Okamiden's new protagonist: Chibiterasu the lil' wolf
by JC Fletcher 
{ Sep 1st 2009 at 3:00PM } 
Instead of Amaterasu, the wolf being that comes down to help the village is Chibiterasu, a younger, less all-powerful wolf. Chibiterasu is helped by a partner character, the first of whom to be revealed is Kuninushi, the child of Susano from the first game. Chibiterasu will work with other partner characters throughout the game, each of whom can also be controlled independently.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
FoShizzle @ Sep 1st 2009 3:05PM
"at which point demons return for some reason."
apparently, the god of plot convenience makes a return appearance in the game...
Rob S. @ Sep 1st 2009 3:18PM
Hey, if not for the God of Plot Convenience, most video games, Tv shows, and movie would not exist.
Blank-Mage @ Sep 1st 2009 5:20PM
I thought the God of Plot Convenience was Gene Roddenberry?
lobotomies4free @ Sep 1st 2009 6:29PM
NICE!
MRLN the Amazing @ Sep 1st 2009 3:11PM
A portable okami. Wow. Exhilarating. ....
I think it is too difficult to display my sentiments in words.
??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! ??!?!?!?!?!!!?!?!? !!!!!
Geist @ Sep 1st 2009 4:23PM
OKAMI GEAR?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!?!!?!????!!!!!
Metal Gear!? @ Sep 1st 2009 7:28PM
I think I have some words.... AAAAARRGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!! The graphics burn my eyes even mooorrrree!!!!!
ArchiGamer 2.0 [Planeteer I Power of Sexy Irony] @ Sep 1st 2009 3:12PM
I'm so excited I...I...I need to change my pants...
Bowser Rogozhin: England is finished @ Sep 1st 2009 3:13PM
"directed by Dino Crisis series staffer Kuniomi Matsushita"
Was this guy involved in that abortion that was Dino Crisis 3? Because if he was, them I'm about 0.5% more disheartened at this announcement, fabulous as it was.
Pastry @ Sep 1st 2009 3:36PM
Giant Bomb says Dino Crisis 1, P.N.03, and Resident Evil 4.
So I'm content.
Peter @ Sep 1st 2009 3:16PM
I admit I'm a bit disappointed that Okamiden is a sequel rather than a sidestory. I'm currently at the Point of No Return in Okami and taking my time to collect all 99 Stray Beads available before finishing the game. The story of Okami was so well-crafted and true to mythology in general and Japanese mythology specifically that it's a little disappointing that the story picks up just months after the events of Okami. Legends tend to follow 100-year or 1000-year cycles.
I'm of the opinion that sequels where the story is a selling point (read: not Mario games) should not reset or even partially undo the accomplishments achieved in the first game. It's one thing for Bowser to kidnap the Princess in almost every Super Mario game, but to play a RPG for ~50 hours, get attached to the world and characters, and have your work undone, even in an imaginary world, is a tad disappointing.
Regardless, the game looks like it should be a lot of fun. True, Clover/Platinum Studios isn't working on the game, so the story probably won't be as strong (the story picking up only months after the end of Okami is the first piece of evidence to back up that claim), but beautiful watercolor world + Japanese mythology and folklore + stylus as Celestial Brush would be pretty hard to mess up. And this is Capcom we're talking about. That's reason enough to have a little faith.
samfish (uses the Joystiq Comment-Kill filter!) @ Sep 1st 2009 3:27PM
Technically I suppose it is a side story, since it involves a new character. It's just a side story that takes place shortly after the original. We still don't know what Amaterasu went off and did after the original's ending.
BPMOmega [GT,Steam] @ Sep 2nd 2009 2:20AM
When Clover was dissolved, most of its staff was absorbed into other Capcom teams. Then some of the creative leads broke off into Seeds/Platinum.
So... there's a possibility that former Clover staff will be involved in this. Plus, it IS Capcom. One of the few third-party publishers to have VERY few bad games.
Taco_Hell @ Sep 1st 2009 3:18PM
Well, at least its getting a sequel than no sequel at all. Although I would rather much see the continuation of the original story and what happened to Amaterasu after the 1st one and the like.
Kaoz @ Sep 1st 2009 3:23PM
I never finished Okami, I got about 30 hours in, and then when I had to move I lost access to my Wii for about 2 months. So I want to start over.
This is good inspiration to finally do that, need to wrap up Swords and Soldiers now =D
Bowser Rogozhin: England is finished @ Sep 1st 2009 3:33PM
"need to wrap up Swords and Soldiers now"
So you're the reason why Wiiware has reached Abaddon? You're doing a
hell of a good job, buddy.
Fernando Rocker @ Sep 1st 2009 3:36PM
Any impressions on Sword & Soldiers?
I wanted to pick that game, but decided to pick NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits instead. Very good game, but it doesn't have too much replayability.
