"Muramasa: The Demon Blade" confirmed for North America. 2D lives!

[Regulus Tera]

Vanillaware <3 Wii:

Originally Posted by XSeed

Marvelous Entertainment USA and XSEED Games Announce Muramasa: The Demon Blade Exclusively for the Wii

Highly anticipated Wii-exclusive Action RPG videogame will be released for the North American market

Torrance, Calif., (October 2, 2008) – Game publishers Marvelous Entertainment USA and XSEED Games announced today that the highly anticipated title, Muramasa: The Demon Blade (known in Japan as “Oboro Muramasa Youtouden”), is currently in development and will be released for the North American market. A unique, highly stylized action RPG (role playing game) videogame, Muramasa: The Demon Blade will ship in North America in 2009, exclusively for the Wii.

“Muramasa: The Demon Blade is an incredibly special title,” stated Yasuhiro Wada, Managing Director of Marvelous Entertainment. “From the team that created the critically acclaimed Odin Sphere, Muramasa features a stunning visual look and palette that will be embraced by gamers world wide. We’re pleased to continue our relationship with XSEED Games to bring such an anticipated title to the massive North American gaming market.”

Jun Iwasaki, President of XSEED Games, shared Mr. Wada’s sentiments. “Gamers are already excited for Muramasa. The game has already been included in many ‘must-have Wii games’ lists. We feel this enthusiasm will only continue to grow as gamers learn more about the mysterious ‘Demon Blades, and have the opportunity to experience the life of a ninja warrior.”

Based on ancient Japanese lore, Murumasa: The Demon Blade plunges players into the mystical Genroku era, ruled by the skilled shogun Tsunayoshi Tokogawa. But this culture is threatened; Tokogawa’s thirst for power leads to a conflict over the enormously powerful, though cursed, Demon Blades. Used in hatred, drenched in blood, the cursed blades condemn those who use them to tragedy, madness, and untimely deaths. As chaos spreads, denizens from the netherworld breach their realm as these malevolent swords summon evil spirits - and the Dragon and Demon Gods as well.

Featuring hand-drawn 2D art reflecting the heritage and tone of the storyline, Muramasa: The Demon Blade transports players into a little known mythology, envisioned by the creators of the critically acclaimed Odin Sphere. Players take on the role of a male ninja or female kunoichi, utilizing their ninja prowess to traverse the clever side-scrolling levels that feature vertical progression as well as the traditional horizontal stage advancement.

Muramasa: The Demon Blade is currently in development by Marvelous Entertainment and Vanillaware exclusively for the Wii, and will be unveiled at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show in Japan (October 9-12). The game will be co-published by Marvelous Entertainment USA and XSEED Games in North America and is expected to ship in 2009.

As a gamer who feels jaded at the insurmountable number of FPSes that flood the market every year, this is awesome news. Adding to Mega Man 9, Wario Land: Shake It! and Klonoa Wii, I'm glad to see 2D didn't have to die when 3D came around.

Pics:

Some artwork to sweeten things more.

Thanks a lot to Marvelous for trusting the Wii. From the bottom of my heart.

[Mirai Gen]

Hey, whaddya know, the Wii shall become something more than "The Mario Console."

Count me totally in.

[EVILNess]

That looks like Odin Sphere.

Is it made by the same people? Cause that would be totally bitching.

[Ryong]

Originally Posted by EVILNess

That looks like Odin Sphere.

Is it made by the same people? Cause that would be totally bitching.

Yeah, Vanilla Ware made Odin Sphere. Goddamnit, I need to buy a new system. My PS2 is dying.

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You guys wanted good looking core Wii games? Vanillaware's got your good looking core Wii games.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

You know what... fuck getting a PS3 for now. I NEED to get a Wii now.

[ZAKtheGeek]

Totally getting this.

Totally unrelated to this art.

[Kim]

I've been excited since I first saw it, and was even more excited when I heard it was getting released stateside.

It does have a possible future in HD, but I'll get the Wii version anyways.

Fun fact: You can play it with the classic controller apparently!

[Bells]

Yo!

As soon as you guys have a chance to put your hands on this game, do it. You won't be disappointed. Also, take a momment with it to savor the bittersweet deal that it is this game... because Marvelous already said they are moving "up and away" from the Wii with their next games...

So, if Muramasa ever sees a sequel, it's likely to be on the PS3 or Xbox.

[Kim]

Originally Posted by Bells

So, if Muramasa ever sees a sequel, it's likely to be on the PS3 or Xbox.

I have absolutely no problem with this. Muramasa prettiness but in HD? I'm all on board for that.