With 3DS on the (probably) near horizon, high profile software for Nintendo’s DS is few and far between. Okamiden, Capcom’s follow-up to Clover’s criminally undersold PlayStation 2 classic Okami, is potentially one of the DS’s greatest last gasps. I loved the original, I liked what I saw of Okamiden at E3, and the new stuff Capcom was showing off at CES was equally impressive.
The demo kicked off with a minigame. Chibiterasu was being aided by her partner, whose butterfly wings allowed Chibi to fly. Susceptible to wind, her weak wings weren’t the greatest. To combat this, the player is given the Celestial Brush, which allows for use of powers bestowed to Chibi by the gods. In this case I was tasked with drawing a lowercase cursive L on the bottom screen depending on which way the wind was blowing. When things got really out of control, drawing a spiral was required to proceed. It sounds simple, but it actually got pretty tough; the faster the gusts the quicker your reaction times. Not unlike Okami, the endearing flourish of the gameplay lies with the interaction between player and pen, only in a more literal sense now thanks to the DS’s stylus.
Eventually I made my way to an island. I used a Celestial Brush to use a power I had familiarized myself with in the E3 build (drawing a line from a body of water to an object that required water) before I made it to the top of the mountain. The top of the mountain required the approval of a band (to put it lightly) and I had to catch their musical notes in the air and draw a line through them before they flew away. This pleased a god, whom then bestowed upon me a lighting power.
Okamiden felt great. The DS obviously isn’t the most powerful system around, but Okamiden’s highly stylized look certainly made it easy on the eyes. It did feel a little smaller and more constrained than the PlayStation 2 original, but a bit more focus could lead to better pacing and serve the game well (I finished Okami, but I know a lot of people couldn’t push all the way through). The localization also appeared to be going well, albeit skewed slightly younger. In any case the language was colorful and modern, far and away from the dry translations shoved out the door on most DS software. And yes, obviously the touch screen was perfect for your paint brush.
Okamiden is set for release on March 15th. Check back with us then for a full review.