On topic: I hope this new Okami game is shorter than the original one. I didn't finish the game because it was too long.
redjack @ Sep 1st 2009 4:00PM
Some of the episodes in Swords and Soldiers are pretty challenging. It takes a little while to get your head around the side-scrolling nature of that RTS. They just go out and do their business and you can't control it. Can be annoying at times. But the challenges and achievements are entertaining. I'd say its a good buy.
My Life as a Darklord... can be as well. Royal pain in my ass though. Some of the levels will beat you like a redheaded stepchild repeatedly. But its oh so rewarding when you finally figure it out. Just wished there was a little less in the way of micro transactions happening with it.
Highlar @ Sep 1st 2009 4:46PM
Swords and Soldiers is great. It is especially so if you have 2 people going at it, but hiking up the difficulty makes the one-player game fun, too. Never played an RTS like it before. :)
Kaoz @ Sep 2nd 2009 8:17AM
I like S&S, its simplified compared to a 3d rts (less micromanagement of resources, a good thing imo) but it gets pretty hard. probably between 3-4 hours for the campaign, then achievements, skirmish, versus, and challenge mode extend that by a whole lot. I like it a lot, but I could see people who dislike rts games disliking it (obviously)
I picked up nyxquest before it, and liked it more. But, thats only because platformers are my favorite genre.
sony boy @ Sep 1st 2009 3:33PM
because they don't have a big budget for this game. fuck.
MRLN the Amazing @ Sep 1st 2009 3:41PM
?
Where does it say that?
sony boy @ Sep 1st 2009 4:11PM
well, you can probably guess that.
Slayer8675309 @ Sep 1st 2009 5:36PM
Because budget = good gameplay. Sure.
Mr Khan @ Sep 1st 2009 6:20PM
Like they're going to designate a big budget to something with Okami's track-record anyway? That's why many were sure from the beginning that Okamiden had nothing to do at least with 360 or PS3.
sony boy @ Sep 1st 2009 6:38PM
but it could've been so much better on the wii or ps3/360!!!
Slayer8675309 @ Sep 1st 2009 10:15PM
Can the butthurt joystiq admin quit changing my avatar? If samfish gets nudity, what's wrong with OJ?
CJLopez @ Sep 2nd 2009 11:37AM
wanna know why its on ds instead of wii/ps3/360?
Well, Okami selled pretty good on japan, japanese loved this game, and so they love their ds, ds is the most sold portable gaming system since it was released, so there are a lot more potential buyers of this game than wii/ps3/360 combined. Japanese people spend a lot of time traveling from home to work/school, they spend most of their out of it, so they like more portable games than home consoles, hence this descition and maybe future ones
Jawmuncher @ Sep 1st 2009 3:51PM
As much as I love Okami, I would love it more if the Dino Crisis Series Staffer got to work on Dino Crisis 4. That would be great. Especially if 4 made up for dino crisis 3.
Though it's better to pretend that never happened
jettoki @ Sep 1st 2009 3:58PM
Amaterasu is the Shinto sun goddess. The Christian equivalent of 'Chibiterasu' would be 'Mini-Christ.'
ducttapeBigSexy @ Sep 1st 2009 4:12PM
No Clover Studios + Sequel set a few months after = Me skeptical
I'd love to be proven wrong, but idk, can it really be better (or even on par) with the first? Because, let's face it, that game is pretty amazing!
Roto13 @ Sep 1st 2009 4:18PM
I refused to let myself believe this was actually going to be an Okami sequel, because that kind of thinking usually leads to disappointment.
Now I can get excited.
fl0 @ Sep 1st 2009 4:32PM
Poor PSP has been crushed & smashed again. Just pray for people to buy "Okamiden", not to get it from "my aunt from Torrento".
OHHH i'm so excited !! Need to refresh "Okami" for my Wii. DS means perfect for this kind of games, and I'll be able to take "Okami" anywhere with me :D
First "Okami" wasn't a system-seller, but slowly, in progress, people were playing more and more, and now a lot of people know and love "Okami". So Capcom needs to make little hype around this game, hype like: "One of the best games of PS2, Wii and the games overall - now on the DS" to attract new players, cause "Okami" is already well-known and famous around gamers. Then "Okamiden" may sell like a hotcakes !
Slyphon Filter @ Sep 1st 2009 8:47PM
lay off the quotation marks. we get it.
Khazid'hea @ Sep 1st 2009 9:30PM
After you lay of those quotation marks you should think about cutting down/quiting meth.
CBAkiba25 @ Sep 1st 2009 7:24PM
Ooh! I can't wait for this!
Wait, sorry I'm a bit out of the loop. Was it confirmed for the US?
Phil @ Sep 2nd 2009 12:21AM
...DS...
Awesome...
