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'Okami' veterans want to make a sequel
After years of remasters and ports, Okami is finally getting a sequel... well, maybe. Two veterans from the game who now work at Platinum Games, director Hideki Kamiya and Ikumi Nakamura (the star of Bethesda's E3 presentation), have posted a video declaring that "Okami is going to be back" and that they "want to make" a sequel to it. This doesn't mean Platinum is definitively making a sequel, but its alumini are clearly trying to get Capcom's attention.
'Okami HD' on the Switch is an imperfect classic
What makes a good Switch game? The consensus seems to be something that isn't graphically demanding, has a quick gameplay loop or is easily played in bite-sized portions. Local multiplayer helps out a whole lot, too.
‘Okami HD’ arrives on Nintendo Switch this summer
The gorgeous Zelda-style adventure game Okami originally debuted on the PlayStation 2 in 2006, but its paintbrush gameplay came alive with the Wii's controls in a version released the next year. On today's Nintendo Direct, the company announced that an HD edition of the divine wolf's classic journey is coming to the Switch this summer.
Relive your best wolfy Zelda moments with ‘Okami’ remaster
It would give me great pleasure to name Twilight Princess the best Zelda game of the 2000s (you heard me, Skyward Sword fans), but it would be untrue -- that crown belongs to Okami. First released in 2006 as one of the last games to come out on PS2, its gorgeous watercolor-style animation, mystical world and magical paintbrush mechanics made it an instant classic. Two (and a half) console generations later, PS4, Xbox One and PC owners are getting a remastered version on December 12th for $20.
Capcom slashes prices on PSN, from Okami to Street Fighter
Capcom fans with access to the PlayStation Network have good reason to be excited, as the publisher has unleashed a deluge of discounts on games ranging from classic 2D fighters to modern survival horror epics. Highlights of the sale include fan-favorite PlayStation 2 crossover fighter Capcom vs SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 at $5 and Lost Planet 3 at $13.49. The Resident Evil games are likewise discounted, with Resident Evil 4 HD at $6.80, Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition at $15 and the HD remake of Resident Evil: Revelations at a mere $13.49, among other sizable survival horror discounts. Capcom's discounts on Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max and Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen are especially tempting, as both the classic 2D fighter and the uneven but compelling third-person fantasy adventure can be purchased together for less than $10. For full details on all of Capcom's newly-announced discounts, visit Capcom Unity. Not only are all of the discounted games listed in an easy to read format, but Capcom also links directly to the Sony Entertainment Network, saving potential customers the hassle of looking up each game individually on their Sony console of choice. [Image: Capcom]
Okami prints now available, celestial brush not included
A limited edition run of high-resolution fine art prints based on Capcom's Okami are now available for purchase through digital art specialists Cook and Becker. Each print is hand-numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity. None of them were painted by a sun goddess who takes on the form of a wolf with a paintbrush tail, unfortunately. Not familiar with Cook and Becker's work? It's the art dealership behind the "museum-grade" prints featuring the fungal apocalypse from The Last of Us and the futuristic landscapes of Mirror's Edge and the Mass Effect series, plus many more. The Okami prints range in price from $80 to $130, while frames can add upward of $200. We hope you've already got plenty of pennies saved up though, as the sun has already set on several prints, which is a slightly poetic way of saying sold out. [Image: Cook and Becker/Capcom]
Bayonetta director ponders 3DS spin-off
Hideki Kamiya directed both Bayonetta and Okami and given the opportunity, he'd like to bring both series to the Nintendo 3DS, though perhaps not quite the way you'd expect. "Given the chance, I'd like to make a game based on Jeanne from Bayonetta," Kamiya told Siliconera at PAX. "Something that's not as big in scale. Something that's portable, that you could play in quick sessions, where she's a history teacher and the kind of fun things that could come out of a scenario like that." Kamiya added, "If I could get away with it, I'd also like to come up with a spin-off of Okami, less focused on the grand idea of saving the world, but something focused on the smaller world of the fairy Issun." The director's latest game, The Wonderful 101, was recently released in Japan, Europe and Australia. It is slated to make its North American debut on September 15.
