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Kumatanchi looks like a vanilla Vanillaware game
If you've heard of Vanillaware, you probably know that the developer is responsible for making beautiful 2D games such as Odin Sphere, GrimGrimoire, and the possibly-in-danger Oboro Muramasa Youtouden. Upon finding out that the company was making a DS game, we couldn't wait to see the lush beauties that Vanillaware had in store for us -- only to come across Kumatanchi. That's not to say Kumatanchi looks bad (which, in turn, is not to say it looks good), but it's a lot more cutesy than what we were expecting.In Kumatanchi, you play as a bear (who looks disturbing like a human girl) at a zoo. With the help of the zoo keeper (or custodian), you have to take care of the other animals and put on shows with them. There really aren't many other details about the game so far, but it does seem like Kumatanchi is going to have real time events (perhaps like in Animal Crossing).To see some screens of girls dressed like animals in Kumatanchi, click on past the break.
Famitsu causes worry over Oboro Muramasa Youtouden
Normally we can't wait for Wednesdays, the day that our fellow gaming brethren report all the juicy tidbits from the latest issue of Famitsu. This week was different, though, because we found out that a game we've been looking forward to might be in trouble.According to the magazine, Vanillaware's Oboro Muramasa Youtouden is "struggling," making us super sad pandas. Not only does the game look gorgeous with its beautiful 2D sprites and atmospheres, but also -- well, actually, now that we think about it, we don't know much about this title other than how it looks. And, considering that we haven't seen any new information or media since last fall, we're not too surprised that it might be in danger of falling by the wayside. Keep in mind, though, that we don't know exactly what this "struggling" pertains to, so it may not be as scary as we think. Until further details are released, we'll just have to hope for the best.In other Famitsu news, King Story seems to be doing well and should release in Japan this summer, showing that at least one game we're excited about is on track.
Best of the Rest: Scott's Picks of 2007
Odin Sphere (PS2) Vanillaware's side-scrolling action RPG caught me completely off guard when it came out, but I fell instantly in love with the game's style. Practically everything about Odin Sphere is unique: the circular levels; the gigantic, beautifully-drawn sprites; the bizarre food-crafting mechanics. Toss in a healthy amount of Norse mythology, and you've got one damn fine, under-appreciated game. Here's hoping Vanillaware's upcoming Wii title is up to snuff.
Anniversary aftermath: Next year's awesome games that you forgot about
We spent yesterday going through the big releases that've been announced for next year so far -- Smash Bros. Brawl and/or Wii Fit likely topping your personal "must get" list -- but what about the second-tier games that don't usually receive much press or attention? Though we haven't forgotten about the low-key releases, we've collected a selection of games and media to ensure that these titles stay on your mind too! Read on for our top ten list of awesome 2008 games that you totally forgot about!
TGS07: Oboro Muramasa Youtouden looks even better in motion
We're already in agreeance that Oboro Muramasa Youtouden is one of the best-looking games announced for the Wii -- we shook hands on it, signed the appropriate forms, and even had a notary stamp the papers to make it official. Still, this first video glimpse of the 2D ARPG managed to leave us in a state of ecstasy, our skin alive with pleasure. What secret resource has Vanillaware tapped into that other developers have so far ignored? Most of the titles we saw at the Tokyo Game Show didn't look half as good as this.
Oboro Muramasa Youtouden continues to ravish our eyes
You've likely seen these screenshots of Oboro Muramasa Youtouden already from when we covered the newly announced ARPG last week, but we'll grab at any opportunity to put the spotlight back on this beautiful looking game. Supplementing its weekly magazine, Famitsu has updated its site with direct-feed images, providing a more accurate display of the Vanillaware-developed title than what scanned pages can provide.We have a couple more images past the post break for you to check out if you're interested -- though we can't imagine why you wouldn't be interested in the most gorgeous 2D game coming to the Wii.
Vanillaware brings its 2D talents to the Wii
Vanillaware, the same developer behind GrimGrimoire and Odin Sphere, both gorgeous 2D PS2 titles, revealed in Famitsu's latest issue an ARPG for the Wii, Oboro Muramasa Youtouden. It looks absolutely stunning, almost to the point where we're disappointed in other companies for not working on their own 2D games at a similar level. Loading up the magazine scans, which you can see for yourself past the post break, was like sighting the promised land, a brand new colony, from a distance after months of wandering our ruined, post-apocalyptic Earth. JC fell to his knees beside me, tears in his eyes. The amaranthine sun slipped out of view behind us, leaving our caravan to celebrate its newfound hope. We had many hard months still to weather, but we'd finally found a place to call home.