Sorry but to me, this had dropped anticipated for it about 15-20%.
I want a full fledged massive adventure. Okami, for me, clocked in at a solid 40 hours of gameplay and this, I anticipate, will be nowhere near close.
The cartridge limitations, to me, just mean limit in what they could do.
Let's hope this is not a TRUE sequel and closer to a side story sequel. Save the EPIC continuation (Same but revised gameplay, Amaterasu, Redone world, retooled god power, etc)...
Man... Forget it. At this point, I think Okami just needs to be left as is. Unless they go to China and tackle the zodiac or whatever, I think it may be best to not want a sequel as to not ruin the original fun and innovative factor of the first game.
Phil @ Sep 2nd 2009 12:26AM
...Okay, maybe I won't be that harsh but I don't anticipate it having the quality the PS2 version had.
You know who's to blame for Okami not doing well? Capcom, for not advertising the hell out of it. Something as simple as mentioning that majorly known staffers from capcom worked on it would have been plenty, but nooooo, some web and magazine ads and THAT WAS FREAKING IT.
Take a note capcom, don't mess with the gameplay and advertise the HELL out of Okamiden. Because if it IS as great as the first and it tanks, IT'S YOUR FAULT.
Series as great as Okami can't be made popular by word of mouth alone.
esposch @ Sep 2nd 2009 3:41AM
I LOVE handheld games, far more than on a big screen, so I expect a lot from this!
If you don't believe handhelds can produce long, quality, epic experiences, I recommend you go play this game called The World Ends With You. It has deeper characters, story, and better gameplay than >ANY< RPG I've played. Ever.
To put it in perspective, Sho Minamioto, the second game master is hands down a better villain than Sephiroth.
As for the cart limit, current DS cartidges go up to 256mb, but Dragon Quest IX got around this by putting the game on 2 carts! On top of that, if it's on DSi (like those amazing graphics suggest) then it can do games at Dreamcast-like clock speeds with 2gb cartridges.
My personal expectation is that they will expand on the first game, and make this even better than the original, with better controls too!
And to everyone wondering why it's not on the PSP, you have only Dark_Alex to thank. :/
EoR,
~Kim Jong Il!
samfish (uses the Joystiq Comment-Kill filter!) @ Sep 2nd 2009 9:22AM
"You know who's to blame for Okami not doing well? Capcom, for not advertising the hell out of it."
Advertising is not some silver bullet that automatically makes your game sell. You have to have the right mix of hype and anticipation behind the game in order for it to be at all effective these days.
See also: MadWorld.
Okami is an awesome game for those of us who hang out on Joystiq or IGN all day. Everybody else asks "what the hell is Okami?" We might get excited at the prospects of a new Okami, but the general buzz would just not be there.
I would guess that, at best, Okami could reach Persona levels of popularity if Capcom sticks with and continues to grow the franchise. Persona games don't exactly light up the charts (in the west, at least), but they're still somewhat popular.
Kaoz @ Sep 2nd 2009 8:11AM
I like Swords and Soldiers, it's a bit simplified compared to a 3d rts (which I actually like, less micromanagement of resources) but it gets hard. The campaign seems like it would be between 3-4 hours long, but then skirmish and versus mode add a lot of replayability. (Not to mention achievements and challenge mode)
I also decided to pick up Nyxquest before it. Liked NyxQuest more, but thats just because I like platformers.
Kaoz @ Sep 2nd 2009 8:18AM
bleh, meant for this to be a reply to my previous post.
mmxzero @ Sep 2nd 2009 5:43PM
Alright another Okami game! Glad Capcom is make a DS game that isnt Megaman or AA. Hope it has DSi enhanced features too.
Reuben @ Sep 2nd 2009 8:04PM
I'm interested in this, but I've gotta say that I'm growing tired of DS exclusive sequels and the like featuring child-like versions of the old characters. Zelda and Final Fantasy are the ones that immediately come to mind.
Kyzumi @ Sep 2nd 2009 9:32PM
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Okami was so great! Can't wait for this one
Phil @ Sep 2nd 2009 10:45PM
Right, I understand advertising is a sort of iffy thing but still...
And I played MadWorld. It was 'too' over the top. And sorry to say, but I can only toss a guy in a wood mulcher so many times before it gets boring.
As for the DS cartidge comment, yeah, I know plenty of games have long life and longevity and it doubles if they add an extras cartridge. But I'm still unsure if it will meet with the quality of the original is all.
I'm allowed to have my doubts so I made the comment. I hope it's great, I really do, but I will NOT be surprised if it fails to live up to the first is all I am saying.
Maginomicon @ Sep 9th 2009 4:49AM
Wee! Cartoon time-dilation go!
In Toon World, children can go from conception to giant-wooden-sword-wielding in APPARENTLY "a couple of months".