Okami HD draws near with October 30 release date
Capcom announced an October 30 North American release date for Okami HD, with Europe following the next day. The remastering of the already beautiful 2006 game hits PlayStation Network next month for $19.99, and comes with Move support. HexaDrive (with Capcom's assistance) is the studio in charge of the 1080p update, with Rez HD sitting pretty in the Japanese studio's résumé.Capcom sends us a new trailer and screenshots to commemorate the announcement. If you deem your eyes deserving of a treat, feel free to check them out.%Gallery-166110%
Here's another taste of Okami in HD
If the latest screens of Okami HD didn't fill you up, this short clip of the Ryoshima Coast from the game might do the trick. Go straight to Capcom Japan's upload of the video to get lost in its glorious HD visuals. Okami HD will land on PS3 in Japan on November 1 for $19.99.
Okami HD vs. Okami SD
We usually see an HD port of a beloved classic as what we remember the original looking like. Sure, Okami has always been this beautiful, right? Well ... it turns out that, looking back, the PS2 version was almost as hazy as our memory.%Gallery-158823%%Gallery-158828%
Okami HD to paint a picture on PS3 this fall
If you missed out on Okami or the DS sequel, Okamiden, Capcom's upcoming re-release may suit your needs. Okami is currently being remastered for the PS3, with full 1080p HD graphics and PlayStation Move support.This is all according to the latest issue of Famitsu, as revealed by Twitter sleuth Sinobi (translated by Andriasang). This Okami remaster is planned to launch on November 1 in Japan, for ¥3990 ($50).Update: Capcom just sent out a press release confirming the news. Okami HD will launch on PSN this fall, replete with PS3 Trophies and optional PS Move support. It will be priced at $19.99.
Good morning, here's a dog dressed as Amaterasu
Even dogs took part in the cosplay activities at this year's Otakon convention, with Dante the dog here dressing in the divine garb of Okami's heroine, the goddess Amaterasu. If you have a white dog you'd like to style as Amaterasu (and who is a good boy like Dante -- good boy!) his owners detailed the process of making the costume on their blog. Happily, the whole thing was conceived from the perspective of what would be best for Dante; even the decision to bring him to Otakon in the first place was explained as "this was better for him than leaving him in a boarding place for five days." The whole post is full of tips and disclaimers about ensuring your dog's happiness and comfort while also making it look like a video game character. Basically, our hearts were warmed twice by this story. And then a third time when our eyes drifted back up to the picture.
SOTA's new Darksiders, Darkstalkers and Okamiden toys go to Comic-Con
Toymaker SOTA has announced that it's prepping a trio of exclusive, licensed video game-based items for this year's San Diego Comic-Con International, which runs July 21-24. The biggie (and by that we mean nearly a foot tall) is a statue ($160) of Morrigan and Lilith from the gothic fighter Darkstalkers, which depicts the two as they "fall, together, in a loose embrace, unaware of how much longer they have together" and "freezes in time a moment that Morrigan and Lilith wish to last forever." SOTA's words, not ours. Smaller and fluffier, a keychain-sized Okamiden plush will be included as part of a "San Diego Comic-Con Impulse Pak" ($40) that features three of SOTA's non-game-related Bobble Budds. Finally, there's our favorite of the bunch: Darksiders' War astride his horse, Ruin, in an LED-lit statue (above, $250) that looks as hot as the flames erupting from the Apocalypse rider's steed. All three items will be available at the show and through SOTA's online store. You can view more pictures and details at the source link.
