as it's console original, while the music is just as stunning as before. Again to hear this coming from a ds cartridge stuns me!

The combat is very easy to pick up, while the brush strokes themselves are simple designs which are easily remembered, and with some on screen prompts, you know what's required when.

When you finish the game, watch the animation above the credits- it's great fun. There's also a surprise waiting after they finish, so remember to save your game!

This game is a joy to play through, and despite it's kiddy look, it's deep, dark storyline will have you hooked from start to finish. I managed to clock 27 hours on my first playthrough, and if i didn't have any other games to play through, i'd play it again, something very few games make me want to do. It's frustrating that this game's release was a week before the 3ds's launch, but it's not one to be ignored. I haven't enjoyed a ds game for a while, and only a few more that i've spent more time on either. Even if you haven't played Okami, there's plenty to enjoy here, and it would be criminal if this were the last game they did in this series. A game well worth your time.

I've recently completed Okami and was so in love with it I bought Okamiden as soon as I could. I have to say, it isn't the same game, but has similar features and characters (your partner is alot like Susano, being his son). The puzzles seem less unique, but still very enjoyable (probably because it's supposed to be similar to the first). The art is still very nice to look at so far and I'm only part of the way through.
Really big high point: The celetial brush is now far easier to use! No more fumbling about with the analogue stick, but you can instead use the stylus!
Down sides: So far I haven't really found any. It's still a good puzzle and adventure game and so far there's been no digging levels (which drove me mad in the first game, but I still enjoyed).
I'd recommend this to anyone who played Okami and enjoyed it. I think it makes a good sequel!