At first glance it's easy to dismiss Muramasa: The Demon Blade (known as Hazy Muramasa in Japan) as "that game that looks like Odin Sphere," even though it was known as Princess Crown 3 during development, but even a cursory examination reveals that such dismissals are errant. The most immediate reasoning for this is the combat: while Odin Sphere's fight options were mainly limited to hockey-like poke-checks and some more limited aerial options, the focus was definitely on your item growth and your ingredients. Muramasa is the Ninja Gaiden of this equation, cleverly offering you with only a couple of buttons and the Nunchuk the abilities to uppercut slash, charge slash, aerial combo, downward thrust, and chain attacks into strings this author saw approach and surpass the 50-hit mark (reports are that the Classic Controller will also be compatible). The combat feels great and is satisfying, and after each little skirmish (come across side-scrollingly as you traverse a very Castlevania-looking map) you are rewarded with experience and money as well as bonuses quite resembling the end-of-match Smash Bros. results you're all used to (first attack, quick finish, and others).
In addition to that fancy standard repertoire, you can also switch between three swords on the fly, all of which have their own automatically regenerating "life bars" which are drained as you perform special attacks and slash back projectiles. Do this too much and your weapon "breaks," meaning you need to swap another one in (usually to fancy all-on-screen-enemy-hitting effect). As you continue to fight the broken weapon regenerates and can be pulled back out before too very long. Also peppered around the screens are little "treasures," generally in the form of regenerative items to fill back up your HP. You cycle through these with the d-pad and hit down on it to use them.
The graphics are gorgeous and move fluidly, even in 480p, with one of the two sample levels taking you to a wheat field with tiny stalks that flow back and forth in the wind in simplistic elegance. The bosses, as well, are large and nicely animated. Everything just feels so satisfying to hit. Two separate characters (a boy and a girl) and two modes of play are available, for those who prefer slower-moving character leveling, and one for those who favor the combat (I chose the latter, and was obliterated during my boss fight).
Published by Ignition and coming out in September of this year in North America, Muramasa: The Demon Blade absolutely deserves a look.
In addition to that fancy standard repertoire, you can also switch between three swords on the fly, all of which have their own automatically regenerating "life bars" which are drained as you perform special attacks and slash back projectiles. Do this too much and your weapon "breaks," meaning you need to swap another one in (usually to fancy all-on-screen-enemy-hitting effect). As you continue to fight the broken weapon regenerates and can be pulled back out before too very long. Also peppered around the screens are little "treasures," generally in the form of regenerative items to fill back up your HP. You cycle through these with the d-pad and hit down on it to use them.
The graphics are gorgeous and move fluidly, even in 480p, with one of the two sample levels taking you to a wheat field with tiny stalks that flow back and forth in the wind in simplistic elegance. The bosses, as well, are large and nicely animated. Everything just feels so satisfying to hit. Two separate characters (a boy and a girl) and two modes of play are available, for those who prefer slower-moving character leveling, and one for those who favor the combat (I chose the latter, and was obliterated during my boss fight).
Published by Ignition and coming out in September of this year in North America, Muramasa: The Demon Blade absolutely deserves a look.