Okamiden producers discuss planning around Pokemon and 3DS
The producers of Okamiden realized they were in a pickle, marketing-wise, when they were finishing up the Western version of the game just as the 3DS and Pok émon Black and White were being announced for the same release window. Capcom decided to thread the needle and send Okamiden out right between these two. "Even though the news of the Nintendo 3DS was a bit earlier than we had expected," said producer Motohide Eshiro and director Kuniomi Matsushita in a postmortem on Gamasutra, "we decided that releasing the pan-Western versions of the game after Pokémon and before Nintendo's 3DS would be our best bet." The developers also revealed the inspiration behind Okamiden's partner system, which pairs the tiny Chibiterasu with young swordsboys, mermaids, Moon Tribe aliens, and others. "A child version of Amaterasu would only have half the abilities of the adult Amaterasu," they said. "It would be rather difficult for half of a god to save the world, but if there were a partner, then the two of them could work together to save the world."
Okamiden review: Small puppy, big game
If I were to overthink Okamiden, I would suspect its premise is a subtle commentary on the game's own development. The world of Nippon as it appears in the DS game is filled with the small children of the people and gods found in Clover Studio's 2006 PS2 game Okami. It's tempting to say that this is the developers' subversive way of comparing themselves to children at play in the world Clover created. But it's more likely Capcom realized a cute puppy would sell games. It is a really cute puppy.
Free Chibi keychain with Okamiden pre-order from Capcom store
Capcom just won the Okamiden arms race. Whereas GameStop offers a pretty cute paintbrush stylus with pre-orders of the celestial DS adventure game, Capcom's own online store is offering ... this. A tiny plush Chibiterasu keychain, small enough for you to bring with you everywhere, forever, like the most convenient best friend ever. We'll offer some free advice to other retailers: if you want any chance of attracting us away from this irresistible offer, you're going to have to take the loss and bundle a bigger Chibiterasu plush. It's a burden, we know, but if you want to succeed in this world, you have to give us really cute toys of baby Japanese wolf-gods.
Okamiden mug makes hot beverages cuter
Were the Okamiden teacups not puppy-shaped enough for you? Capcom's latest Japan-only merchandise offering is this mug, with Chibiterasu's face, tail, and wings (is that what those are?) on it. The mug will be out in February for ¥1,890 ($23) -- plenty of time for you to start that coffee habit. This mug is the latest in Capcom's user-suggested merchandise campaign. Previously announced releases include towels, a book cover, the Chibiterasu plush, and these slippers that we're just now seeing, which need to be on our feet right this very second.
Brush up on Okamiden with new screens and video
Capcom sent out some new media for the upcoming DS adventure Okamiden, the scaled-down sequel to the PS2/Wii game Okami, starring the scaled-down descendant of that game's heroine. Nice how that works out, isn't it? One aspect that isn't scaled down is Chibiterasu's arsenal. The Celestial Brush allows you to restore life to dead things, repair broken bridges and other objects, and even summon cherry bombs with a line-art bomb shape, as seen in the video. The artwork in our gallery includes two adorable new celestial deities, and a new partner for Chibiterasu, child actor Kagu.%Gallery-104476%
Stroke of genius: Okami's Amaterasu in Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Joining the mighty Thor in Marvel vs. Capcom 3's character lineup is Amaterasu, sun goddess, white wolf and star of Capcom's Okami. She may be the smallest fighter on the roster, but, as you can see in the video after the break, she's as fierce as she is amazingly rendered.
Two great Okami convention collectibles coming soon
There are not one but two brilliant Okami-related items in this post, and we tossed and turned all last night about which one we should put pre-break, and which one we should put after. In the end, we flipped a coin, and this amazing Okami polystone statue won. It features a terrific sculpture of everyone's favorite Shinto deity, Amaterasu, and will be available starting at the 2010 International Tokyo Toy Show for 15,540 yen. That's about US$176, so it's not cheap -- but at about 8" across and about 5" tall, it's a nice chunk of sculpted form. We're still not sure we made the right decision though -- the second piece of collectible Okami gear will be found at the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con, and also after the break.
