First Details of DS Okami Sequel Revealed
September 2, 2009 at 9:30 PDT – Source: 1UP
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Okamiden aims to recapture the original's distinctive art style and expand its gameplay.
The first Okami was a critical favorite, gaining a name for itself with a release on the PlayStation 2 and a later port to Nintendo's Wii. However, its unspectacular sales didn't leave much hope for a sequel. That all changed recently, when Capcom confirmed rumors surrounding the company's registration of a trademark for "Okamiden." Okami is getting a sequel after all. Okamiden: Chiisaki Taiyo (which can be roughly translated as Okami Chronicles: Tiny Sun) is due out on the Nintendo DS next year.
Okamiden will take place just a few months after the wolf-goddess Amaterasu's adventure. The return of demons instigates the need for divine help once more, but this time it's the younger Chibiterasu who shows up ("Chibi" is a Japanese term that is loosely used to described small or childlike versions of characters). The youthful connotation of the name holds true, since Chibiterasu is described by Producer Motohide Eshiro as "a young form of existence, not fully grown." While Chibiterasu may mirror the previous fully-grown Amaterasu in many ways, Eshiro also says that "he doesn't have Amaterasu's raw power, which will be reflected both in the story and gameplay."
Chibiterasu will have some help though, in the form of partners that Okamiden will provide for the hero. These partners - like Kuninushi, the son of two characters from the first game - work in tandem with the hero and can also be moved independently. The original game's mechanic of directing a brush to "paint" on the game screen in order to solve puzzles and defeat enemies will also make a return, possibly aided by the DS' stylus and touchscreen.
According to Eshiro, the project stretches back to December 2008 when he was shown a demo showing how they could recreate Okami graphics on a handheld system. With original developers Clover Studios splitting from Capcom to form Platinum Games, it is now Capcom themselves who are working hard to bring the game to life.
Carmine "Cai" M. Red, Staff Writer
